Vehicle pulls in front of motorcycle, bike driver seriously injured

Emergency crews from Zachary's Fire and Police Departments and EMS responded to the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving a motorcycle last Saturday.
The 9-1-1 call came in at 4:16 p.m. on April 26 of an MVA on Main Street in front of the Goodwill Store.
According to two separate eyewitnesses at the scene, a pickup truck exited the Goodwill parking lot going against the guided exit, turning left into the oncoming motorcyclist.
One of the eyewitnesses said the pickup truck pulled out less than one car length from the motorcycle rider. "He didn't even have time to lay his motorcycle down," said the Zachary woman who asked that her name be withheld but whose husband also happens to ride a motorcycle.
The guided exits found in some of the parking lots along Main Street are to keep vehicles from making a left turn.
Deputy Chief Chris Lawton said the injuries to the motorcyclist were not life threatening but "very serious."
The victim was worked on for about 20 minutes before being transported by ambulance to a Baton Rouge hospital due to his injuries.
Zachary Police said the driver of the pickup truck was not ticketed, though Police Chief David McDavid said he is looking into the reasons why no citation was issued.
Lawton said that the accident on Saturday was the second motorcycle crash the ZFD has worked in less than two weeks with serious injuries. "With the warmer weather, there are more motorcycles on the road," Lawton said. "We're asking drivers to be extra vigilant; motorcycle riders do not have the added protection that drivers in a vehicle have."
The other motorcycle accident with injuries that Lawton spoke of occurred on Plank Road at night.
With May designated as Motorcycle Awareness Month, the La. Highway Safety Commission just released a report (April 28) on statistics involving motorcycle riders and vehicles.
Over the past 10 years, 833 people were killed in motorcycle crashes in Louisiana. As part of efforts to save lives, Louisiana has joined the national Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month campaign effective through the month of May.
Louisiana joined the nationwide effort when Gov. Bobby Jindal issued a proclamation declaring May as Motorcyclist Awareness and Safety Month. The proclamation says: "Louisiana citizens recognize the fact that all licensed vehicle operators have the same rights and privileges on our roads and highways, and all motorists should be aware of their surroundings while driving."
While year-to-year motorcycle crash deaths have remained relatively stable in Louisiana over the past 10 years, such fatalities continue to represent a significant percentage of all highway deaths in the state.
According to preliminary data, motorcycle riders in 2013 accounted for almost 14 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths, but motorcycles represented less than 1 percent of all vehicles involved in crashes in Louisiana.
Last year the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a detailed study of motorcycle fatalities and injuries for the year 2011. The study concluded that motorcyclists were over 30 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and five times more likely to be injured.
"There's no question that traveling by motorcycle presents greater risks than traveling by automobile or truck. However, those risks can be reduced when motorcycle and four-wheel vehicle drivers follow traffic laws and adhere to practical safety rules," said Lt. Col. John LeBlanc, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.