BELFAST, Maine — A collision between a teenage girl on a mountain bike and a motorcycle Monday afternoon on Route 1 in Belfast left three in the hospital with unspecified injuries.
The 14-year-old Belfast girl, whose name has not yet been released, had been pedaling south on the coastal thoroughfare at about 1:30 p.m., when she went to make a left hand turn onto Congress Street, according to Officer Mike Rolerson of the Belfast Police Department.
Motorcyclist John Mathiau, 57, of St. Joseph, Mich., also had been traveling south with a female passenger, whose name has not yet been released by police.
“Witnesses said the bicycle pulled right in front of the motorcycle,” Rolerson said.
Mathiau tried to stop, leaving a long black skid mark on the roadway, but lost control and collided with the teenager.
Rolerson said that the girl was very scraped up, and Mathiau was very bumped and bruised after the impact. But his female passenger appeared to be in the worst condition of the three, he said.
Both Mathiau and the woman were wearing helmets, Rolerson said.
A Waldo County General Hospital official said later Monday afternoon that Mathiau was listed in stable condition.
Police Chief Michael McFadden said later that the female motorcycle passenger was transported by LifeFlight to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.
About a half hour after the crash, the crumpled pink and gray bike lay in pieces on the road, with the white motorcycle lying in a ditch. Police officers directed traffic away from the accident and waited for the Maine State Police accident reconstructionist to arrive.
Emergency crews from Belfast Fire and Ambulance assisted at the accident scene.
May all three have a speedy recovery!
I hope the couple knows someone in the area to help them out. A speedy recovery to all
Loud bicycle chains save lives
you guys say that but the girl on the bicycle went right in front of the motorcycle or so how I’m taking it. Dont think that even her screaming would of helped. Hope everyone has a speedy recovery
LOUD BASEBALL CARDS IN SPOKES SAVES LIVES!
Stops copies me
never saw your post
when you posted, i was logging in,typing a post,then posting.
1) its actually a quote from a funny cartoon
2) If it takes 10 minutes to sign in and post, you need to get off Hughesnet/WildBlue :P
Geez, even Compuserve is faster than that!
Lol. I recognized the Metalocolypse/Deathclock reference right away. Great show, but on too late for this geezer to see very often. Maybe the clown will share his c-c-c-cocaaain!
I recommend that you take yourself less seriously…
I do believe if the motorcycle was louder this accident wouldn’t have happened. After 30+ years I’m starting to see the light. My bike is super quiet by the way so I have to be extra vigilant. If my bike was louder maybe i wouldn’t have to worry so much. Hmmm
I sure hope everyone heals up ok
I heard that BMW’s were getting banned because they were so quiet and as a result got in more accidents than Harleys. /sarcasm=off.
It appears that another foot or so could have turned this into a real tradgedy. Helmets and some hard braking seemed to have made the difference.
My new FERN….what a stupid name, btw, but an amazing bike has these incredible brakes; raising another point…how many cyclists do you see riding in the rain or on wet pavement?
Ever try to stop a bike with wet brake pads?
Another accident waiting to happen.
ouch
Praying for my long-time neighbors, and friends, the Mathiau’s. I’ve known them all my life.
I never trust bicyclists any more. I slow way way down. A couple of minutes lost getting somewhere is worth it.
I don’t trust them either, but they have a lot of rights on the highway and are entitled to take up more of the road than is prudent. There are other problems, too: They’re much slower than cars, especially going uphill; and if you’re behind them you have absolutely no idea what they can see behind them (unlike a car ahead that has rear view and side mirrors). And because you may be forced to slow way down because of a bicyclist, you’re often put in jeopardy from cars behind you because of the inconsiderate bicyclist in front of you, who could easily get out of the way by moving to the shoulder but won’t because of his “rights”.
Bicyclists are suppose to follow the same laws as motorists do. There are a few exceptions: They are suppose to get off the bike and walk across an intersection. They are suppose to use hand signals when turning, stopping,etc. As far as moving over into the ditch when a car is approaching from behind, Bikes and dirt are not a good combination. It’s like motorcycles and loose dirt.
I take your point about bicyclists and motorists following the same law. Still, I’ve seen situations where a literal and blind application of the “law” on the part of the bicyclist without using discretion and giving way by going on to the shoulder – even into the dirt – has caused dangerous conditions for motorists. There is a long, curving, and narrow uphill stretch of Rt. 235 near my house that is particularly dangerous for any motorist who has the bad luck to be stuck behind a bicyclist who will not give way. Because of limited sight distance, it exposes the motorist right behind the bike to fast approaching cars from behind. Of course, the guy on the bike has no risk at all at this location. It’s the guy behind him who’s in trouble; he can’t pass, and he can’t speed up; he’s screwed.
I mention loose dirt only because it has a tendency to throw the rider from the bike, usually in the path of the car. That isn’t too good for anyone. Common Sense should tell anyone that in dangerous situations, but seldom do, to move over even if it means getting off and walking the bike. I told my kids when they were small, never trust anyone to move over for you, you get off and move over. They were pretty vigilant of that.
You are incorrect about getting off the bike and walking across intersections.
Do motorists have to get out of their cars and push them across intersections?
It’s wise to drive defensively around all road users.
I have had motorists pass me on the left while I was making a left turn, pass me on the right while I was making a right turn, drive through red lights like they were green, drive straight into my path to go around a slow-moving vehicle, etc.
Accidents are really inevitable nowadays. So, any updates about the condition of the girl?
Yet another case of a bicyclist, too young for a license to drive on the road, causing mayhem. No doubt the police will charge the motorcycle driver with something here rather than the perpetrator, the bike rider.
Here it is again folks:
The majority of bike riders do not follow traffic laws.
The majority of bike riders do not stay to the side of the road.
The majority of bike riders impede motorized traffic.
Groups of bicyclists on our roads do not save gas because the motorized traffic must respond to their presence and this uses more fuel. Every time a line of vehicles must stop, slow, or go around a bike it takes extra gasoline to do so.
Bicyclists should be licensed.
Bicycles should be registered, inspected, and taxed just as motor vehicles are.
Contrary to claims made by pro-bicycle groups, roads were built to promote commerce not to give bike riders a place to ride.
Road laws governing bicycles should be modified to disallow riding side by side and bikes should be required to pull over and stop when a vehicle is passing them.
There should be an minimum age that a bicyclist can get their license to ride.
Allowing young children on the same roads as motorized traffic is ridiculous in the extreme.
I think you need some new lines.. Do you have this saved so you can comment the same on anti bike message whenever you can?
The majority of cars do not follow traffic laws.
The majority of cars do not give bikers room to use the side of the road.
The majority of cars impede cycle traffic.
These make as mush sense as your arguments do. I see just as many cars doing stupid things on the road.From what I can see this is an ACCIDENT! I hope all recovery quickly.
Please give us cyclist 3 feet!
You’re right, it’s getting repetitious and I need to crank it up a notch.
I’m not saying the roads are not dangerous. Of course they are. I’m saying bicycles make the roads more dangerous. This is especially true when children are allowed to ride their toys on venues such as route 1.
George- I see local police officers that I know to be excellent in their work driving along on rainy days with no headlights on(it’s the law)-and they are the proffessionals-nobody is perfect.
True, but yesterday, this bike rider on his new FERN CAFE, expected the car from Mass. to stop at the stop sign since I had right of way; but it cruised right through it.
New bike has incredible brakes, so I was able to stop a few feet from the car.
I screamed at that two guys and got the ‘stupid look’ and a hand wave.
Were I a kid and blew through the intersection expecting the car to stop, I’d be in the hospital.
This happens to be my best friend who got hit by the motorcycle. To the people who think it’s all her fault, accidents do happen. I wish everyone could be thankful that it wasn’t worse then it is. I know I’m so thankful that shes alive and with me. Hearing the story scares me still. It is awful and I pray for the woman who was life flighted. My friend is so shaken up from what happened, so I hope everyone can be as respectful as possible for the sake of the people involved.
Also, she was riding in the breakdown lane and went to cross to get to her road. In fact, she did stop and look for cars and let several pass before proceeding to cross the street. the motorcycle wasn’t visible when she started to cross and by the time she saw it, it was too late to move. She is praying for those involved and hopes they also have a fast recovery. She’s 14 years old so blaming the entire situation on her doesn’t make anyone feel better. I’m sure the couple on the motorcycle wouldn’t blame her either.
Speedy recovery to all involved.
Sounds like a case of improper lane positioning and possibly rider inexperience on the cyclist’s part.
Cyclists turning left should be in the center or left side of the lane.