Motorcycle Accidents

Karla Munoz, 27, was killed in a motorcycle accident after her cycle hit a van on the freeway. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal motorcycle accident occurred the night of April 28, 2013 on the 55 Freeway near Dyer Road in Santa Ana. California Highway Patrol officials say Munoz was driving a 1978 Honda in the right southbound lane of the 55 Freeway when she and a van changed lanes at the same time. The van struck the motorcycle and she was thrown off the cycle. Several cars hit her. Munoz died from her injuries. The investigation is ongoing. Read the rest »

Larry Angelo, 68, of Fontana was killed in a motorcycle collision in Orange County after he lost control of his motorcycle and struck a truck pulling a trailer. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal crash occurred the morning of March 6, 2013 on the northbound 405 Freeway just north of the 22 Freeway and involved a 2003 Kawasaki and a 2001 Ford F-150 pulling a utility trailer loaded with landscaping equipment.

California Highway Patrol officials say the truck was traveling about 55 mph when Angelo, who was two lanes over and going about 50 mph, suddenly lost control and was thrown off the motorcycle.

Angelo landed in the roadway and was struck by the rear axle of the trailer. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrest or citation was reported. The investigation is ongoing. Read the rest »

A retired crash investigator is part of a new study to improve motorcycle safety by installing cameras on motorcycles to document rider behavior.

Mike Ginocchi is cooperating with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute to document his speed, relative distance to vehicles, and maneuvers over the 20,000 miles per year he puts on his motorcycle to help researchers better understand how motorcycle riders behave when confronted with various situations on the road.

The study involves the use of five cameras placed on his bike to record data from all angles. Mike is one of more than 100 “wired” bikers contributing to the study in the hope of improving motorcycle training for future riders. Read the rest »

Mitchell Lucker, 28, the vocalist for the band Suicide Silence, was killed in a Huntington Beach motorcycle accident after his Harley-Davidson crashed into a pole. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal motorcycle accident occurred the night of October 31, 2012.

Police say Lucker was riding the 2013 Harley south on Main Street when he lost control and crashed into a light pole. Lucker was ejected, but the motorcycle continued south on Main and collided with a 2007 Nissan Titan pickup truck. Lucker was transported to an area trauma center where he died from his injuries. Police are still investigating the cause of this fatal accident. Read the rest »

A motorcyclist suffered injuries in a car accident in Anaheim, which officials say involved a hit-and-run driver. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the injury collision occurred the morning of October 9, 2012 on the 57 Freeway near the 91 Freeway. California Highway Patrol officials stated that a Mercedes Benz sedan might have been involved in the crash. One of two good Samaritans, who saw the incident and stopped to help the injured motorcyclist, said she saw a gray sedan cross the double yellow lines separating the fast and carpool lanes.

The motorcyclist was struck in the carpool lane and hit the center divider. The sedan did not stop and continued north on the freeway. Another witness corroborated that account as well. Officials are still investigating the incident. The nature and extent of the motorcyclist’s injuries is not known.

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Blair Marcus Proulx, 51, was killed in a Santa Clarita motorcycle accident the evening of October 5, 2012, and his family members are still searching for answers as to how or why this tragedy occurred. According to a news report in The Signal, the fatal motorcycle crash happened in a residential neighborhood on Alta Knoll Drive near Elder Creek Drive. Officials are looking into everything from whether Proulx suffered a medical condition, to whether he may have hit something on the side of the street. Officials say he was not going fast at the time of the crash. So far, investigators do not believe that any other vehicles were involved. The investigation is still ongoing.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Blair Marcus Proulx, who apparently died less than a week before his 52nd birthday. Please keep his grieving family members in your thoughts and prayers.

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