HILLSDALE COUNTY, Mich — Saturday was a deadly day for two motorcyclists on the 127 near Hudson.
- Authorities say a man operating a motorcycle and his passenger were thrown from their bike when they swerved to avoid traffic while passing; neither was wearing a helmet.
- Neighborhood riders say safety gear makes a difference, as does defensive riding.
Authorities say two people died after a weekend motorcycle crash. Riders I talked to in my neighborhood shared some safety tips they say are key on our roads.
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A deadly motorcycle crash here on the 127 just north of Hudson…part of a popular route for biking.
Michigan State Police say it was here on the 127 just north of Beecher Road that a 59-year-old man and his female passenger were thrown from their motorcycle when they swerved to avoid oncoming traffic while passing.
Witnesses told police the motorcycle had been traveling at high speed, weaving in between vehicles, and passing in no-passing zones. Alcohol is suspected to be a factor. Neither was wearing a helmet.
Traffic laws aside, riders like Denny Vescelius, who rides with American Legion Riders of Post 315 in Brooklyn, say protective gear makes a difference.
"Personally, I wear a helmet where I ride," he says.
"I always make sure I have boots — you know, good boots on."
Another rider I talked to at Artesian Wells told me he only survived a crash because he was wearing a helmet.
I also talked with Vescelius about defensive driving — especially given the prevalence of distracted driving.
"I have really come to be a defensive rider," he says, "so, I'm always assuming people are not going to stop at stop signs, they're going to run through a red light, so I'm naturally starting to slow down a little bit until when you come up to that intersection, and people turn their head, and you can make that eye contact with each other…"
Vescelius says riding in groups also helps — making riders more visible to drivers.
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