Motorcycle Crash On Kailua Road
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Michael Tsai staff writer for the Honolulu Advertiser reports today on another motorcycle death on Oahu. According to reports the motorcycles crashed into a rental Van on Sunday afternoon. The Advertiser story relates that the Van changed lanes and apparently the Van driver, a Japanese national did not see the motorcycles as he moved to the left near Ulu'oa Street:
According to the Honolulu Police Department's Traffic Division, the maroon Chevrolet van, driven by a Japanese national, was traveling north in the right lane of Kailua Road, near Ulu'oa Street, when it turned into the left lane — occupied by the motorcyclists — to reach a grassy median used for U-turns.
The two motorcyclists, who were in group with three other riders, locked their brakes but were unable to avoid hitting the van, HPD said.
A 46-year-old man was taken to Castle Medical Center, where he later died. The other rider, described as a male in his 40s, was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition.
The driver of the van did not appear to be injured, according to Honolulu fire Capt. Terry Seelig.
Molly Arthur, 37, was one of the first to the scene and when she saw that one of the injured had stopped breathing and had no pulse, she performed CPR.
"He was really messed up," she said. "His face was bloody and his shirt was torn."
The man started breathing and got a pulse according to EMS workers thanks to the life saving work of Ms. Arthur.
Again as I have written before, motorcycle deaths are at an epidemic level. "Automobile, Motorcycle and Pedestrian Deaths On Oahu Continue to Rise" by Wayne Parsons
Sunday was beautiful and a lot of bikes are on the road. A sudden lane change is one of the greatest fears of a motorcyclist. They are very vulnerable to a car not seeing them and pulling into them. If it was a car to the left, it would probably be a minor fender bender. For a motorcycle it can mean death. Daly that is the result in this tragedy.
Get the word out that if you are driving a car keep an eye out for motorcycles. I actually think that many drivers are only looking for cars or trucks. They don't "see" motorcycles. A head check before changing lanes is a good idea. Turn and look before moving left or right. Bikes are small and can get into blind spots in mirrors.
An informative article worth reading is from Megan Roth of the Lombardi Law Firm in Des Moines, Iowa: Recovering Damages in a Motorcycle Accident.