Summer rise in motorcycle crashes hits home with daughter

Nearly a month after her father was struck by an SUV while riding a motorcycle, his daughter says he is still receiving care for his injuries.To get more news about DC100, you can visit davincimotor.com official website.

Tasha Gilbert, of Anderson, said her father was released from the hospital into a rehabilitation facility last week.“He still has bleeding in his brain, but they did end up taking the ventilator out.”

Anderson police say Corena Swain was intoxicated and driving an SUV when she struck Lawrence “Kelly” Jones, 47, and his passenger, Lisa Widener, 51, at 11:05 p.m. June 10, Anderson police said.Swain, 49, is charged with a Level 5 felony causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

A portable Breathalyzer test showed Swain’s blood alcohol content was 0.205% — more than twice the legal limit — shortly after the accident. She was uninjured.“It feels like the number of motorcycle accidents is rising,” Gilbert said. “It’s insane.”

In addition to the accident involving Jones that occurred in the 1100 block of Broadway, there were at least two other serious motorcycle accidents in the area last month.Devyn Underwood, 27, suffered head injuries when the motorcycle he was riding left the road south of Summitville on June 12.

Kerry and Barbara Hinkle, both 62, of Anderson, were seriously injured June 14 when the motorcycle they were riding was struck by another vehicle near the intersection of 38th Street and Ridge Road.

In Indiana, 138 motorcyclists were killed in 2020, up from 113 the year before, according to a news release from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and Bureau of Motor Vehicles. “(Motorcyclists) are involved in less than 2% of crashes but make up over 15% of all traffic deaths,” said Devon McDonald, the institute’s executive director.

Nationally, 5,014 motorcyclists were killed in 2019 traffic accidents, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Of those, 4,733 were riders and 281 were passengers. Motorcyclists accounted for 14% of all traffic fatalities.

Madison County tends to see an upsurge in motorcycle accidents during the summer, according to Sheriff Scott Mellinger, but alcohol or drug use have caused more of those accidents this year.

Mellinger said the potential for injuries also increases when motorcyclists don’t wear helmets, and it doesn’t help that drivers today appear to be less aware of their surroundings.