Three motorcyclists were transported to hospitals after an accident near the Lawrence Municipal Airport Sunday afternoon.
Officers were dispatched to the intersection of Highway 24/40 and 1600 Road about 1 p.m. Sunday.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol Crash Logs, two motorcycles were traveling eastbound on Highway 24/40. The first was in front of a group of cars making a hand signal to turn right, but actually turning left. The second was behind the cars, intending to pass the group. This motorcycle tried to pass and hit the first motorcycle.
According to Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical Battalion Chief Rob Kort and the Kansas Highway Patrol Crash Logs, 22-year-old Lawrence woman, Linda Green, was driving the first motorcycle and was airlifted to a Kansas City-area hospital with serious injuries.
A 53-year-old Lansing man, David Stringer, was driving the second motorcycle and transported by ambulance to Lawrence Memorial Hospital and later transported to a Kansas City-area hospital.
A 44-year-old Lecompton woman, Lori Farley, was riding on the second motorcycle and transported by ambulance to a Kansas City-area hospital.
Check back at LJWorld.com for more updates.
Comments
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gsxr600 (anonymous) says…
Any description of the bikes?
SpeedRacer (anonymous) says…
Real helpful video.
Fugu (anonymous) says…
The first motorcycle was a moped, hence her making hand signals.
silentbranden (anonymous) says…
There are so many grammatical errors in this story. I don't think simple subject-verb agreement is too much to ask.
funkdog1 (anonymous) replies…
Where? Did they fix them? I don't see any.
MopedEdd (anonymous) says…
Having ridden thousands of miles with Linda in cities all over the country, I find it highly unlikely that she would use the wrong hand signal. She is the most organized, prepared, helpful person in the local and national moped community. My thoughts and prayers are with her in these difficult times.
KawValleyKid (Nick Yoho) says…
I'm pretty sure most mopeds HAVE turn signals, Fugu. although many vintage motorcycles do not. Speedy recovery to all involved in this tragedy.
paperjam (anonymous) says…
I arrived there with my wife shortly after the accident occurred. The woman who was life-flighted was in pretty bad shape, but conscious. She laid in the middle of the highway twisted up for quite some time before paramedics had arrived. Had she not been wearing a helmet, this very well could have been a fatal accident. I've had her in my thoughts all day long, I hope she's okay.
MopedEdd (anonymous) says…
Mopeds have pedals, most date from the late 1970's and are not equipped with turn signals.
s_mill88 (anonymous) says…
The 44 year old lady (Lori) is my mother, and she was the one air-lifted to KU Med, not the 22 year old. Small error, no worries, but just wanted to clear that up. I'm very sorry to the girl on the moped, and I wish her well on her recovery. I had the opportunity of visiting with her father at the hospital for a short time, and I hope he knows that his daughter and their family are in our family's thoughts as everyone involved recovers from this horrible accident.
OutlawJHawk (anonymous) says…
Why does every accident of significance require transport to Topeka and KC? It would seem to me time would be of the essence in these situations and transporting an injured person distances would increase the chance for mortality...
Is there no trauma unit at LMH? If not, why not? Is Lawrence really THAT rural?
I do hope all fare well and recover from this accident...in out-of-town hospitals.
lawrenceguy40 (anonymous) replies…
In this case I believe the life flight transport was entirely justified. A neighbor told me that a second life flight was ordered but was too far away.
However, on many occasions life flight is used for trivial injuries. It is useful to remember that there is a financial interest at play here. A trip to KU Med will cost about $14k, and you have to question how far the "integrated relationship of mutual trust and loyalty" between local first responders and LfeStar extends. I know people who have been forced into bankruptcy by a completely unnecessary ride in the helicopter.
Is there any way of wearing a dog tag demanding no Life Flight in the event of an accident?
MacHeath (anonymous) replies…
I don't know how many times this has to be explained.
LMH does not have a neurosurgeon at all, let alone a neurosurgeon on-call 24-7.
Anyone suspected of head trauma gets transported. Just Google Level one trauma center, and you will see what is involved.
loudmouthrealist (anonymous) says…
For everyone complaining about life flights !
With all the news about Iraq and Afghanistan everyone should have heard about the "Golden Hour" associated with survival rates and serious injuries, especially head injuries. Transporting a injured person to a non-trauma center like LMH would waste precious time and diminish the survival rates of many accident victims.
In addition, trauma centers are categorized by different levels. Level 1 trauma centers are the best and there are only ~125 such trauma centers in the US. Kansas has a total of only 3 different trauma centers. There are only a total of 7 trauma centers (all levels) in KS. See the list: http://www.facs.org/trauma/verified.html
Lawrence is not one.
Many individuals survive because of life flights. Many life flights are not necessary. EMT's do not have the equipment to determine 100 % if a victim has a serious head trauma or not.
To all the complainers: Do you want your loved one to die because you do not think it is better to be safe (alive) than sorry (dead).
loudmouthrealist (anonymous) says…
The above comment should read:
Level 1 trauma centers are the best and there are only ~125 such trauma centers in the US. Kansas has a total of only 3 different LEVEL 1 trauma centers.
There are only a total of 7 trauma centers (all levels) in KS.
See the list: http://www.facs.org/trauma/verified.html
Lawrence is not one.
trinity (anonymous) says…
so these really were mopeds and not motorcycles, as the headline reads? i mean, i know a moped is a cycle with a motor...but there is a big difference in size, power, etc...
either which way, thoughts&prayers with the families and friends of those who were hurt and speedy recovery to 'em!
puddleglum (anonymous) says…
Hope everybody is safe and ends up OK!
I see this all the time with motorcyclists...Especially when you are turning right, they love to romp on their harleys and make that brakbrakbrak sound as they pass you-sometimes dangerously too far out on the left..
I also see them rolling down a two lane highway, with the alpha dogs putting their front tire on the yellow line, and the entire left side of the bike hanging out into the oncoming traffic's lane.
love to hear riders explain to me: "but that's just to protect ourselves." someday, one is going to get too close and wipe out into my trailer, but until then I will continue to swerve over and attempt to avoid these careless riders.
paperjam (anonymous) says…
Trinity: There was one person on a moped, and two people on a motorcycle.
trinity (anonymous) replies…
oh ok thank you...i am reading challenged on a monday morning.
mycider (anonymous) says…
Greetings everyone, this is Linda (of the above article.) I would like to clarify a few minor points. First, I was indeed riding a moped -- a 1978 Sears Free Spirit, with the Puch E50 engine. You can pretty easily find the official KS definition of a moped, but basically, they're smaller (both displacement wise and size-wise) and slower than a motorcycle, and they have automatic transmissions. Mine also has operable pedals, but in KS (unlike some other states) this is not a requirement for vehicle to be considered a "motorized bicycle." To give you an idea of the size, I can pretty easily load my moped into the center section of my van without loading ramps or other assistance, and I am definitely not a strong person (riding the moped everywhere instead of walking doesn't exactly build muscles, haha). From what I understand, the other riders were on a true motorcycle.
All things considered, I am relatively okay and incredibly grateful I am not injured worse. My ankle is not in good shape, and I'm told I have pelvic fracture(s?), although that actually doesn't hurt for now. Other than that, I just have a lot of scrapes and very colorful bruises. I cannot stress enough how important wearing a helmet is, though. I was wearing my full face and gloves, and my head and hands are pretty much the only parts on me that are not scraped, bruised, or broken. I'm kicking myself for not having my riding jacket on -- it was strapped to the back of the moped -- because it was "too hot." If I had been wearing it, it probably would have halved the bruising and eliminated the road rash on the top half of my body. Oh well, live and learn. I guess my first purchases after I'm allowed to ride again are going to be good boots, a new helmet, and a jacket that stays cool enough that I'll actually wear it in the summer.
I hope David and Lori are not too seriously injured, and I wish them both a speedy recovery. I'll tell my friends and family to keep them in their thoughts and prayers as well.
4everahawk (anonymous) says…
AND, perhaps some turn signals???
Tragic accident...could have been much worse. Hate it when people defend their friends and relatives just because they are nice people.....article said she used wrong hand signal. Until the police report changes, I guess maybe a terrible mistake was made and everyone involved should accept that. Hope everyone recovers soon.
yeahwell (anonymous) says…
she is a nice person however she is also, without a doubt, the safest, most cautious person i have ridden with. personally i have never seen her signal incorrectly, and even if that somehow were the case, it's unlikely that made a difference given the circumstances of the accident. Linda is great. it's terrible that this had to happen but i know for a fact that hundreds of people across the nation within the moped community are sending their thoughts and hopes for speedy recovery.
Honestly we all need to be more cautious and aware. for every actual accident there are at least dozens of close calls on the roads. it's not going to kill you to take an extra few seconds to look around or slow down near a moped or motorcycle, but it seriously could kill the rider if you don't. I know it sounds cheesy but it's definitely a real issue.
best wishes to everyone involved and their families as well
KawHawk (anonymous) says…
What kind of a fool passes a line of cars stopped for left turns on the left side ?
Hope Linda sues the crap out of this guy for pulling such a stupid stunt.
Pywacket (anonymous) replies…
That's along the lines of what I was thinking... And if he was behind "a string" of cars, it's really a moot point whether the moped was signaling incorrectly (or at all) because he likely wouldn't have been able to see her. Also, at most such intersections, there are double yellow lines (meaning: do NOT pass) to prevent just such situations--people blindly passing a string of cars, not knowing whether the one in the lead was slowing to turn.
Not condemning the passing cyclist, but I think these are questions that need an answer. If he was passing in a no-passing, double-yellow zone, no matter what anyone ahead of him was doing, he was at least partially at fault. It's really fortunate that no one was killed.
4everahawk (anonymous) says…
Am I still reading this article wrong??? Cars and motorcycle stopped to allow a moped to turn RIGHT (or at least what she signaled) and one motorcycle attempted to pass on the LEFT and hit her because she turned left instead of right. Second cyclist may have been stupid to try that, but how could he know that she was going to turn in front of him? Doubt if there is any grounds for lawsuit here...
This could be debated all day of who is right and who is wrong, but wreck probably wouldn't have happened if she had turned right.
Pywacket (anonymous) replies…
However, as I wondered above, was he passing in a no-passing zone? Very likely. He probably couldn't even see which way (or whether) she was signaling.
There's a reason they usually put the double-yellow lines ahead of intersections such as that one--because you can't see whether the vehicle in front of a line is just going slowly or planning to turn--maybe left! Dollars to donuts, this was a no-passing zone and he was impatiently blowing past everyone.
It would be nice if the LJW could find out this detail and update the article.
KawHawk (anonymous) says…
Still stupid to pass a stopped line of cars. What if one of those cars turned left as well ? Nothing but motorcyclist jello on the door of that car. Any way you twist or turn it, still comes down to stupid motorcyclist.
grimpeur (anonymous) says…
4ever: "wreck probably wouldn't have happened if she had turned right." Actually, the wreck would *certainly* not have happened if the two motorcycles had slowed and waited behind the cars instead of deciding they were too important to wait and passing illegally.
glum: Cars like to do this, too, stomping obnoxiously on the gas and swerving too quickly and closely when passing slower traffic, especially bicycles.
KawHawk has it right:
Don't ever pass a line of stopped traffic like this.
Also:
Don't swerve out of your lane to avoid braking when traffic ahead slows to turn, especially when you haven't really checked the lane next to you. Use the brakes. Slow down. Stop. Sometimes you have to.
Turn into the nearest lane, not the farthest.
Keep right except to pass.
Park and drive between the lines or get a smaller car.
Left turn always yields. Don't turn alongside someone else turning right at the same time. Wait your turn.
Hang up the effin phone. Want to gab about nothing as you so often do? Then get the hell off the road.
Turn off your fog lights when there's no fog. Fog lights are not running lights.
puddleglum (anonymous) replies…
grimp- you said it! I get that on my bicycle all the time...
here's another one for the pile:
I see this all the time on wakarusa street: person stopped in left lane, trying to take a left-but waiting for oncoming traffic..then a woman driving in the opposite direction has a sudden Oprah Winfrey moment and stops in the middle of the street and gives the person the go-ahead on through wave-nevermind that there is still a lane of cars that aren't stopping. Next, someone passes oprah and they slam into turning dude.
fun for everyone.
lawrenceguy40 (anonymous) says…
General rule - never pass at a junction. It can lead to this type of accident or, more commonly, the type where a guy turning right onto a major road, looks left, sees it is clear and drives right into the path of a passing vehicle in the wrong lane. The results are usually not good.
Driving is a serious individual responsibility. Treat it as such.
mycider (anonymous) says…
I'm not going to publicly post the information that I've heard about this, but I think that all of you need to stop jumping to conclusions and making accusations right now, regardless of who you think did something wrong. Seriously. We all need to take a step back and find out the facts of what happened, because you know what they say about assumptions.
At the very least, I should have known better than to ride my moped on such a high-speed road. A dinky 30-year-old moped is not something people expect to see on a 60mph road, and any surprises like that can create danger. It was a stupid decision made only because I figured it would save on gas, save on time, and be more fun. Wrong on all three counts, I guess.
And 4everahawk, trust me, I would LOVE to install turn signals on it. Unfortunately, my stator plate is not equipped with the coils or wiring to power turn signals. If I were to try to do it with my current setup, IF I could even make it work, both my headlight and tail light would become dimmer whenever I turned the signals on, and that could be just as dangerous if people mistook a dimmer light for a brake light. A battery might solve that issue, but there really isn't anywhere to put one without a decent amount of modification or fabrication work. Additionally, from what I hear through my moped friends, turn signal systems for these older mopeds are notoriously unreliable and prone to breaking down ... kind of like the older mopeds in general. My friends who just picked up my moped from impound said it's already going to need a new front wheel, new forks, a new swingarm, and just judging from that list, I will need to throughly inspect the frame and rear shocks to make sure they aren't bent, and probably at least one of the pedal arms is going to be beyond help. Maybe while I'm rebuilding it I'll look into adding some improved safety features, though.
StringDude (anonymous) says…
Hello all. I am the motorcyclist in this story. Having riden motorcycles for 38 years I am sure that anyone that knows me will tell you I am no fool. Having said that, I certainly feel foolish.
First off, it was not "a line of cars" and they were not stopped at an intersection. It was 2 cars going 20mph on the highway. From the view it appeared that a bicycle was riding along the highway, which happens a lot on this stretch of road, and no one wanted to pass the cyclist while cars were coming the other direction. Understandable.Then, the cars dissappeared and still no one wanted to pass the cyclist. So, I passed. Still not at an intersection and still a legal pass.
Coming around the 2 very close cars I realize this is a scooter. I am about ready to pass the scooter when I notice a hand signal from her indicating she was turning right. That is a green light to me and I start to re-enter the lane when I notice, to my horror, that she is turning left instead. The rest is a blur.
A couple things. Linda, you seem like an experienced, if somewhat young, driver. You might want to consider a helmut that has earholes allowing you to hear better. I have a very loud harley. But, coming from behind, maybe you would not have heard it anyway. I don't think you made the wrong signal. I think you were going to pull over on the right and let the cars pass before turning left and then changed your mind at the last moment. The only other thing is that you did not look.
That's all I have. Those that want to blast me for riding a loud Harley and not wearing a helmut, here I am. I would never pass a group of cars at an intersection....duh! Now, as much as I love riding, I don't know if I will continue. I will certainly take wearing a helmut seriously though. The girl riding with me, Lori, is hurt very badly. As i understand it she is going to go into reconstructive face surgery today. Please pray for her as I have for all involved.
Namaste.
Pywacket (anonymous) replies…
Um.... If it was not an intersection, exactly where was the young lady turning? into the grass by the side of the road? Into a driveway? Not trying to be obnoxious---I'm still just trying to get a better picture of what was going on here.
If she was turning onto another road, then it was obviously an intersection and you shouldn't have been passing there. No matter how infuriating it was having to go 20 mph on the highway (and, brother, I do heartily sympathize with you there!!! I don't think mopeds or bicycles have any business holding up motor traffic on highways, but that's a subject for another thread).
If she was turning up a driveway (or other non-intersection area) on the left side after signaling that she was turning right, then the fault probably is all on her.
Bottom line---it's wonderful that everyone is okay! Ride safe!
Pywacket (anonymous) replies…
Everyone is well aware that some so-called mopeds can go at highway speed, but apparently this one was not. But even if she had been, she would've had to slow to turn, so that's really a moot point, isn't it?
And we are also well aware that they (and bicycles) are legally able to travel on highways. Nobody's arguing the legality of her tooling along at 20 mph in a 55 or 60 zone, but some of us think those laws are sheer idiocy and allow people to take undue risk.
For the first year and a half that I lived in Lawrence, my only transportation was a bike and, occasionally, a moped that I borrowed from a friend. Instead of developing a militant attitude and defiantly riding with 60-mph traffic, I simply stayed off of highways and, to the best of my ability, avoided risky situations. My husband and adult daughter, however, ride bikes on county highways--not because they have to get from point A to point B, but recreationally--and I think they are idiots to do so. I'll be the one to get the horrible call or see the police at the door if their luck runs out.
Believe me, I've heard all the arguments.... and whatever anyone spouts about what is their "legal right" really doesn't amount to much when they're lying mangled in a hospital or morgue because their arrogance was T-boned by a truck, car, or bigger cycle's impatience, negligence, velocity, and mass.
KansasFlatlander (anonymous) says…
I must agree with lawrenceguy40.
The law states that you are not allowed to pass within 100 feet of an intersection.
Slow down.
KansasFlatlander (anonymous) says…
Speed limits are just that speed limits. Moped or not just because a sign says Speed Limit 60 you are not required to go 60 mph.
It is not how fast the moped was going or that someone said that she made the wrong hand signal.Did she? Where did that statement come from?
The only fact we have is that some guy on a "very loud bike" was too impatient to wait for slow cars.
brystheguy (anonymous) says…
If this didn't happen at an intersection then why does the article mention one and why are the police in the above picture at an intersection? I'm pretty sure mopeds have a legal right to the roadways, just like bicyclists. Not interstates but highways are OK. I'll be watching to see how this turns out.
Dejacrew423 (anonymous) says…
Either way, I think both parties are handling the situation very well. When something like this happens it's so much easier to place blame on someone else and by what is posted, each person is taking responsibility for some part in this accident. I hope all parties recover and will be praying for you all, especially the one having facial surgery. Thank you for showing us how mature people can be about an accident.
mycider (anonymous) says…
Goodness gracious... it's not easy to type with this pulse thing attached to one finger and the five fingers on the other hand puffed up like long flesh-colored marshmallows, but you people keep saying stuff, and now I need to respond.
First off, to David, rest assured that I will look long and hard for a new full-face that allows me to hear better. The reduced hearing capacity was the one thing that worried me about a full face from the start, and that concern has now been shoved into the spotlight. In this case, the helmet I was wearing had the face shield removed (yes, I was wearing other eye protection, for those of you who are curious), and I'm wondering if the wind whistling into that large opening further reduced how well I could hear. Honestly though, not looking is what's really making me kick myself right now. I had checked behind me when I went past the airport, and there was nobody close to me then, so I guess I just assumed that a little further down the road, I'd still be in the clear. Obviously I overestimated how fast people could close that distance though, what with me going half of the posted speed limit. New and improved mirrors are also on my "safety items to purchase" list.
Second, (to everyone) to repeat myself about making accusations.... I know that everyone would dearly love to know "exactly what happened" so they can neatly assign blame into a little box in their head and shelve this memory along with their other memories. It would be lovely if everything in this world were that clear, wouldn't it? Unfortunately it is not, and I do not think that this forum is a good place to debate traffic legalities -- please leave that to the law enforcement officers. I also dislike the word choice that some of you are using (idiotic, stupid, etc). I am perfectly willing to call myself or my actions idiotic or stupid, but unless you were there to watch and judge, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from using words like that to condemn anyone involved.
Aaaand, since I'm only allowed 3000 characters in a post, I'll post the second half of this below.
mycider (anonymous) says…
Part 2:
Finally, let's clarify a few things about mopeds. Any "moped" that goes highway speeds is not a moped. Period. There are 150-250cc+ scooters that are probably highway-legal, but there's a huge difference in size and power between one of those and my little moped, and there would again be a huge difference in size and power between one of those and a Harley. Of course, that just further proves the point that it is absolutely idiotic to be riding a moped along the highway, especially by yourself. In this case, I had chosen to ride because I had somewhere to be (with the moped) after I finished up in North Lawrence, and I justified that choice because I knew I would only be on the highway for a short stretch, and I figured that a Sunday afternoon would have less traffic. Also, in general, I will choose to ride rather than drive whenever possible because I genuinely love riding. It may seem absurd to most people, but there is nothing else like enjoying the world at 30mph, listening to this silly little 30-year-old machine hum and buzz and whine and rattle beneath you. Of course, in this case I was riding to get somewhere -- I don't just go joyride on 60mph roads for fun -- but perhaps this sheds a little light on my decision. I'm not saying it was smart, but at least now you know what I was thinking.
And musbhiorlo, I see your picture of a Free Spirit (thanks for linking that), and I'll raise you one. Here's a link to a picture of my moped.
http://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BzMFV...
That was taken in January of 2009, right after I purchased it. (Yes, it's in a kitchen, and no, there was no gas in it). I took it apart to clean it up and discovered that the cylinder lining was damaged, it had a Yamaha piston in it, the chain was sort of sketchy, the tires were dry-rotted.... I ended up completely rebuilding the engine with new bearings, seals, and a crankshaft, plus an old but undamaged top end from a friend. It got a new chain and new tubes/tires, plus some new electrical parts and new wires where needed. I cleaned the rust out of the tank. I also added new, cooler-looking handlebars (hey, it takes work to look cool riding a moped) and a new brake lever/throttle assembly set, since the old ones were kind of gross and bent. This is a huge part of why I love riding. The whole time you know that you're riding something that most people would consider a throw-away, and that with your hands, you made it work and you made it yours and that when something breaks, you have the ability to fix it. I fully intend to rebuild and make it run again (or swap whatever unbroken parts there are onto a new frame, at least), but when I do ride again, it will be with much more safety gear on both me and the moped, and with an entirely different mindset. It's going to be a while before I can walk again, much less drive or ride, so I've got plenty of time to think on it.
MopedEdd (anonymous) says…
It should be noted that by Kansas law you are not required to have insurance to walk, bicycle, or moped on public roads. KSA 8-126 (b) specifically exempts the "motorized bicycle" from the "motor vehicle" status. KSA 8-126 (aa) further defines the characteristics of the "motorized bicycle". KSA 8-127 (a) states the requirement for registration of the "motorized bicycle". KSA 40-3104 Insurance provisions do not apply to the "motorized bicycle" due to the exemption granted by KSA 8-126 (b). The moped in question clearly meets the definition of "motorized bicycle" under the Kansas Statutes and is thus exempt. As citizens of the United States we have a right to travel as pedestrians, bicyclists, or mopeders upon the roads of our country ( with the exception the Interstate ) going back to its roots in English Common Law. That such travel is sometimes dangerous due to preponderance of motor vehicles operated beyond the safe control of their drivers is a reflection on the society. Further the "loud pipes save lives" argument is usually presented as a defensive strategy rather than as an aggressive excuse. If this is the intended use the exhaust should be pointed forwards although use of the horn would be more traditional.
MopedEdd (anonymous) says…
In fact KSA 8-1516 (b) requires use of an audible signal when overtaking and passing another vehicle. As a loud exhaust is pretty much a constant and not uncommon background noise the horn would have been the logical instrument for an audible signal.