Guzzi down in Portland

[brlawson]

http://www.kptv.com/story/29964591/motorcyclist-critically-injured-in-crash-with-suv-on-portlands-east-side

Anyone here? Young lady from Portland on a green v7. Your typical "I didn't see them" response. Pretty hard when your looking at a cell phone I guess.

[oldbike54]

 "Upgraded to serious but stable condition" , that is good news . At least the van driver stuck around .

  Dusty

[rodekyll]

I don't see where a cell phone was mentioned in the report.

[brlawson]

I don't see where a cell phone was mentioned in the report.

True, it was a personal observation based on what I see on a regular basis. Just don't know how you cant see a bright green Guzzi.

While I do lean towards the Bike rider when reading this sort of thing it could have been their fault.

[1Sourdough]

I don't see where a cell phone was mentioned in the report.

Maybe she was putting on makeup?

[Lannis]

Maybe she was putting on makeup?

I sit at lights sometimes, and watch people from the road on my right make left turns onto the road I'm on.   

I can see exactly what they're doing, how many buttons are done up on their shirts, etc, and the MOST LIKELY scenario is that they were mindlessly chattering on a cell phone, or making a turn while texting.   More that half of the drivers I see some days are doing that as they make the left turn.

Not a hard deduction to make.   

Lannis

[rodekyll]

As long as it's understood that this is a cell phone general rant topic and has nothing to do with the news story I'm ok with it.  But if y'all are substituting sweeping generalities for facts to vilify the SUV driver, it's sad.

[JeffOlson]

The cager probably turned left into the oncoming motorcycle. Doesn't that scenario account for a significant percentage of all motorcycle fatalities?

[rodekyll]

According to the new story, yes, the SUV made a left, either into or in front of the bike.  Impairment and speed don't seem to be factors, but with the traditionally abysmal reporting since the news went internet, the article only mentions speed and impairment with respect to the SUV.  We know nothing about the bike or rider except that it is a woman.

And I agree that the cage turning left against an oncoming bike is a major crash scenario.  But it has been a familiar one since bikes were invented, not just since cell phones happened.  To write off all such incidents to cell phone distraction just isn't right.

[rbm]

GWS rider.

From the van driver's perspective, the front of a bright green motorcycle is not visible; the van driver would see just the headlight and a thin rider profile.  It could equally be SMIDSY and not distracted driving.  The woman motorcyclist could have weaved in her lane as she approached the intersection to improve her visibility.

[Penderic]

Sad to hear this happen. Left hand turns and unpredictable traffic = a lot of my close calls.

When I used to commute, I saw lots of early drivers eating, shaving and lots of girls putting on make up! Yikes! As if cell phones were bad enough for distracting the driver.

Here comes trouble!

No. She doesn't have eyes for you!

[homebrew]

There's a Gofundme page for those who have a few spare dollars and wish to help out a fellow Guzzi rider. http://www.gofundme.com/GetWellRena

[elvisboy77]

There's a Gofundme page for those who have a few spare dollars and wish to help out a fellow Guzzi rider. http://www.gofundme.com/GetWellRena

Thanks for the heads up

[stmike]

According to the new story, yes, the SUV made a left, either into or in front of the bike.  Impairment and speed don't seem to be factors, but with the traditionally abysmal reporting since the news went internet, the article only mentions speed and impairment with respect to the SUV.  We know nothing about the bike or rider except that it is a woman.

And I agree that the cage turning left against an oncoming bike is a major crash scenario.  But it has been a familiar one since bikes were invented, not just since cell phones happened.  To write off all such incidents to cell phone distraction just isn't right.

I think it's fairly common practice now for the accident investigator to check the cell phones for activity during the time of the collision, just to rule that factor out.

[rodekyll]

The common practice here is to NOT check any facts -- just make an assumption, a sweeping generality, reduce the issue to the lowest and most absurd common denominator, and let the imagination do the rest.  It's a subtle thing -- a drift from penal to penile.

[kevdog3019]

The common practice here is to NOT check any facts -- just make an assumption, a sweeping generality, reduce the issue to the lowest and most absurd common denominator, and let the imagination do the rest.  It's a subtle thing -- a drift from penal to penile.

Um, yes!