Posted on 06/21/2019 10:58:03 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Seven motorcyclists were killed and three others injured when they collided with a pickup truck going the opposite direction in New Hampshire, police said.
Authorities received a call around 6:30 p.m. Friday about a motor vehicle crash on Route 2 in Randolph, New Hampshire State Police Capt. Chris Vetter said.
The pickup truck, a 2016 Dodge 2500, was traveling west on Route 2 while the motorcyclists were traveling east, police said.
State police collision analysis and reconstruction teams are investigating the crash, and will continue overnight in conjunction with local police and the Coos County Attorney's Office.
"Route 2 is closed for the foreseeable future. The scene is pretty large and there's a lot of work to be done," Vetter said. "I don't know that I have ever seen a crash with this much loss of life. It was a pretty significant accident."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
So... Who was going the wrong way? The article doesn’t say.
Near 8000 lbs going west bound meets 7, 800 to 1100 lbs objects going east. Just the math is awful. Really sad way to end a road trip. PrAyers for the families.
Possibly the sun was in the eye’s of the pickup driver and he crossed the center line. That’s no excuse, but it wouldn’t surprise me.
Seven motorcycles going wrong way same time is unlikely
Truck driver looking at his phone or drunk
More likely
When I rode cafe bikes for transportation I was more aware as a driver than in my Dodge Ram
Unlikely the bikes were ALL over the line....................
This is tragic. I won’t speculate as to fault though. Could go either way or any combination.
From the skid marks it does look like the truck crossed over the center line. Overcast sky so sun should not have been a factor. It could go either way, although I've seen a lot of impatient jackasses on bikes pass on a double yellow line.
my husband, 67, just sold his Shadow motorcycle yesterday...
Wow. It wouldn’t surprise me if it had something to do with that big empty trailer. Would an empty trailer be more apt to start moving side to side - and then putting the entire rig out of control?
“The crash happened about 500 feet from lodging where most of the motorcyclists were staying, Hamanne said.”
Bikers not quite up to speed yet, perhaps waiting for others to leave the B&B, truck slams into the rear of them? Bikers turn in front of the truck, truck loses control and slams into the others down the road?
Combined with the possible difficulties of driving with a long trailer - a series of unfortunate events culminated in a disaster.
That’s my thought, too.
It’d be interesting to find out why the truck driver crossed the line, which seems like the most likely scenario.
Once one collision occurred with that long trailer, hard to say exactly what happened.
So close to the where the motor cylclists were staying, could also have been several cyclists waiting for their turn to join others on the road.
It is hardly worth speculating at this point.
There will be an investigation.
It's possible but I don't think the sun is low enough in the sky at this time of year at 6:30 to blind someone like it would if it were closer to the horizon.
I find it's worst when it's much closer to sunset, like right ON the horizon. That's more like 8 PM in June.
“It is hardly worth speculating at this point.”
True. So sad for all of these people and their loved ones.
My dad’s in his mid 60’s and I hope he parks his bikes in the next year or two. I know it’s a huge deal for him because he gave up his motorcycle to get married and didn’t buy another until “he made it financially” but he just isn’t as sharp as he was even 5 years ago. I was encouraged when he mentioned this last week that he didn’t take his bike to town because it felt heavy...hopefully he’ll give them up voluntarily.
It doesn’t help that my brother and I both ride (I ride daily to work March through Veteran’s Day, except on the very few rainy days we get here).
Good point. And happening on the longest day of the year, and that far north, sunset probably wasn't until at least 9:00 PM, possibly a tad later.
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