Rider down in Salem Mass.

[mojobreakfast]

This is going to stick in my mind for a while. This happened about 9:30 AM this morning.

My wife and I were riding in our truck on Fort Avenue towards Salem Willows, directly in front of the Salem power plant. Up ahead, in the opposite lane and coming towards us, an RV slowed down and swung over the double yellow to turn left at just the same moment a bike appeared next to it, trying to pass it on the left also over the double yellow.

The front of the RV struck the rider dead center on his right side and the bike just exploded and flew across the street to the side of the road. It happened in a split second but it felt like slow motion. It was a nasty hit and I pretty well freaked out. Pulled over immediately and dialed 911, also screamed at a guy sitting on his porch to dial 911. As I was dialing I closed the remaining distance and got out of my truck.

The rider was initially sitting upright, his shoes were blown off, and he was bleeding badly from the head and face. Within seconds he was on his back and pretty well going into shock. A couple of bicyclists also started dialing 911 and one guy was trying offer comfort to the dude who in addition to going into shock was having a major panic attack or heart attack. I tried to keep the guy down and calm, as did another fellow who had also been on a bicycle.

The RV driver was a middle-aged Englishman with his wife. It was one of those rented RV deals. These people seemed kind of out-of-it and shocked by what happened. Salem police, fire and EMS were on the scene pretty quick. I gave a cop my name and number and a quick statement and cleared the scene.

The bike was a large yellow Harley. I don't know Harleys but it was a big bagger. Looked like a very new bike. The rider was a late 50's, early 60's guy. Gear was denim jeans, denim jacket, gloves with the fingers cut off and of course a beanie brain bucket. He very definitely impacted either the pavement or the bike with his face and he was also bleeding out from underneath the helmet. I can't help think about how much better off he would have been in a full face.

Not sure what the RV was trying to do. There was no place for him to turn into, so he may have been attempting a U-turn. I can't recall him signaling but he may have; I just didn't notice. The rider made a bad judgement call. I hope he is OK.

Please ride safe.

[spicy]

best of luck to the rider, hope he's alright and makes a quick and full recovery -- that sounds like a pretty vicious crunch :-/.

props on reacting quickly and being helpful.

[kb1]

Hope he's OK, beanie helmets .... they should be illegal, they do nothing to protect your head when it hits the pavement.

[brendanp]

Wow! I so know that area very well growing up in salem. As soon as you said he was bleeding from the face and head, and riding a harley, i knew he was wearing one of those stupid "Novelty helmets" ... WTF is wrong with these guys wearing something that gives no protection?

I hope he is ok...

[greenmonster]

Hopefully he'll survive w/o too much lasting trauma. Fuck those ridiculous lids.

[Omahastylin16]

*shrug* im glad everyones free to wear as much or as little protective gear as they like, as far as im concerned those gay little beanies are useless but they sure shouldnt be illegal.

hopefully the rider turns out ok

[mojobreakfast]

To be fair and accurate, it wasn't the smallest beanie 'skull cap' I've seen; it covered a decent portion of his cranium but was still obviously insufficient for responsible motorcycling. No face protection and probably minimal energy absorbing stuff inside.

I wouldn't think of wearing anything but a full-face but I'm guilty of sometimes riding with my visor up for extra air. I'll be doing less of that after seeing this guy's face bashed in.

[zaltzy]

i hope the guy is all right but i dont think any helmut should be legal or illegal Im a personal responsibility nut. I seen a couple leave the golden banana last night after a night of drinking shots and hard liquor and was shaking my head I dont know how people ride drunk. I have personally rode with a benie helmut on and when i do ill tell you that I know it isnt safe but i drive a lot slower and more cautiously

[tWeEzy]

so lemme get this straight, the biker illegally passed on a double yellow?

[Omahastylin16]

so lemme get this straight, the biker illegally passed on a double yellow?

sounds that way, but what diff does it make now

[mojobreakfast]

so lemme get this straight, the biker illegally passed on a double yellow?

That is how it appeared to me. It happened extremely fast. I saw an RV, I saw it begin a turn over the double yellow, and suddenly a bike swung out from behind the RV and attempted to pass. It literally happened in the span of 2 seconds or less. He was definitely hit by the RV over the double yellow.

The exact sequence of events, I can't really specify because my full attention wasn't on this until the impact occured. Maybe the RV contributed to the accident - perhaps he did not signal, perhaps he hit the brakes a little hard. It probably did not help that the RV driver had no view of what was behind him, and was possibly unfamiliar with driving on the right side of the road in the left-hand seat.

Whatever the contributing factors are, the rider made a mistake in attempting to overtake the RV on the left over the double yellow. This was really sobering and I think represented a split second impatient maneuever that many of us have done at some point.

[zaltzy]

legal or illegal i still feel bad for the guy but on the other hand it was prolly his fault and atleast he didnt die

[GrooveMonkey]

I'll stick with my full-face thanks. Shops should hang this pic next to the helmet rack...on the beanie shelf.

[lrrs313]

I'll stick with my full-face thanks. Shops should hang this pic next to the helmet rack...on the beanie shelf.

Holy shit.

[breakdirt916]

holy crap, that's scary to see, and that x-ray is eerie stuff

please ride safe people

[toocrazy2yoo]

Hey, did he have his feet up in the highway pegs?

[mojobreakfast]

Hey, did he have his feet up in the highway pegs?

Happened way too fast for me to notice and my gaze was kind of fixed on the bike's headlights at the moment of impact. Why do you ask?

[obsolete]

Another rider was down in Salem. Lafayette Street 90's Kawi. Didn't see the wreck or rider but the bike was not in bad shape.

I don't think any helmet or lack there of should be illegal just as I don't think when I call you a retard for doing it should be illegal.

[mojobreakfast]

Another rider was down in Salem. Lafayette Street 90's Kawi. Didn't see the wreck or rider but the bike was not in bad shape.

Damn. When was this? I'm not far from Lafayette Street and ride down it at least once a day in the car or on the bike. Just got back from a quick ride and there are a lot of bikes out today. Hope that rider is ok..

[obsolete]

Around 3:15 or so.

[mojobreakfast]

Ah, wow. I had just left my house and ridden past there on my own bike, maybe 15 minutes earlier, heading for a quick ride up 127 and back.

[obsolete]

Might have seen you. I rode by and did 127 to 133 to 128.

[tWeEzy]

sounds that way, but what diff does it make now

I was just curious as to whether or not it could have been avoided.

[mojobreakfast]

Might have seen you. I rode by and did 127 to 133 to 128.

Indeed we probably crossed paths, because I did it the other way around, up 128 to exit 14 and then 133 to 127 and down. My CBR is bright orange, black helmet and black gear.

[axil]

My CBR is bright orange, black helmet and black gear.

I think I have seen you around the north shore. I have a bright orange Z1000. Not that many bright orange bikes around.