HAMPDEN, Maine — A Hampden man was injured late Thursday afternoon when he drove his motorcycle into the back of an SUV on U.S. Route 1A.
Pedro Rodriguez, 42, was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where he was being treated for leg and head injuries, Hampden police Officer Joshua Gunn said Thursday night.
While Rodriguez’s injuries were significant, they were not life-threatening, Gunn said, adding that the injured motorcyclist was conscious and speaking at the accident scene, near 322 Main Road North, which is part of Route 1A.
Rodriguez was not wearing a helmet when the accident happened, the officer said.
According to Gunn, the accident happened shortly before 5 p.m., at the height of the evening commute. Rodriguez was traveling south when he failed to notice that the traffic ahead of him had slowed down and struck the back of an SUV driven by Suzan Cotter, 55, of Searsport.
Cotter was not hurt and her SUV had minor damage to the bumper and hatchback, Gunn said. Rodriguez’s silver Harley-Davidson had front-end damage and had to be towed from the accident scene.
I been riding motorcycles for over 50 years, but I never ride without a helmet.
The CDC released a report recently stating that, Of course, wearing helmets provide an extra measure of safety. Baldacci wasn’t too bright, but he did wear a helmet when he rode to publicity events like the toy run.
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” CDC: Motorcycle helmet laws reduce deaths”
The Associated Press–June 14, 2012
ATLANTA — A new government study shows far fewer motorcyclists die in states that require helmets.
On average, about five times as many bikers without helmets die in states with less restrictive laws. The researchers counted about 6,000 deaths over three years of motorcyclists who were not wearing helmets. Only about 12 percent were in the 20 states that required everyone on motorbikes to wear helmets. They also calculated that helmet laws save money, too. States that mandate helmet use save about $500 more in medical and other costs per registered bike than states with fewer restrictions. Three states had no helmet law when the study was done. Another 27 required helmets for teenagers or certain other riders. Maine requires motorcyclists under 18 years of age to wear a helmet ——————————————————————————————————————————
Better start measuring your hat size, Boys, ’cause the hand-writing is on the wall. UBC’s one-note tune of “Let those who ride, Decide” is starting to sound flat.
I always have a helmet on too. In fact I wear the hole safety kit. Gloves, eye protection long pants and boots. But it is my choice. It was Pedro’s head that got hurt. His choice. Too bad for him. Quit trying to cram regulations down our throat.
What about wearing a seatbelt? That was crammed down our throats by the Maine voters!
Same thing the state should leave us alone. Wearing a seat belt is your should be the person’s call.
okay your choice? then it should be the choice of all drivers why do motorcycles get to “choose” who the kill?????
Care to try making sense?
“Let those who ride decide”
Those who ride probably sing a different ditty when their decision results in a debilitating head injury exacerbated by not wearing a helmet. Who pays for their irresponsible choice in the end?! Maybe they should change their tune to “I’m paying (the entire cost of care and rehabilitation) so I’m saying”. That would make more sense!
I would hazard a guess that the motorcyclist has insurance on their ride which would cover their expenses, it would NOT come out of your pocket!
I hope banning loud exhaust is next!
Sure, and stop cramming pesky regulations like working brakes and lights down my throat.
I can save a fortune on repair costs………
Seriously, the no helmet argument is getting stale. Seatbelts and helmets save lives.
Informed riders wear helmets voluntarily as should all riders who are concerned, at all, for their own safety. I give the helmetless an even wider berth as I assume they are brainless already.
Same thing with seat belts. It’s second nature to buckle up to those who know and understand the possible consequences if they blow it off.
Oh, and I’m glad it sounds like he will be OK.
The loud exhaust argument is stale too. Time to put the baffles back in and give the rest of the world some quiet.
Hear! Hear !
Most Harleys I see only have a single brake disc on the front wheel. They aren’t made to stop fast.
You need to look a little closer then, they have front and rear brakes
Huh? Most Harleys I see only have a single wheel up front.
Most Harleys I see are riding in the back of a pickup truck!!!
Cause they’re really big lawn mowers on two wheels…..that said, nice that they’re “engineered” and built in the USA (at least I think they are)
I think car drivers should wear helmets.
I think bikers should wear seatbelts…
Anyone that rides without a helmet needs a good slap up side the head, is a numbskull, is hard headed, needs their head examined, and has been hit in the head one too many times….I think that about covers it.
Now stop and think just a minute, even if they had a couple hundred thousand available from the bike’s insurance and they whack their stupid head hard enough to cause a permanent vegetative condition then that money might last about two weeks at a critical care facility.
THEN WE PAY!!! That is what just totally sends me about the whole “Let those who ride decide” mantra.
Another childlike “It’s all about me until something happens and then it is everyone’s problem!!”
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/05/18/news/bangor/hampden-motorcyclist-charged-with-driving-77-mph-through-holden/?ref=relatedBox
…and yeah–he has a problem. Why should we have to put up with Morons?
But i guess speed limits are just another pesky regulation that only serve to infringe on people’s right. If people did the right thing and thought about someone else, there wouldn’t be the need for regulations or laws.