Major moto crash in Phoenix

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Large truck took out about 9 bikes stopped:

3 dead in north Phoenix motorcycle crash

http://my.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20100325/b7a7627b-f469-4a43-9073-a3a2c4d966d4

PHOENIX (AP) — A group of eight motorcycles stopped at a red light in north Phoenix were mowed down from behind by a dump truck early Thursday afternoon, killing three riders and injuring six others, at least one critically, authorities said.

The most seriously injured was an off-duty Phoenix Fire Department captain who was in very critical condition Thursday evening, said Phoenix police spokesman Detective James Holmes.

The motorcyclists were stopped behind a pickup and a small SUV at the red light when the truck driver rammed them from behind, he said. The truck ran over the motorcyclists and continued into the small SUV in front of them, Holmes said.

There was no sign the truck driver was impaired.

Some of the motorcycles burst into flames under the dump truck, while others ended up scattered behind the truck. Television images of the crash site showed a horrifying collection of mangled chrome Harley-Davidson bikes and scattered personal belongings, including pairs of riders' boots laying in the roadway.

"It's a horrific scene," Phoenix Fire Deputy Chief Frank Salomon told The Associated Press.

Some of the injured were airlifted to St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, Salomon said.

The crash occurred about 1 p.m. at the intersection of 27th Avenue and the Carefree Highway. Holmes said at least one of the victims was a woman, but most were men.

Jarrod Cook, a worker at the nearby Ketzal Mexican Grill, said he saw several motorcycles wedged underneath the garbage truck, which caught fire.

"The first thing we saw was a big puff of smoke when the truck lit on fire," he said.

Cook said he walked over and witnessed a chaotic scene with some of the injured lying on the ground.

Dozens of police and rescue personnel responded to the crash.

Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Jonathan Jacobs told KNXV-TV that witnesses reported seeing several of the motorcycle riders dragged 50 to 75 yards after impact. The three bikers killed were trapped under the truck, Jacobs said.

The 50-year-old driver of the truck was not injured and was being questioned by police. Those in the pickup and SUV also were not hurt.

The Carefree Highway was expected to be closed for several hours as police investigate the crash.

___

Associated Press writer Bob Christie contributed to this report.
 
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Absolutely horrible. RIP.

I expect we are going to see a lot of this for the next month or so while everyone gets used to bike being back out on the roads.
 
That's about as bad as it can get. A good friend of mine would say that's why he'd never ride a motorcycle and I just have to say, " it's a calculated risk I'm willing to take." There was probably nothing that could have saved them but divine intervention. I'm constantly watching my rearview mirror when I'm riding whether I'm in motion or stopped and it's the reason I want my mirrors as big as possibe even if they aren't flashy or fashionable.
 
Such a loss. We had a hit and run involving a mc this past weekend; driver and passenger injured.

Calculated risk, yes.

Thoughts and prayers to those in Phoenix.
 
Thats terrible. My thoughts are with all those involved and their families.

I can understand that its sometimes easy for a cager to not notice a motorcycle in their line of sight because the bike has such a small footprint in the overall view, but how does a driver not see such a large group of bikes stopped at a traffic signal? Short of equipment failure or the driver suffering a medical emergency, there isnt much to forgive such a drastic error.

A recent multi vehicle accident in my city (no bikes involved) revealed that the driver of the at fault unit had been eating a bowl of cereal while driving(which was splattered all over the interior of the car and windshield from the impact). Fortunately, nobody was injured as a result of this particular collision, but it goes to show how foolish a driver can be.
 
I was thinking of you when I heard about this. I had been in that area just a week before. I have ridden in most of the big metro areas of the U.S. and the Phoenix area is one of the worst I've seen, taking a backseat only to Nashville. Why so many people in a relatively compacted area are in such a damned rush all of the time is a mystery.
 
I saw this briefly on the news the other day. I was rushing out the door but it stuck in my head most of the day. What a terrible terrible thing to happen. My prayers are with them too.
 
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