A little after 10 p.m. on Friday night police in Henrico, Virginia say they were called to the intersection of New Market Road and Presquile Road due to a traffic accident. Police say that witnesses have revealed that the accident occurred when a 2007 Jeep was trying to turn when it hit a 2004 Kawasaki motorcycle.
The force of the accident was so great that the motorcycle rider was thrown from his bike and had to be taken by ambulance to the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College. Authorities say the rider is currently in critical condition and that he suffered extensive injuries as a result of the crash.
Henrico police say that they are in the midst of investigating the accident and say they are looking for tips from the public who might have been in the area at the time of the accident.
According to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, over half of all fatal motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle and most of the time it is the motorist, not the motorcyclist, who is at fault. The MSF provided a list of advice for drivers to help improve the safety of bikers. First, the MSF says that drivers should understand that because of the small size of motorcycles, the riders can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots. Given this, it’s critical that drivers take an extra moment to be sure and look out for bikers, especially when changing lanes or entering an intersection.
Drivers should also be aware that because of a motorcycle’s size it can be difficult to judge a bike’s speed. Motorcyclists also slow down in a different way than drivers in passenger cars. Rather than hitting the brake, bikers often downshift or let off the gas to slow down, something that does not result in the activation of the brake light. Drivers should allow more stopping distance because of this and should be aware that at intersections motorcyclists may appear to stop suddenly given the lack of the brake lights as a visual warning.
If you’ve been hurt in a Virginia car, truck or motorcycle accident and have questions about how to move forward, check out my firm’s car accident injury resource page which contains some important information about what VA car accident claims entail. If you or a loved one was injured in a car crash and have questions about what your next step should be, take a look at my firm’s answers to frequently asked questions about the personal injury claims process. The guide includes information about what kind of damages can be compensated, what not to put online in the event that you were involved in such an accident and how to handle insurance companies in the event of a car wreck.
Here’s a Google Map showing the location of the accident:
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