Motorcyclist Killed After Colliding With Car in West Oakland

The Contra Costa times reported that a motorcyclist was killed in a crash in West Oakland last Sunday after colliding with a car. Apparently, at approximately 3:45 p.m., a 40-year-old San Francisco man was driving a Suzuki motorcycle westbound on West Grand Avenue at the intersection with Magnolia Street, when a 31-year-old Berkeley man driving a Mercedes-Benz sedan in the opposite direction made a left turn in front of the bike and the car crashed into the bike.

The collision threw the motorcyclist onto the pavement, where he was critically injured.  The driver stopped and called 911, but the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the hospital.

As a San Francisco personal injury lawyer, I am confronted all too often with this type of situation. As I wrote recently, one of the big problems for motorcycles is that car and truck drivers often do not have an awareness of motorcycles on the road.  Failure to look out for motorcycles and bicyclists often results in the motorcyclist being hit and killed, as in this case, and the driver of the car or truck not even slightly injured.

Another point that I find very disturbing about this case is that the police look for  away to blame the motorcyclist, even though the car driver was clearly at fault–he made a left turn in front of the motorcycle!  Still, the police make sure to report that “a large amount” of marijuana and cash was found in the motorcyclist’s possession. Really? Really?  A person driving responsibly, minding his own business is hit by a car and that is what the police report on?

The bias against motorcyclists and bicyclists has to stop here.  Let’s all watch for two-wheeled vehicles when we’re driving and let’s not assume that they are at fault.

Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call investigators at 510-750-6594.

We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to “not at fault” persons named in this article and their family members.