Separate accidents claimed five lives within a 24-hour period this past Saturday in Western Washington, officials said. This is a horrific realization as we continue to see riders and drivers failing to follow road rules put in place to keep people safe.
According to a series of news reports, five motorcyclists died in separate crashes in the western part of the Evergreen State. One of the accidents happened early Saturday.
The rider was heading east on Maple Valley Highway when a car driving behind him hit him. The impact knocked the man off his bike. Surveillance cameras caught the entire incident, and witnesses say they will never forget the scene.
“It was very graphic and emotional, the manager of a local bar told reporters.
In another accident, a motorcyclist suffered deadly injuries while stopped off Interstate 5 in Tacoma. A van driving southbound hit the rider, causing his death. And in another one of the the motorcycle crashes, the motorcyclist hit an SUV after the large vehicle failed to yield for a left turn onto Highway 12.
Officials are urging drivers to learn from these horrific accidents. They ask drivers to stop following riders closely and to slow down. they are also telling drivers to never drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Washington law enforcement said that drivers can prevent similar accidents. It is also disheartening to learn that most of the tragic accidents we saw taking place during these 24 hours could have been prevented.
We must act accordingly if we want to be part of the solution.
Avoid Motorcycle Accidents By Sharing The Road
Drivers sometimes ignore riders not because they mean to, but because they fail to see them. Unfortunately, that happens because drivers are distracted. Other times, this is a problem because drivers are intoxicated.
As we urge you to learn from these drivers’ mistakes, we hope that you will understand that being a safe driver means putting both your safety and the safety of others first. After all, driving takes responsibility.
For more on these accidents, follow this link.
