EMTs and firemen assisting the injured motorcyclist

A car driver pulled out of a gas station and collided with a motorcyclist in the 2200 block of Palm Avenue on Friday, June 26th. The accident took place at around 5:00 p.m., a time when the area is congested with traffic coming off of I-5 and is exacerbated at times by trolleys passing through the nearby Palm Avenue trolley station.

The eastbound motorcyclist was struck by the car as the latter made a quick dash out of the gas station and headed toward the freeway. A witness stated that he saw the motorcycle speed by, heard a loud thump, and saw the westbound car jump a couple feet into the air as it ran over the bike. The rider was apparently tossed from the motorcycle and landed a few feet from it, which saved him from being run over by the car.

A policeman and the driver next to his damaged car

Several drivers got out of their cars and aided the fallen motorcyclist, who, according to the witness, appeared to have sustained some scrapes and bruises but no externally evident trauma. The driver involved in the accident immediately stopped and got out of his vehicle, which sustained damage to a door and a flat tire.

Evidently in shock, the driver stood by his car until an ambulance, several police cars, and a fire truck arrived a few minutes later. A policeman diverted some of the traffic into the gas station while EMTs examined the injured motorcycle rider, put him on a stretcher, and got him on the ambulance, which drove away shortly thereafter.

The area was cleared within a few minutes and traffic returned to normal. Another person who was interviewed stated that this particular area, between the I-5 freeway and the Palm Avenue/Hollister Street intersection, is the scene of frequent car accidents due to heavy traffic, especially during peak hours.