Heartland Express Hits Wire Brought Down By Excavator

I would say that windshield post would be evidence.

I worked with a Navy guy that had cables strung
between ships, transferring items over, ship to ship.
It snapped; when bridge thought it was removed,
and peeled off to get distance between them.
he was hit with just several strand bundles,
and it almost killed him. Horror hospital stories.

I'm real careful n don't stand in line of my winch cable.
Any sudden or unexpected release of
any kind of kinetic energy is dangerous.

And a bikes most dangerous time is approaching
an oncoming left turning vehicle.
Ask me how I know.

 

Was either party in the intersection at the moment the light went from green to yellow, or did one or more party enter the intersection after that moment?

Was the bike determined to be speeding?

Was it legal to make a left turn at that intersection?

 

Pickup was in legal left turn lane, light turns yellow. Pickup wasn't expecting bike to race the yellow light, so started making a left. Bike raced the yellow and collision happened. Bike was speeding in my opinion.

I think the light was still yellow when the bike entered the intersection, but I wasn't 100% sure.

I will though, explain why the bike ran the yellow instead of stopping: He had a motorcycle learners licence, and in British Columbia this means he can only ride on a public road while being within line of sight at all times of an individual holding a full privilege motorcycle license. He was attempting to follow his Uncle in his Jeep, who had a full MC license. It was also dark, and learner motorcyclists are only allowed on the road during daylight hours. The biker was a kid that made a bad decision. He should've stopped, but the pickup should've remained more cautious also. That's why I suggested to the insurer that they split the blame.

 

After reading your narrative I would have put the majority of the blame on the motorcycle rider, and only a small share, if any, on the pickup driver. But I don't want to derail this thread any further, so I will reserve my explanation for PMs.

 

I don't disagree, but being a driver I also have to know the MVA. If I'm in an intersection waiting to make a left, in British Columbia I own that entire intersection if I'm in it from any side traffic, until I decide it's safe to complete the left turn. If someone is racing the yellow, I can sit in that intersection for as long as I need be to ensure all oncoming traffic is clear. Even if that means completing the turn on a red. Side roads MUST yield to me, until I finish my turn once in the intersection, regardless of what colour their light is.

It was simply an example of two people who both didn't make the best decisions. The biker raced the yellow, and the pickup driver saw the light change from green to yellow, and didn't 'own' his spot there for as long as he should have or could have, because that's human nature.

This is unfortunately a very common accident scenario, that can be avoided if both parties had done what they were supposed to: Don't race a yellow, and OWN the intersection if you're in doubt whether the oncoming vehicle is going to stop or if it's going to run through the yellow before starting your left turn.

Sometimes crashes are like divorces... We would like to blame just one party for the breakdown of the marriage, but it's often that both are partially at fault to a certain degree.

 

You say all of that but you're completely forgetting the fact that the motorcycle rider should not have been operating a motorcycle after dark in the first place. Regardless of what the truck driver did or did not do, the motorcycle rider never should have been there in the first place - or his uncle should have been operating the motorcycle and he should have been driving the Jeep.

 

Holy crap man that is nuts!!!

 

McDonald’s coffee used to be Timmy’s back in the day I hear ..

 

I don't disagree. But by 'fault', I can only judge by what I personally witnessed when the collision occurred. It is the insurers job to figure out the technicalities of dawn to dusk learners license restrictions for motorcycles, and how that would factor in to any possible settlements, citations, or lack thereof.

The Uncle was an idiot IMHO, and it's obvious he never had a chat with him about "NEVER run a light to remain behind me. I will pull over and wait for you should you get a yellow, and then we'll carry on." He was also persistent about removing his nephews helmet after the collision, when I advised against it since his nephew appeared to be alive, breathing seemed fine, and as such we really don't want to start manipulating his body around. His body flew off the road after the collision, with my vehicle blocking the immediate area he was in with four ways on, so as safe as we could be in the immediate situation. Uncle rips his helmet off anyhow, but since they're family it isn't my business to step in.

Then the kids Mother comes (lived very close, Uncle called her), before any first responders arrive, and was absolutely hysterical. Pickup truck driver remained away from the scene during most of this time, so Mom starts screaming at me about her baby, and don't let her baby die, etc.. I did my best to handle everyone with coolness until the cops/ambulance showed up.

It was a surreal experience. I give first responders credit for handling this day in and day out.

 

Definitely. He shouldn't have even thought about removing the helmet since he didn't know whether or not there were any injuries to the spinal cord, back, or head.

And the uncle should have been behind his nephew since he was in a four-wheeler. The chase vehicle is not supposed to be in front of the bike(s).