Crash and burn on Lincoln Road
By LARRY KLINE - Independent Record - 08/02/08
IR photo by Larry Kline - Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Brian Inman investigates the scene of a motorcycle-automobile crash Friday afternoon near the Lincoln Road-Green Meadow Drive intersection. The crash sparked a four-acre grass fire that was quickly doused by firefighters.
Crews quickly doused the fire, and the temporary closure of Lincoln Road from the intersection west to Lone Mountain Road was lifted at 4:50 p.m.
A 19-year-old Helena man, who was riding the motorcycle, was taken to St. Peter’s Hospital for treatment. The man broke one leg and may have broken his other leg in the head-on collision, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Grimmis said. Responders also were checking to see if the man had suffered a neck injury. He was wearing a helmet.
Law enforcement officials did not immediately release his name, pending notification of family members.
Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Brian Inman said a Helena woman driving a late-1980s model Oldsmobile eastbound on Lincoln Road allegedly drifted over the center line and caused the crash.
She has not yet been cited for the incident, Inman said. The cause of the crash is believed to be “inattentive driving,” he said. The woman, described as in her mid-30s, was not injured. The bike’s fuel tank and seat were separated from the motorcycle, and two tennis shoes rested on the roadway about 20 feet apart.
The force of the collision spun the car around and forced it into the ditch beside the westbound lane. A grass fire started at the car, and winds blew it eastward through high, dead grass at the northwest corner of the intersection.
Green Meadow Drive served as a fire break, giving crews added help in attacking the fire and protecting several buildings across the road, West Valley Volunteer Fire Chief Jerry Shepherd said.
The crash was reported at 3:23 p.m. and crews had the fire out 25 minutes after they arrived.
No structures were damaged and no firefighters were injured.
The Lewis and Clark County Volunteer Fire Department and the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation responded to the fire along with West Valley.
Reporter Larry Kline: 447-4075 or larry.kline@helenair.com
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Reader Comments:
wilford b wrote on Aug 2, 2008 8:25 AM:
" As a motorcycle rider, I know the importance of watching out for other vehicles. An important thing to remember is that if you are on a motorcycle, people will often look right at you, and then proceed like you are not there. Keep your head turned on and eyes open all the time when you are on a bike. Oh yeah, If you are a new rider, take a safety course before you go solo on the road. When you think you know everything there is about motorcycles, and don't respect them, it is probably time to quit riding. I have had friends with years of experience riding killed while doing so. Just stay safe. "
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MTRICH wrote on Aug 2, 2008 5:30 PM: