Timothy James Waite Jr., 20, died in a fatal Ventura County motorcycle accident the morning of May 27, 2009, KVTA reports. California Highway Patrol officials said Waite was northbound on Pacific Coast Highway when he failed to negotiate a curve to the right and entered the southbound lane. The motorcycle then collided with a southbound car. Waite was thrown off his motorcycle and over the car, landing on the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene even before a helicopter could transport him to a hospital. Another person in the car was also injured, but not seriously.
I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the young motorcycle accident victim for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your prayers.
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were five fatalities and 210 injuries involving motorcycle accidents in Ventura County.
Based on this newspaper report, Waite lost control of his motorcycle because he couldn’t negotiate a large, sweeping road curve on Pacific Coast Highway. That caused him to basically drift into opposing lanes of traffic and crash into a car. These types of Ventura County motorcycle accidents are not at all uncommon especially in Southern California where motorcycles are ridden year-round because of the great weather. However, each California motorcycle accident must be examined on a case-by-case basis. They don’t all occur because of rider error, inexperience or negligence.
In many cases, motorcycle crashes are caused by defective motorcycle products or mechanical malfunctions. Numerous motorcycle accidents are also caused by dangerous conditions on the roadway. Such dangerous conditions may range from debris or spills on the roadway to a dangerous curve. Skilled California motorcycle accident attorneys will be able to determine what caused the motorcycle crash and whether there was negligence on the part of anyone. If a product defect is determined to have caused the crash, then the product manufacturer could be held liable. If a dangerous condition on the roadway caused the motorcycle accident, then the governmental agency responsible for maintaining the roadway or fixing that dangerous condition could be held liable.