A 17-year-old boy was killed on Friday on Piedmont Road in Marietta, just outside the entrance to Sprayberry High School as the result of an accident involving the motorcycle he was riding and a car. The accident occurred just before noon when a 25-year-old driving a Volkswagen Jetta attempted a left turn on Piedmont road into the path of the oncoming motorcycle that the teen was riding on. The motorcycle struck the front left tire of the car, causing the rider to be ejected. The rider came to rest on the other side of the road. The driver was not injured in the accident. The accident remained under investigation at the time of the report, and it was unclear as to whether the driver faced any charges.
Left-turning drivers are one of the many dangers that motorcyclists face, as a left turn requires the driver to cross over oncoming travel lanes in order to complete their turn. Unless they have a green arrow giving them the right-of-way, the left-turning driver is required to yield to oncoming traffic and determine a safe gap in traffic in which to complete the turn. Unfortunately, there are a number of reasons why a driver fails to notice an oncoming motorcycle, including inattentional blindness, which refers to the way the brain processes information in a chaotic scene such as an intersection by focusing on larger hazards such as commercial trucks while failing to notice smaller ones. Other common causes of left-turn accidents include distracted drivers, as well as speeding drivers or riders. Speeding makes it difficult for the turning driver to accurately gauge whether there is a sufficient gap in traffic for the turn.
If you were injured or lost a loved one due to a motorcycle accident, the experienced legal team from Cambre & Associates is available to evaluate your case and explain the process of seeking compensation for your injuries. Contact us for more information.
