A crash between a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle near Richmond, Virginia (VA), left the motorcyclist dead. The fatal collision happened near an entrance to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens on Lakeside Avenue in Henrico County a little after 6 pm on April 9, 2017.
Investigators did not release details on the cause of the deadly wreck. It is known that the motorcycle rider died at the scene, but the nature of the fatal injuries was not reported.
Passenger vehicles represent a constant threat to motorcycle riders. A thorough analyses of federal crash statistics by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) researchers revealed that in 2013, “there were 2,182 two-vehicle fatal crashes involving a motorcycle and another type of vehicle.” These deadly incidents accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, and those numbers leave out the roughly 88,000 motorcycle riders who suffered injuries in wreck with other vehicles during 2013.
The most common scenario in which a motorcyclist died in crash involved a car, SUV or truck turning left in front of the rider. This finding confirmed analyses of crash data from 2007, which showed that “for the passenger vehicle drivers involved in two-vehicle motorcycle crashes, 35 percent of the driver-related factor was failure to yield right-of-way compared to only 4 percent for motorcycle operators.”
That earlier study, which was also performed under the authority of NHTSA, also revealed that “for the passenger vehicle drivers involved, nearly 15 percent had violations of rules-of-the-road charged (like turning, yielding, signaling); about 9 percent had violations charged for offenses like reckless driving, careless driving, and hit-and-run.”
The biggest problem with such negligent or reckless errors by drivers is that a motorcycle rider has none of the protections afforded by a passenger vehicle. Motorcycles have no side panels, front crumple zones, bumpers or fenders. Any kind of crash can easily prove fatal.
While the investigation into the deadly wreck in Henrico County continues, the family of the motorcyclist who died could benefit from consulting with a Virginia wrongful death attorney who has experience representing victims of wrecks caused by car and truck drivers.
EJL