The ride up to Newcombs Ranch was nice. It was my first time up there and really enjoyed the ride up. I was with two experienced riders but we took it easy going up because David was two up with his son.
Once we got up to Newcombs ranch we had some lunch and started to watch the Moto GP race. Unfortunately we were too early and only the 250 class was running.
On our way back down we see an LA County Sheriff's helicopter landing on the side of the road. I am approached by a bystander who tells me that the road is impassable at the moment. The story was that a motorcycle was in an accident with a van and they didn't know how long it would take to clear the road. He seemed very focused on the fact that we had to wait while they helped the motorcycle rider.
I was a bit taken back by the demeanor of the guy passing along the news. I guess he really didn't care that someone was hurt and was more worried that we would not be able to go anywhere for a while. Maybe it was his way of mentally coping with the situation. Either way it reminded me that it is important to remember that you don't know what people are thinking. When you are on a motorcycle you have to think for everyone else around you.
I parked my bike and started down the hill to see what happened. As I started to pass by the helicopter the medics were on their way to the accident scene as well. Once I got down there I saw the injured rider being worked on by the LA County Sheriff's Deputies (Paramedics).
I didn't photograph the injured rider out of respect for him and his family. Once the rider was stabilized they put him on the back of a US Forestry Service vehicle and carted him up to the helicopter.
Once they had the rider in the helicopter and were taking him to the hospital (Huntington Memorial in Pasadena, CA) I decided to get a closer look at the accident scene.
After talking to some people who witnessed the accident I spoke to the CHP officer and confirmed what had happened. Here is what I was able to find out:
The rider was coming down the mountain and crossed the double yellow line headed against oncoming traffic. At that point a green minivan was coming up the mountain and with nowhere to go and no time to react it hit the bike head on. Keep in mind that the bike was in the wrong lane, it was not the van driver's fault. The front of the bike struck the front left side of the van. This caused the rider to fly about 30-40 feet in the forward direction of travel. The bike on the other hand flew in the opposite direction of its initial direction of travel. The van stopped in place in its lane.
There was speculation that there may have been a mechanical problem with the bike and the rider took a moment to look down and check it. At that point he drifted off into oncoming traffic. Based on what I observed of the riders condition I would say that he wasn't going too fast (~35MPH in my unqualified opinion). This may be due to him breaking along with the driver of the van doing the same.
Another theory that people were throwing around was that he was going too fast and couldn't make the turn. I don't think that was the case because if he were going too fast (keep in mind the speed limit is 55) there would have been a lot more damage to the vehicles and the rider.
The rider was wearing sneakers and not boots. One of his shoes came off and landed next to the bike. The shoe was not laced up properly. It was laced in that "cool guy" pop culture way so that it could be slipped on and off quickly.
He also wasn't wearing any other protective clothing like an armored jacket or pants. The medics had to cut away his pants so that they could asses his situation. When I got a look at his belt it was obvious that fashion was his top priority.
The last image shows the trail of debris from the bike. I was standing where the rider was lying and the bike is just in front of the tow truck. To give you some perspective on distance from me to the bike is about 50-75 feet.
I think this rider was very lucky he didn't end up over the side or smacked into the wall. He was conscious and had asked for someone to call his wife. The general assessment was that he would be OK. Pretty damn lucky for someone who went head-on with a van and wasn't wearing any protective gear (except the helmet which is required by law).
We should all take this little incident as a reminder that we are responsible for our own safety while out on the road. Sure other people are supposed to look out for you but they don't. Keep in mind that you are going much faster than anything else on the road and you have a smaller footprint which makes it harder for others to judge your speed.
Almost every accident involving a motorcycle can be linked back to the rider. Riding too fast, not checking tire pressure, riding on faulty equipment, not paying attention to the road, riding beyond skill level, etc.
- Be prepared for that car stopped at the intersection to pull out in front of you.
- If you are riding in a blind spot expect that you are going to get merged on.
- Expect that there may be a stopped vehicle around that blind turn.
- Know that when lane splitting, minivans and SUVs probably can't see you coming up.
It is your life and only you are responsible for it out there. There is such a thing as safely riding hard. If you are going canyon carving wear protective clothing. You are at a higher risk of being injured canyon carving than in traffic. I support that statement with this; in traffic you are aware of everything going on around you and are riding cautious; in the canyons you are focused on taking the turns and practicing your form, traffic is an afterthought.
Think about that the next time you are in the canyons. When you come up on traffic what is your mindset? Are those unpredictable hazards packed with people doing everything but paying attention to the road, or are they obstacles slowing you down? You probably answered obstacles slowing you down. You have to remember they are the same people who you don't trust on the freeways, only difference in the canyon provides for a nicer background.
Final note: The canyons are not the track and if you try to treat them as such you will end up hurt or dead. Always respect the road and those on it with you.
