Officer Faces Serious Injuries after Hit and Run Motorcycle Accident in Alabama

May 27, 2011 - Car Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents by Cross & Smith

An arrest has finally been made in the hit and run Alabama motorcycle accident that resulted in serious injuries to a Prattville motorcycle officer.

A 47-year-old driver has been arrested by the Prattville Police Department and charged with a felony count of leaving the scene of an accident, and 1st degree assault, according to CBS 8.

Our Alabama personal injury attorneys understand the risks our law enforcement officers face each day. However, all riders are at high risk of a Tuscaloosa motorcycle accident during the spring and summer riding season.

The driver has been released on bonds of $30,000.

This most recent motorcycle accident occurred last weekend, Saturday night, at roughly 8:00 p.m. at the intersection of Cobbs Ford and McQueen Smith Roads.

The van, driven by the local resident, allegedly made a left turn onto McQueen Smith Road and cut off the officer — forcing the motorcycle to strike the passenger side of the van, according to Interim Police Chief Tim Huggins. After the collision, the driver of the van fled the scene.

The officer is in the surgical intensive care unit at Baptist South Medical Center in Montgomery and is listed in serious condition. Prattville’s website reported that the officer was suffering from head injuries and facial injuries.

The Alabama Department of Public Safety is still investigating the accident.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 5,500 motorcyclist fatalities in the United States in 2008. An additional 96,000 motorcyclists suffer injuries that same year.

The National Safety Council (NSC) is reminding motorists of the dangers of motorcycle accidents. Motorcyclists are much more vulnerable to accidents than other more protected drivers. For these reasons, the NSC has declared May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

Throughout the entire month, the NSC will be urging motorists to share she road with motorcyclists and to practice extra caution when they’re nearby. Many accidents happen because of driver inattention. Because motorcycles are so small, they tend to get lost in driver’s blind spots. If the driver does not check, and double check, a motorcycle can easily be lost from sight.

Fatalities involving motorists and motorcyclists have seen an increase of more than 130 percent between 1998 and 2008. It has been estimated that the mileage death rate for motorcycles was nearly 40 percent greater than the mileage death rate for passenger car occupants in 2/car-accidents/alabama-traffic-accidents-likely-to-increase-with-economic-recovery/.

“Throughout spring and summer the number of motorcyclists on the road will increase. It is important for both motorists and motorcyclists to be aware of one another,” said David Teater, NSC senior director of Transportation Initiatives. “To better defend themselves, motorcyclists should follow the rules of the roadway and wear protective gear, including a Department of Transportation compliant helmet.”

The NSC offers these tips to motorists to help them prevent an accident with a motorcyclist:

-Allow more following distance between your car and a motorcycle when driving behind their vehicles.

-Never try to share a lane with a motorcycle. They deserve, and have the right to, a full traffic lane.

-Be cautious at intersections. A majority of car-motorcycle traffic accidents occur at intersections when a motorist neglects to look, and look again, for motorcyclists.