MADISON, Maine — A Skowhegan man was was killed Wednesday morning when his motorcycle crashed into an SUV on Route 148 in Madison, police said.
Michael Dyer Jr., 45, died at the scene after he was thrown from his motorcycle at approximately 8:41 a.m. Wednesday, Detective Lt. Carl E. Gottardi II of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office said.
Gottardi said the accident occurred when a gray 2004 Dodge Durango traveling on Route 148 turned left toward Blackwell Hill Road in front of the motorcycle. The motorcycle struck the passenger side of the vehicle, ejecting Dyer from his seat, Gottardi said.
Dyer was not wearing a helmet, the detective lieutenant said.
The driver and only occupant of the Durango was a 17-year-old boy from Madison, and he was not injured, Gottardi said. The motorcycle was a total loss and the Durango was damaged on its passenger side.
The detective lieutenant said the accident is still under investigation and the results will be reviewed by the Somerset County District Attorney’s Office.
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It’s a problem of visual perception and awareness. Lots of drivers just aren’t tuned in to seeing motorcycles when they’re looking out for cars and trucks. It’s one of the dangers of riding motorcycles.
As a rider myself, If I am turning left and I see a motorcycle coming toward me, I wait. Regardless of how far I THINK they are, it’s hard to judge their speed since it’s a smaller vehicle. I’m never in that much of a hurry that I can’t wait 10-20 seconds before turning left.
Thank you!
That’s great advice if you HAVE 10-20 seconds. There is a nasty little crest here, and if you are turning left, by the time you can see someone coming, it’s often too late. This intersection is dangerous, and scary to even the most experienced drivers.
How many drives stop at a stop sign an take the time to look ? they do a roll thru an look at the same time
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Why would anyone “lay their bike down?”. If you are about to hit something it’s best to be traveling as slowly as possible and a motorcycle on its side has zero braking capability. “I had to lay her down” is something non ABS equipped bikers say after they unintentionally lock up their brakes in a panic stop situation and as a result find themselves sliding down the road on their butt.
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The point is that nobody ever has to lay their bike down as you seemed to think might have been appropriate in a close call situation. Laying it down = guaranteed crash or taking a bad situation and making it worse.
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The whole idea of bikers “laying it down” is a common misconception that I feel is important to understand is a fallacy. It’s NOT something you do to avoid getting hurt or to avoid an accident. When a bike is “laid down” it’s usually a result of too hard braking caused by sudden panic (understandably very common when when a truck suddenly pulls right in front of you) so the rear wheel unintentionally gets locked up and slides out from under the rider so the rider finds themself sliding down the road, still on or near their motorcycle, no longer decelerating because the bike is sliding on its side instead of upright on its tires. I do fully realize just how tragic this accident was and as a biker myself (uncomfortably aware that this could very well happen to me too), I am very sympathetic to victims of this classic motorcycle accident (more motorcyclists are killed this way than any other) where a car or truck suddenly makes a left turn right in front of the biker and the driver then claims they never saw the motorcycle. But it does nobody any good to allow misconceptions (however common) about motorcycle accidents to be interjected into the conversation about this tragedy. I have no doubt that you saw a very close call for the motorcyclists you describe, but your statement about “having to lay it down” has absolutely nothing to do with either this accident or what you saw. I’m sorry you feel it is “nitpicking” to point this out, but I think it’s important to understand the distinction if we are to discuss any motorcycle accident intelligently.
still under investigation. could be the bikers fault as well, i’ve seen many bikes that just ignore speed limits and attempt to get around slower cars on the road.
“the accident occurred when a gray 2004 Dodge Durango traveling on Route
148 TURNED LEFT toward Blackwell Hill Road in front of the motorcycle.
The motorcycle STRUCK THE PASSENGER SIDE of the vehicle, ejecting Dyer
from his seat.” = DRIVER INATTENTION…
Just like everyone in Bangor swore that the Envoy was at fault and oh damn it was the mini van after all! Get a clue before you start pointing fingers!
So I guess the biker was paying attention? perhaps he was speeding? who knows, thats why its still UNDER INVESTIGATION
It is still under investigation, it could change, remember the Boradway accident, everyone and there mother blamed the GMC and suddenly it was the vans fault. Save your blame when the investigation is closed.
I have 3 big lights on the front of my motorcycle, and they still do not see me! Put the phone down, quit playing with the GPS and the radio, and pay attention. Fairly simple yet many can’t handle the task.
This.
I wear orange, my bike is orange, my helmet is bright white with a gold visor (one of the most visible combos) and I run a combo of LEDS and HID/Xenon lights. I STILL get people who don’t see me.
If your on a bike you absolutely have to drive like everyone on the road is there to run into you. ALWAYS pay attention. It could save your life.
Curious as to what the outcome is. This could just as well have been the motorcyclists fault. Sad to hear none the less.
I had a bright green construction vest on when a lady hit me right in the middle of a intersection an she clams she never saw me an that was in a 25 mph zone to an i was doing 25
Agreed. Results will be telling. However, since the damage was to the passenger side of the Durango, it seems the teen cut left into the path of the oncoming bike. I ride an orange bike with as many lights as an aircraft, and an orange or red jacket. I agree, many drivers don’t focus when they look. IF they look at all. I’ve seen that, too. Sad day for Mr. Myer’s family and friends. Another avoidable tragedy.
Not saying he’s not at fault here, but there is nowhere in this article that says the kid was doing any of those things!
I was commenting on drivers in general thus the “they” in my comment, not accusing this young man of anything
I know the driver he is a very good kid and a very cautious driver. he does not text and drive and there is no GPS in the vehicle. so think before you open your mouth.
I am please this 17 year old is such a good driver. I was writing about “they” not “he”.
I was typing not talking so my mouth was closed the whole time.
Why do you feel the need to be so hostile, no reason we can’t have friendly discourse on these comments.
Even the good drivers have accidents! Accident, terrible one at that I feel for the boy and the family of the biker RIP.
He killed a person.
It could happen to you any day! Accidents happen all the time and are uncontrollable!
accidents happen . that is why it is called an accident. Not too many people get up and say oh.. I think I will pick off someone today. That 17 year old boy will live with that forever. And the family of the deceased will never forget. I don’t think it is necessary to remind him of what happened. He knows, he is living it I am sure. Prayers to all the families.
. It was an accident. That is why it is called an accident. Bitterness does not help in these circumstances. Prayers to ALL the families.
It was an accident
Murder needs to be intentional. Read a book sometime.
During the day?
Bikes get noticed at night. Daytime is the bigger issue most of the time.
its only a bigger issue if your not paying attention!
Right!!
nice try there pal but it’s not murder!
This is an incredibly dangerous intersection, and there have been many accidents here over the years. There is a bit of a rise/hill just before Blackwell Hill Road, and if you are turning left onto it, or turning left onto 148 from the road across from it, there is almost no way to see if anyone is coming. By the time you CAN see someone coming, some crazy acceleration or evasive manuveur is required to avoid a collision. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken that turn and pulled immediately into the breakdown lane to avoid being struck. I am from here, have been driving for over 20 years, and that intersection makes everyone around here nervous.
This accident is unfortunate, of course. The young man who was driving is a great kid, student, athlete, and citizen. If anything, driver inexperience may have played a part, but at this particular intersection, even the most cautious drivers have had a scare (or worse). If the motorcycle was speeding, those very few seconds you have to make the turn are even more diminished. Lets save the “driver innatention” for when you know for sure that is the case. Being from here, and frequently using this intersection, I’m more surprised things like this don’t happen more often. My condolences to both families.
thank you !!!! we also use this road constantly and it is VERY DANGEROUS. WHETHER YOU ARE COMING FROM THE RUSSELL ROAD OR FROM BLACKWELL HILL ROAD.. YOU SOMETIMES JUST HAVE TO GUESS…. AND IF SOMEONE IS GOING A BIT TOO FAST UP THE HILL.. YOU JUST PRAY YOU GET OUT OF THE WAY. it is very hard to judge how fast a motorcycle is going…. been in both types of transportation…. give these people a chance.. accidents just happen sometimes.
why is the driver in the car always to blame? maybe you didnt read the same article. says the bike hit the car not the other way around… i see just as many idiots riding bikes…i’ve seen idiots doing 110 mph’s in a 35 mph zone…someone doing crap like that deserves whatever fate he is given…
Unless you know the biker was speeding, he had the right of way in his lane and the turning vehicle should have yielded to him.
You can’t yield to what you can’t see. I’d invite any of you who don’t know this particular intersection to take a drive and see what those of us from here have known all along. It’s too dangerous.
I saw a Motorcycle do a good 70 on route 15 toward Corinth earlier today, I was doing 53, and he passed 3 of us like we were sitting ducks and out of site before we hit the next corner. I am sure if he got hit it would automatically be the other drivers fault.
Right now they are saying the bike hit the car and the car was turning, what we don’t know is how fast that motorcycle was going or how close the motorcycle was, but God forbid, all the Motorcyclists think we need to look 20 times before we turn or fart in our cars because we never know when the next one is going to come sailing around the corner nearby.
You can fart whenever you get the urge to but you need to look however many times it takes you to ensure that you are not infringing on another car, truck, or motorcycles legal right of way by pulling into their path in their lane.
Which I am sure is exactly what happens in some crashes that occur, and what happens is, a driver could be come speeding around the corner even though you see nothing when you pull out.
Logically 9 out of 10 times, you pull out in front of someone everytime you turn in or out of a location, you just might not see them yet even though your line of vision whether it is 300 feet or 3 miles shows there is nobody there.
There are many idiots on bikes, no question about it.
There are not a lot of old idiots on bikes though, they usually die young.
You have a lot of nerve calling out a specific group of people. What a nasty comment. Personally I dont think you should have a right to comment at all ….
I have over 300,000 miles on motorcycles, I have seen my share of idiots driving motorcycles, idiots driving cars, idiots driving trucks…. Do I need to go on?
Nope – that was my whole point. And you dont have to be a rider to see that so it really doesnt matter if you have 300,000 or 3 miles. By the way, Im a rider too, and have been for about 30 years. And I dont run around bad mouthing everyone as a group. If I have something to say, its about an individual, not a group. Dont be part of the problem..we get a bad enough rap from people wanting to lump everyone who rides into one personal judgement call without our own riders doing it too.
You have had led a sheltered life…Take a break wipe the tears, it will be all right!
Many of you are not taking into account that the site where the accident occurred is a very dangerous one. Whether you’ve drove it once or a million times, it’s not easy adapting to the way the road is. Turning left onto Blackwell Hill coming from Madison is kind of a guessing game. It’s hard to see what’s coming over the hill. You sort of have to use your best judgement and essentially GUESS whether or not something is coming. If the 17yr old was already making the turn and the motorcycle climbed the top of the hill and struck his side, it could really just be a case of wrong place, wrong time, and would prove to be neither of the operators’ faults.
The best advice I ever got is to slow down and prepare for danger if you can’t see what is lying over the next stretch of road.
I can’t believe someone had my comment flagged! All I said was that using bright lights on your bike blinds me. Well, it’s true. Those high intensity lights are awful. You may think the more you have, the better I will see you. But I have to turn my head to avoid the lights. And I can’t be the only one who thinks this way.
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Thank you for acknowledging that. I rarely bother to read responses to my comments since most will only affect my blood pressure in the direction that’s not good for me. But today I took a peek and sure enough, my blood got steamed up.
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yep – seems that way.
Good to hear, if you see the lights you know the bike is there!
Murder???????? let’s assume innocent until proven guilty.. maybe it was the biker speeding.. maybe it’s bec. that intersection is an awful intersection and it’s only been a matter of time before something like this happened…..
Anyone who says they laid their bike down on purpose is one full of crap or two been down so many times he should stop riding
You people are awful! I was behind the vehicle that got crashed into this morning, it was the most awful thing I’ve ever seen! Don’t go and point fingers when things are still under investigation. There was nothing wrong with the kid driving the dodge, he spoke to me and asked me to call his mother. When it comes down to it, it is simply this. It was an accident. No one’s at fault when it comes to someone dieing in a situation like this. You wanna blame someone? Blame the damn town for not fixing this problem years ago! And on top of that have a little respect, a man has died and a young man is suffering for simply not seeing the motorcycle. Both families I’m sure don’t even know what to do. If you were one of the people on the scene like us, you might actually understand!
Thanks Kyle! There are many of us that just feel terible about this awful accident. May God help this young kid and his family get through this, and may the biker RIP.
There are many dangerous intersections in this State. I live on one and have already been rear ended. There isn’t much you can do with geography and elevation. This sounds like one of those situations.
I know the driver he is a very good kid and very cautious. Thank you for defending him.he did not do anything wrong it was just the timing of the vehicles.that intersection is very dangerous.
In reply to Kyle Shaw….. (my post messed up and didnt reply to you correctly)
Very sorry that you had to witness this terrible accident. And I am truly sorry for all involved. You are right, sometimes accidents just happen. An accident is an unintentional act.
Please dont stick around and read the comments, it will only get worse, it always does. Sometimes the posts get out of hand and are not so nice. It’s just the way that some people can be. They feel it is their right to comment and say anything regardless of how hurtful it might be to someone else because the opportunity is there, and since they are not personally involved, people tend to say just about anything in these forums. Just my advice to you, and for the families and friends of those involved.
Again – I am so sorry this happened. This is a horrible thing to go through. I am a rider myself, and even though I am, I understand that sometimes bad things happen and accept the risk and responsibility that goes with that.
My condolences to the family and friends of the man who lost his life, and my best wishes to all involved.
You people ridiculous! I know the driver. He is a great kid, a great student and a great athlete. He is a very cautious driver. if you don’t know the facts don’t run your mouth. The driver of the vehicle is not always the one to blame. This is a very dangerous intersection and a lot of accidents happen there. The SUV was already turning when the motorist came over the connered hill. He could not see and did not see the bike until it was at his side. Tragic things happen and this was truly an accident. So for those who are running your mouth about the driver of the SUV I will tell you that this was not his fault.
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‘accident’ means an act of god,unavoidable
‘crash’ means an act by a human,avoidable
this was a crash. one of the humans is responsible
There are lots of humans responsible. All the ones who thought this intersection as it is was a good idea. Not sure what needs to be done, but as residents, isn’t it about time we do something about changing the grade of the road here? At least looking into what that would take? Too little too late for these two families, unfortunately, but perhaps to save lives going forward. It’s only a matter of time before something like this happens again.
For those jumping to blame the 17yo, you should wait to hear all the facts before passing judgement. Blackwell Hill Rd intersects with Rt 148 on a corner, at the crest of a large hill. The motorcyclist could have been speeding up the hill, unnoticed, when the teen was making his turn, and Slam!
No helmet- no chance…..there’s a reason why medical professionals call motorcycles ‘organ donors.’ Very sad all the way around.
if you knew the road where the accident happend you would realize why this was nothing but an accident. take a ride to madison and see if you could have stopped the accidnet from happening.
Terrible tragedy. Thoughts and prayers to all that are involved.