James Burleigh
Well-known member
This is terrible news. And as we see too often, they were single-vehicle accidents. In the first case, on Bear Creek Rd., it looks like the rider took a right-hander too hot and hit the opposite guardrail. In the second one, since it's a wide, straight, faaaaast, arterial, I can only hypothesize alcohol, or speed + low skills, or road obstruction, or....who knows?
I ride these two roads all the time. Even though it's rural, Bear Creek Rd. is a freakin' roller-coaster with 50-mph posted speed limits. I was on it not long ago with HYCLE and a slow-moving BMW Z4 convertible....
Always eager for an opportunity to shamelessly reprise my videos, this one shows the Bear Creek Roller-Coaster between 1:25 and 2:27. You will see how tempting it is to open up the throttle (unless you possess my type of self-restraint :innocent: ). The ride is going opposite his crash direction. My guess is that he hit the guardrail you see ahead on the right at 2:08 (or the one at 2:17).
The only video I could find of the Richmond Parkway is here between 1:08 and 1:12.
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[SIZE=12pt]One motorcyclist dead, another injured in two East Bay crashes[/SIZE]
By Hilary Costa
STAFF WRITER
04/06/2008 . One man died and another was in serious condition Sunday night after two East Bay motorcycle accidents.
The first accident left a Hercules man in serious condition [died in hospital] Sunday afternoon after crashing his motorcycle into a guardrail on Bear Creek Road in Orinda near San Pablo Dam Road.
The 42-year-old man, who was not identified, was riding a 2005 Suzuki motorcycle southbound ahead of three friends at about 3:45 p.m. Sunday when he crossed the center divide and hit the guardrail on the east side of Bear Creek, said CHP Sgt. Keith Marsden.
The man was found unconscious by his friends, who did not see the accident, Marsden said. He was wearing a helmet but suffered head trauma. The victim was traveling at a high rate of speed, Marsden said.
Traffic on Bear Creek Road was shut down in both directions for more than an hour while CHP, Contra Costa County Fire and Moraga-Orinda Fire units responded to the scene. The victim was transported by ground ambulance to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, where he remained in serious condition Sunday night, Marsden said.
The second motorcycle accident occurred in Richmond at 6:51 p.m. on Richmond Parkway at Parr Boulevard, according to CHP dispatchers. Craig McGiffin, 33, of San Francisco lost control and was thrown from his motorcycle into the roadway, said CHP Officer Sam Morgan. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The solo crash was reported around 6:50 p.m. as the rider was northbound on Richmond Parkway near Parr Boulevard.
After the man lost control, he hit a curb, and the impact threw him into the center divider and a tree, Morgan said. No other vehicles appear to have been involved in the accident, Morgan said. Officials are investigating what may have caused the rider to lose control, such as a medical issue or distraction. The weather was clear at the time of the crash, Morgan said.
I ride these two roads all the time. Even though it's rural, Bear Creek Rd. is a freakin' roller-coaster with 50-mph posted speed limits. I was on it not long ago with HYCLE and a slow-moving BMW Z4 convertible....
Always eager for an opportunity to shamelessly reprise my videos, this one shows the Bear Creek Roller-Coaster between 1:25 and 2:27. You will see how tempting it is to open up the throttle (unless you possess my type of self-restraint :innocent: ). The ride is going opposite his crash direction. My guess is that he hit the guardrail you see ahead on the right at 2:08 (or the one at 2:17).
The only video I could find of the Richmond Parkway is here between 1:08 and 1:12.
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[SIZE=12pt]One motorcyclist dead, another injured in two East Bay crashes[/SIZE]
By Hilary Costa
STAFF WRITER
04/06/2008 . One man died and another was in serious condition Sunday night after two East Bay motorcycle accidents.
The first accident left a Hercules man in serious condition [died in hospital] Sunday afternoon after crashing his motorcycle into a guardrail on Bear Creek Road in Orinda near San Pablo Dam Road.
The 42-year-old man, who was not identified, was riding a 2005 Suzuki motorcycle southbound ahead of three friends at about 3:45 p.m. Sunday when he crossed the center divide and hit the guardrail on the east side of Bear Creek, said CHP Sgt. Keith Marsden.
The man was found unconscious by his friends, who did not see the accident, Marsden said. He was wearing a helmet but suffered head trauma. The victim was traveling at a high rate of speed, Marsden said.
Traffic on Bear Creek Road was shut down in both directions for more than an hour while CHP, Contra Costa County Fire and Moraga-Orinda Fire units responded to the scene. The victim was transported by ground ambulance to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, where he remained in serious condition Sunday night, Marsden said.
The second motorcycle accident occurred in Richmond at 6:51 p.m. on Richmond Parkway at Parr Boulevard, according to CHP dispatchers. Craig McGiffin, 33, of San Francisco lost control and was thrown from his motorcycle into the roadway, said CHP Officer Sam Morgan. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The solo crash was reported around 6:50 p.m. as the rider was northbound on Richmond Parkway near Parr Boulevard.
After the man lost control, he hit a curb, and the impact threw him into the center divider and a tree, Morgan said. No other vehicles appear to have been involved in the accident, Morgan said. Officials are investigating what may have caused the rider to lose control, such as a medical issue or distraction. The weather was clear at the time of the crash, Morgan said.
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