Last week a husband and wife sustained significant injuries when a man driving a rental truck struck the motorcycle they were riding through a central Illinois city. Both were rushed to the hospital, where the woman received treatment for what was termed a “severe” broken leg. Her husband endured a number of injuries in the motorcycle accident, including head trauma. They are currently recovering from the impact, and the hospital has described them as being in fair condition.
According to reports on the crash, the couple was passing through an intersection when the rental truck started from a stop sign and hit them from the side. The motorcycle became lodged under the truck’s bumper and was dragged forward as the truck came to a stop. The driver of the rental truck claims that he checked traffic to his left and right before pulling away from the stop sign and entering the intersection. He also says that he did not see the motorcycle coming.
Authorities have issued tickets to the man for failing to yield at a stop sign and operating a motor vehicle without insurance.
Every day rental trucks help many people move around the city of Chicago. Larger than a person’s typical day-to-day vehicle, these trucks can present additional challenges to those unaccustomed to driving them. With different lines of sight and potentially larger blind spots, people should observe extra caution when operating a rental truck.
While it is true that motorcycles can be more difficult to see because of their reduced profile, they have a right to be on the road, and people have a duty to look out for them when they are behind the wheel.
Source: Pekin Daily Times, “Truck driver ticketed in cycle crash,” Michael Smothers, June 8, 2012.