Three motorcycles were recently involved in a crash in California, and one woman tragically lost her life in the accident. She was riding along as a passenger on one of the bikes.
Per the California Highway Patrol (CHP), a previous accident on Ortega Highway had slowed traffic on the road. The three bikes approached that back-up and were forced to slow down, as well.
The woman, who was on a 2008 Harley-Davidson with a 62-year-old man steering the bike, had actually stopped completely in the road. Behind them were a 2018 Ducati and a 2015 Yamaha. Both were driving right around 60 miles per hour, though the Ducati may have been going slightly faster and the Yamaha may have been going as slow as 45-55 miles per hour.
In any case, they could not see the traffic backed up because of a curve in the road. They started to slow down but they could not avoid a crash. One of the bikes — reports do not clarify which one — hit the side of the Harley.
The woman died at the accident scene while being treated by first responders. Another person was taken from the scene by helicopter and rushed to the hospital. Though one of the other two people in the crash also got hurt, their injuries were described as minor, and the man driving the Harley did not get hurt at all.
This incident shows how unpredictable motorcycle accident injuries can be. The woman on the Harley was hurt badly enough that she passed away, while the driver, just inches in front of her, was uninjured.
If you suffered serious injuries in a wreck like this, make sure you understand your rights to seek financial compensation.