A 23-year-old Lawrence man was injured early Friday morning after he crashed his motorcycle into the roundabout at 19th Street and Barker Avenue.
Sgt. Trent McKinley, a Lawrence police spokesman, said Michael D. Moss told police he was headed south on Barker Avenue in a 2005 Suzuki SV-650 while he was driving “too quickly” to negotiate the roundabout. The crash occurred just after 2 a.m.
Moss was wearing a helmet, and he suffered an injury to the lower part of his left leg.
McKinley said the accident report indicates officers have not issued any citations but that blood test results are pending.
Comments
srj 11 months, 1 week ago
I should add at about 1:40 PM yesterday I had someone call the city, because I hit a curb in the roundabout due to a large oil slick trail from about 19th and Louisiana to almost 19th and Haskell. At 5PM I saw someone did a good job putting down white powder stuff to get most of it, but I wonder if they got all of it.
mommatocharlie 11 months, 1 week ago
Good move! Thanks for calling!
UltimateGrownup 11 months, 1 week ago
This guy was injured by a roundabout and not too long ago, a motorcyclist was killed by the one on Clinton Parkway near Clinton Lake. It's basic physics -- put gigantic piles of concrete in the middle of the street and people will run into it. The reasons are myriad -- oil slicks, icy roads, driving too fast, rainstorms, vision issues, alcohol, weak brakes, etc. -- but the results are the same. More crashes, more injuries, more deaths. Over time, we need to get rid of our roundabouts.
Ron Holzwarth 11 months, 1 week ago
Yes, that or maybe everyone should learn how to drive around a curve without going off the road.
Pywacket 11 months, 1 week ago
READ the statistics on roundabouts vs stop lights or signs. The reasons for people hitting roundabouts are not myriad. The overwhelmingly prevalent reason for hitting one is driver error. Too much speed for road conditions (whether that means ice, rain, fog, darkness, etc) and/or impairment figure into the majority of such collisions.
Your argument is nonsensical. Take the issue of "weak brakes"--- first, it is very rare for brakes in modern cars to just give out, with no prior symptoms. I.e., if you've been ignoring failing brakes or if you have not been checking fluid levels, and the brakes give out, it is once again driver error.
And what are the chances for the rare occurrence of out-of-the-blue brake failure happening just as one approaches a roundabout? And the driver not being able to steer around the "pile of concrete" in the intersection? I'll play! Just for argument's sake, let's say this is a very likely scenario!
Okay--take out the roundabout, which has a stepped-back profile and is often planted with shrubbery (soft materials), and put in a traffic light. If your brakes fail, instead of hitting the roundabout (which is probably not going to kill you), you run a red light and stand a good chance of T-boning a passenger vehicle or being T-boned by another. As they had the green light, they will be going at cruising speed and the damage will be much greater than you would have sustained hitting the roundabout.
In every instance you cite, the driver could either avoid the situation by driving like an (ahem) ultimate grownup, or the results of hitting whatever would be in the intersection if the roundabout were replaced by a light or stop signs would be WORSE. Again--don't take my word for it. Read some statistics on roundabouts. And reason things through before posting preposterous claims.
grimpeur 11 months, 1 week ago
Yeah, no driver error is ever involved.
Exhibit A right here, people.
pinecreek 11 months, 1 week ago
"Over time, we need to get rid of our roundabouts.
Or perhaps remove drivers from the road that have difficulty avoiding legal, immobile objects in the road. Which one is the true hazard?
Pywacket 11 months, 1 week ago
Exactly!
hear_me 11 months, 1 week ago
Historically, roundabouts decrease the number of accidents, especially broadside crashes. I'm guessing this person used poor judgement. At least with the roundabout, he couldn't hurt anyone else.
sjgreen 11 months, 1 week ago
or maybe 2am + motorcycle + 23 year old = too fast
Ron Holzwarth 11 months, 1 week ago
autie, there's another advantage - if there's no other traffic or you time it right, you never have to stop!
That is of course assuming that you're able to keep your vehicle on the road around a curve.
cheeseburger 11 months, 1 week ago
'Moss told police he was headed south on Barker Avenue in a 2005 Suzuki SV-650.'
If it's a motorcycle, wouldn't it be 'on' instead of 'in'?
overthemoon 11 months, 1 week ago
Interesting that he was injured AFTER the accident...
lionheart72661 11 months, 1 week ago
I ride and the problem is you get a youngster on a crotch rocket they think they are indestructible and just haul butt wherever they go. he admitted it was his fault by going to fast. I don't like the round abouts either but there is a speed limit.
queequeg 11 months, 1 week ago
Anyone complaining about the 19th and Barker roundabout obviously doesn't remember what was there before. Love the roundabout!
edson443 11 months, 1 week ago
They are also called "Traffic calming devices." All too often on 19th and Barker some yahoo blows through the roundabout, usually heading east or west, without every slowing. There should be rules posted on a big sign at each of the four entrances. Rule #1 watch for pedestrians. Rule #2, always slow and yield to those vehicles who are currently in the roundabout. Rule #3 If you are in the circle do not stop in the middle. Keep it moving people. Oh, and stay calm while doing it.
allanfieldhouse 11 months, 1 week ago
Actually the traffic calming devices are different than roundabouts. There are several T.C.D's in the neighborhoods between campus and 19th St. They have stop signs and act like normal intersections, but there's a big obstacle in the middle to force people to slow down.
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