Body bag on the side of the road....

[Twisties]

Bill, Gary, Sharon and I were stopped by volunteer firefighters working traffic control for an incident on CA-3 north of Trinity Lake, on our way into Weaverville Friday.  When they allowed us to proceed we saw a group of HD Riders sitting in the shade, an unrecognizable mass of what we presume used to be a yellow HD, an occupied body bag laying unattended a few feet off, and an officer making measurements in the road.

 

This section of road had no particular challenges that we could see.  A slight curve on flat land with good road surface and vegetation cleared well back from the roadway.  We could only speculate on what may have happened.  

 

Later the remaining group came through town looking for a room...  I guess they were well off schedule at that point.  ATGATT did not seem to be their motto.  

 

It was a sobering sight, and cause for some thought.  

 

[Twisties]

By way of thought, one aspect, and the reason I posted in Ride Well:  It made me mentally review a list of hazards that could have caused this.  What are your ideas?

[dirtrider]

6 minutes ago, Twisties said:

By way of thought, one aspect, and the reason I posted in Ride Well:  It made me mentally review a list of hazards that could have caused this.  What are your ideas?

 

Morning Jan

 

Ideas?-- have about 2 million choices, from rider having  a heart attack, to getting hit by a meteorite, to a stray bullet, to an animal hit, to ???????????????????.  

 

With having a "A slight curve on flat land with good road surface and vegetation cleared well back from the roadway" and with an "unrecognizable mass of what we presume used to be a yellow HD", to me, sort points to there being another car or truck involved but with so many choices just a SWAG.    

[Twisties]

It's possible that another vehicle had already been cleared from the site, however, none that appeared to have been involved was present.  One way or another, drifting out of the lane in a moment of inattentiveness was definitely a possibility we considered.... whether that would be catching an edge on the roadside, hitting an oncoming vehicle, an oncoming vehicle drifting and hitting the rider, or such.

 

First impression being that yes, the moto took a very hard hit from a solid object... tree, oncoming vehicle?  But, I suppose it might have wadded up from tumbling, too.  

 

One reason I don't like group riding is that I don't always feel comfortable taking a break when I ought to.  

[Twisties]

The officer was stretching his measuring tape a long way down the road...  suggesting that the bike went some distance, a few hundred feet, from whatever precipitated the incident until it came to rest.  Also, it was off on the far side of the road from the direction of travel.

[dirtrider]

10 minutes ago, Twisties said:

The officer was stretching his measuring tape a long way down the road...  suggesting that the bike went some distance, a few hundred feet, from whatever precipitated the incident until it came to rest.  Also, it was off on the far side of the road from the direction of travel.

 

10 minutes ago, Twisties said:

The officer was stretching his measuring tape a long way down the road...  suggesting that the bike went some distance, a few hundred feet, from whatever precipitated the incident until it came to rest.  Also, it was off on the far side of the road from the direction of travel.

 

Morning Jan

 

Or possibly he was measuring the skid marks from first brake apply to contact, then to final resting point ? 

[Twisties]

Yes, exactly.

[RogerC60]

Since we're speculating: a car/truck/whatever coming the other direction decides to pass a slower vehicle, pulls out over the center line, sees oncoming headlights, moves back to the right. HD rider (maybe riding too fast) sees oncoming traffic, panics, brakes, skids, and goes down. The other-direction traffic may already be past and don't know that any accident has even occurred, and simply continue on.

 

[Twisties]

More info

[Bill_Walker]

21 hours ago, Twisties said:

More info

Well, that description sure sounds like a health issue caused the accident.

[Ewell D.]

Could have been something as simple as a bee sting.

 

Saw my neighbor almost go down on his Harley when a yellow jacket went up the sleeve of his T-shirt. Stung him 4 times before he could get pulled over and his vest and shirt off. Made me glad I was wearing ATGATT mesh. I believe I was more comfortable with the temperature than he was as well.

[Tri750]

In Ca. LE uses a yellow plastic tarp as when a fatality occurs it becomes evidence . I can't imagine a circumstance where a bag would be used as normally an ambulance is on the way or at the extreme, a coroners van but the LE cannot pronounce so back to ambulance for transport.