The Orange County Register is reporting that a seventeen-year-old boy has been killed in a motorcycle accident at Santa Ana Canyon Road and Maud Lane in Anaheim. The accident occurred early on Monday morning. The teen, Brendan Shanks was on his motorcycle westbound on Santa Ana Canyon Road when his bike collided with a Chrysler that attempted to make a turn at Maud Lane. The motorcyclist was rushed to the Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, where he succumbed to his injuries. The driver of the Chrysler, a woman did not suffer any injuries.
Pictures of the bike after the motorcycle accident told a grim tale of the kind of impact the crash had. The motorcycle was severely smashed. You can also tell how severe the impact must have been from the fact that the injuries were fatal, despite the motorcyclist wearing helmet. Anaheim police are investigating the cause of the motorcycle accident. So far, they say its not clear if speed played a part in the accident.
It seems like the family of the young boy should be considering their legal options after his death. There is obviously more to this accident that meets the eye. Initial reports have been very brief, but an experienced Orange County motorcycle accident lawyer will look at a number of probable casual factors that could have caused the accident. What was the speed of the Chrysler as it turned into the lane? Who had the right of way? Did the driver cut Brendan off? As we have noted on our Orange County motorcycle accident lawyer blog, too often we see that motorcycle accidents are the result of the failure of motorists to respect the rights of these riders.
Meanwhile, mourners, including Shanks friends from school quickly gathered at the crash site to honor his memory.
In an aside to this motorcycle accident, one of the police officers who was responding to the fatal crash was involved in a motorcycle crash himself as he was going to the Western Medical Center. The accident was a solo crash, and the officer suffered moderate injuries.
While drunken driving accident deaths have been dropping in California, the number of motorcycle fatalities is unfortunately on the rise. This seems to be a nationwide trend. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of motorcycle accident fatalities rose by 8 percent between 2003 and 2004. While the increasing number of people riding these days could be a factor, its also well known that motorists attitudes towards motorcyclists are grudgingly tolerant at best, and downright aggressive at worst. Unless a victim hires an experienced Orange County motorcycle accident lawyer, its possible that this discrimination is carried over when its time to compensate him for his suffering.