Speed Linked to the Death of Motorcyclist in Norfolk, VA Crash | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

Another motorcyclist has been killed in Norfolk, Virginia (VA), in the latest accident to be linked to excess speed. A crash happened around midnight on July 1, 2011, near the Robin Hood Road Highway exit on I-64, WAVY.com reported. State police said this accident involved two motorcycles, a pickup truck and two cars.

It appears that two motorcycles were traveling at high speeds. The rider of a Suzuki motorcycle lost control and struck the pickup truck, state police said. The rider was ejected from his machine. A Yamaha motorcycle hit the Suzuki motorcycle and ejected the rider and a female passenger. Two cars then drove over the 41-year-old rider of the Yamaha and he died at the scene.

As Virginia personal injury attorneys, we are saddened by this terrible crash and loss of life. The rider of the Suzuki motorcycle was charged with reckless driving. He was injured but his injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

Speeding is a major cause of deaths on our roads, particularly in relation to motorcyclists. In 2009 our VA attorneys reported on how a speeding motorcyclist was killed in Hampton when he smashed into the passenger side door of a car.

Sadly, speeding plays a role in the overwhelming majority of fatal motorcycle accidents in Virginia and beyond. In 2009, my colleague Jim Lewis reported on a deadly spate of motorcycle accidents and advised riders on what they could do to help protect themselves. Unfortunately the catalogue of deaths has continued.

The most obvious thing riders can do to prevent an accident like this one is to slow down.

DM