Edited to add the motorcyclist as a 27 yo woman:

Link

Original post:
I say almost because I watched the dump truck push the motorcyclist through the entire intersection and the motorcyclist’s feet were Flintstoning the whole time, so he was still alive.

Link

My youngest son and I were the first vehicle in the left lane stopped at the intersection, there was a white Tesla in the right lane next to us. The cross street has two left turn lanes and the motorcycle and truck were the second and third vehicles or third and fourth vehicles in the left hand left turn lane. At first, I thought the motorcycle was in the right hand left turn lane because I couldn’t see its back wheel. I could clearly see the guy’s feet going like Fred Flintstone’s did when he gets his car going and I don’t mean that to be at all funny, it’s just an accurate description of what I saw and thought. I then realized that the motorcycle was in the same lane as the dump truck and the motorcycle’s rear wheel was either embedded in the truck or under it. There was a gap between the motorcyclist’s back and the front of the truck, so it didn’t appear to me that he was pinned on the bike.

Cars and trucks were honking trying to get the dump truck driver’s attention and I could hear the motorcycle’s tires screeching as the dump truck made the left turn. I lost sight of the motorcycle as the dump truck completed its turn. The dump truck then put its right turn signal on crossed the right hand lane and pulled over on the shoulder on the right side of Duncan Rd (US17). A Sheriff’s Deputy went through the intersection only one vehicle behind the dump truck, so when the light changed in my favor, I left.

It all happened so fast in slow motion. It was right in front of me and I was trying to figure out how to make a U-turn to get in front of the truck and make him stop. I was yelling "Stop, stop!" like it would do some good, but the truck just kept going. I didn’t see when the truck hit the motorcycle, but they were stopped at a red light before what I saw transpired. I was going to stop, but then saw the Sheriff’s Deputy, figured I didn’t see how it started or how it ended, and I got my son to school on time.

On the way back, about 25 minutes later, the road was closed and I knew it didn’t turn out well for the motorcyclist. I looked it up on the FL Highway Patrol traffic incident website and it said there was a fatality.

Not that it matters, the motorcycle was Hayabusa like, the motorcyclist had full riding gear.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: trapper189, March 09, 2023 05:25 AM

This is why I stopped riding in Dallas and moved out into the country.

Everyone is trying to kill me.

What a job for his proctologist.

Sounds like the truck basically pulled up behind the stopped bike and then proceeded to drive over it when the light changed. That sucks.

When I ride, people probably think my neck is broken. I constantly have it on a greasy swivel looking at every possible threat. Every cross road, every entrance that business, residence, etc, every car, truck, dog, cat, duck, whatever. I look for ANYTHING that could have an impact on me as far out as I can see and identify. More cars and way more inexperienced drivers, way WAY more distracted drivers on their stupid phones.

My motorcyclist experiences at intersections:
Drivers in lanes beside me have cell phones in their hands.
Drivers approaching me from behind (I watch my mirrors at every light) make me wonder if the driver actually has depth perception.
Do drivers turning left in front me actually see me?
My route out of town is chosen by the least amount of traffic and intersections. I avoid the newest fad in traffic control like the plague:
The roundabout.

Head on a swivel, definitely a must riding in/around Houston.
Everyone is an idiot & trying to flatten you.

I miss having a bike in the garage, but get why my wife didn't like me commuting through N Houston.

One day, I'll have another. Luckily, I have access to my FIL's from time-to-time.

How in the hell can a truck driver not see a motorcycle stopped directly in front of him..... unless he was drugged or not even looking? Hell they crash into the back of automobiles killing those occupants as well sometimes. Unbelievable!

Inattentional blindness - not seeing something that is plainly visible. I teach motorcycle training for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and we preach this to our students.

Another thing we emphasize is escape paths - an "out" for every situation. I don't really understand the events the OP described exactly but it sounds like the motorcyclist either was unaware of the threat or didn't have an escape route picked out. Every time I stop at an intersection - every time - I have at least 2 escape paths identified. And even then there's no guarantee I won't be injured, but all I can do is try to plan for and be prepared for every possibility.

Ride safe!

Well, he did say dump truck. I'm sure being tailgated by that, you're practically invisible to the driver.
Light changed & truck driver didn't see or forgot the bike was there & took off?
Doesn't excuse it, but I can see a lack of visibility to a large truck driver when something small is that close in front of you.

Another reason lane splitting, at least at lights like this, should be 50-state legal. Let the bikes migrate to the front, as they're more apt to be involved in a standstill incident than a car.

Yep, those trucks with the hood out straight can't see anything that small, possibly as the truck made the turn the bike and rider went under the truck.



Here's a video of a Mini Van that rear ended a bike and it stuck in the front bumper. In this case the rider of the motorcycle wasn't harmed.

Situational awareness is needed at all times.
Much like the skill and awareness needed when just walking around in public, seeing things developing and giving yourself more time to react is essential to minimize your chances of being harmed.

this is why I only ride off-road now.

Honestly it's a lot more fun and a hell of a lot less stressful.

I sold my motorcycle last summer. I didn't ride it enough and of course with that comes lack of continued experience. I'm safer without it.

I put too may riders in bags to ever ride a motorcycle in a city, suburb or urban area.

When I look, it looks like only one left-turn lane and one right-turn lane to turn onto Highway 17. Is the imagery old?

I'm a little confused, the OP says "almost saw a fatality," but the link refers to an actual fatality, are these referring to the same incident? My comments below are relevant to the linked news article.

I suspect the hood on the dump truck might have been high enough that the motorcycle was completely blocked from the driver's view. This, of course, does not negate the truck driver's responsibility for knowing what is ahead of him on the road, nor excuse failing to react to what must have been an obvious disruption, but it may provide a partial explanation. Some of those engine cowlings are quite large, Kenworths for example, seem to be quite obstructive.

Additionally, most of the cab-overs I have seen lately are equipped with one or more touch screen tablets that are used to monitor road conditions, and communicate with other drivers, akin to how CB radios were used in days passed. I hope for the driver's sake that he wasn't texting at the time of the accident.

It’s the same incident. I said almost, because I didn’t see the truck run over motorcycle. I watched the dump truck push the embedded motorcycle though the intersection and around the turn for over 500’.

The picture in the linked article is wrong as is the name of the road. I didn’t really catch that when I posted it. The link is using the name of the road as provided by the FL Highway Patrol. I don’t know why Highway Patrol used Golf Course Blvd as cross street. It’s the road directly south of Bermont Rd. Bermont Rd is where the accident started and the western shoulder of southbound US 17 is where it finished.

quote:

Originally posted by mojojojo:
Inattentional blindness - not seeing something that is plainly visible. I teach motorcycle training for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and we preach this to our students.

Another thing we emphasize is escape paths - an "out" for every situation. I don't really understand the events the OP described exactly but it sounds like the motorcyclist either was unaware of the threat or didn't have an escape route picked out. Every time I stop at an intersection - every time - I have at least 2 escape paths identified. And even then there's no guarantee I won't be injured, but all I can do is try to plan for and be prepared for every possibility.

Ride safe!

Same thing goes to the ones who put the bike in neutral at the red light. Bike in neutral with their phone out not paying any attention and then they wonder what happened after they have been hit.

quote:

Originally posted by kg5388:
Same thing goes to the ones who put the bike in neutral at the red light. Bike in neutral with their phone out not paying any attention and then they wonder what happened after they have been hit.

Exactly! Riders who do that are literally betting their lives on the person pulling up behind you. One day that bet might not pay off very well. You ALWAYS have to be ready to go/get out of the way.