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Fatal motorcycle/van accident closes Main Street
04/12/2010 8:18 PM by John M
There was apparently a bad accident in front of the Market on Main Street. Reports on twitter say it might be fatal:
Looks like a fatal accident in front of the Market in #CH. Motorcyle under a Marriott van. Whole area to 23rd taped off w/crime scene tape.
TAGGED: Main Street
Motorcyclist killed after crash in Church Hill (RTD 4/12)
It didn’t look good at all. The entire motorcycle was entirely under the van and there was debris across the road on the side this picture was taken.
That article didn’t state the Marriott van seemed to have turned in front of the motorcycle, possibly cutting the motorcycle off.
I was with a couple that saw the accident happen in The Market parking lot. They claimed that the Marriott van was trying to cross from 24th Street into The Market parking lot and hit the motorcycle, which they said was going very fast.
I agree with a person in the parking lot after the accident; there needs to be a stop light here. I hate that it may take such a terrible tragedy to make the city’s planning department reconsider a bad intersection, but hope that something is done to prevent future accidents.
I was there also. Motorcycle was going very fast. I think van crossed street thinking he had time. I have lived here two years and too think a light is in order. Not the first wreck at this busy intersection…Very sad that this young man lost his life. God bless all involved – especially his family. Praying for them tonight.
We saw it, too, and wish we hadn’t. No words. Please be careful, especially bikers.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/local/article/MOTOGAT13_20100413-080202/336955/
I think if people just went the speed limit on main, we wouldn’t have so many accidents like this. I am not sure 2 lights within a block will keep people from hitting each other. There is a time and place where speeding may be ok, and 6pm on Main St is not it.
Tragic. Without wanting to speculate too much, the update on RTD this morning makes it sound like the van didn’t see the bike and pulled in front of him.
I used to ride (a motorcycle) and, while I felt pretty comfortable in my ability to handle my ride, this situation was always my greatest concern.
In any event, it’s tragic for both the biker and the driver of the van.
At 6:18 p.m. Monday, April 12, Richmond Police were called to investigate a collision involving a motorcycle and a van at the intersection of N. 24th and E. Main Streets, Richmond.
A motorcycle, driven by John Raymond Green, Jr., 31, Henrico County was traveling westbound on E. Main St. when it collided with a van traveling northbound on N. 24th St.
The driver of the van had stopped at the stop sign before proceeding into the intersection and into the path of the motorcycle. The speed of the motorcycle was a factor in the accident.
Green was taken to VCU Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators are reviewing witness statements and consulting with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office as they consider possible charges.
… RTD doesn’t say much on the speed the motorcycle was traveling, but some of the posts in this thread do.
Don’t want to sound as though I am blaming the van driver… just making more of general observation that bikes can be hard to see and that when a collision does occur, it usually ain’t good for the biker.
We tend to look to place blame but just truly a tragedy for all involved. Accidents sometimes happen. Bikers have every right to the road but there is increased risk of course. We all need to be alert and watch for them and they need to be alert and careful as well.
The collision was directly in the entryway to the Market off of Main, not at Main and 24th. For whatever that might be worth.
Looked more like the van might have been traveling East on Main and made a left hand turn in front of the bike. Bike was mangled underneath the van, and yes – the driver appeared very lifeless at the scene.
Now that the weather is nice, we all need to be paying lots of attention. Whoever was legally at fault, lives were changed majorly because of this.
We still feel weird today from having been so close.
* I should say driver of the bike appeared lifeless. Or rather, the rider…
So tragic, for both.
Now there’s a grieving family AND a man that has to deal w/the fact that he killed someone for the rest of his life. Some people never get over that.
Just an observation and nothing to do w/this particular accident, but too many times I see a motorcycle on the highway and some crazy aggressive person in a car tailgating the motorcyle like it’s a car. I always give them more space in between, I was always taught that.
Absolutely. Well bikes can accelerate and decelerate MUCH faster than a car can. So if you’re in a car, tailgating a bike, and the bike stops suddenly – there is a fair chance that you will not be able to stop in time to avoid the bike…
… not that this scenario relates directly to what played out on Main St. this week, but it is indeed important to give bikers extra space in general.
James is right on. Traffic is often moving excessively fast on Main, which poses a danger to everyone around, including other motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. I spoke to a police officer about it, and he said that when they tried running speed enforcement on there, most people were moving around the speed limit. My experience using that road every day to commute to school directly contradicts that, and in 2 years of living here, I have yet to see *any* speed enforcement anywhere in the city. Unacceptable.
We also need crosswalks installed. More lights and crosswalks even where there are no lights are desperately needed on this road. People live here now, and having this road dominated by cars needs to change.
I was crossing the road the other day and a motorist was turning left from 23rd onto Main. As I attempted to walk across the road, he accelerated into me until he was forced to brake to avoid hitting me. He apparently feels he owns the road. While crossing with the crossing “walk” sign down at 18th street, another motorist was making a left from main onto 18th. As I walked across the street, the passenger rolled down his window and yelled, “What’s the matter with you?”
What’s the matter with drivers around here? We desperately need education for these people that think that pedestrians don’t exist or are to yield to vehicles. The obvious is true, but nobody seems to know it.
The days of automotive dominance of the roads is, thankfully, coming to an end. Now we have to educate the oblivious about this inevitable change.
I don’t want to go off on too much of a tangent here, but I agree that drivers need to be better educated about the rules of the road – esp. in relation to pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, etc.
Should be a major part of new driver education courses, in fact.
Several suggestions about traffic enforcement: First, ask the Traffic Engineer or RPD for a speed survey along the affected section. It will give you an accurate count of the amount of traffic and the relative speeds used. If the survey shows that the 85 percentile level is more than 5 mph over the speed limit, then ask the Police Sector Lieutenant for increased patrolling and radar. My experience has been that they always provide it if the data supports the request.
Traffic studies must have been done before the market was built; the city would have made the developer bear the costs for extra traffic needs. If it was feasible at the time, based on projected traffic volume from the market development, they would have installed one then.
Call me cynical but I doubt very greatly the city will spend the time and money to fund a new study and do the improvements.
I can’t say whether the traffic has increased from residency at Tobacco Row, more people on the Hill, or people travelling to Rt 5 but I don’t need a study to tell me that intersection is dangerous. I’ve a) nearly been run over a hundred times trying to cross the street at 24th and b) seen too many people pull out of the market directly into the oncoming Main St. traffic, and count this as the second accident in the last 6 months that I know of.
Unfortunately the traffic engineer will use his person judgment to decide if two accidents in 6 months is too many. I think we should make him play “frogger” and try to cross the street there for a few days and see what he thinks then!
I was crossing the street downtown and some lady turning right across the crosswalk almost ran me over yelling “I got the green!”
IMO it should be a lot harder to get your license.
I walk across Main St. four times everyday within blocks of that same intersection and can attest to the danger. Traffic appears to be going much faster than 30mph although it can appear faster on a city street than a suburban one so not sure if this is a real problem. There are many dump trucks to contend with and people turning onto Main rarely give a pedestrian the right away, even if the person is actively crossing the street. If you’re driving please only cross Main at a light…25th or 21st are always close by. And PLEASE watch for people in the crosswalks.
A memorial for John Green will be held Friday evening at 6 at Good Shepherd Baptist Church.
I have seen many tragedies involving motorcycles, and commercial trucks.(I drive and ride both) If operators of the above explained the dangers to there respective family and friends, maybe the people that don’t operate these vehicles would look at them realizing that this could have happened to one of there loved ones! IF IT DOESN’T HIT HOME SADLY KNOWONE SEEMS TO CARE! Remember CAR OR MOTORCYCLE vs TRUCK, TRUCK WINS-MOTORCYCLE VS CAR, CAR WINS. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE WHO HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY, IF SOMEONE YOU LOVE LOSES THEIR LIFE? IT’S CALLED DEFENSIVE DRIVING!
My sisters husband was a good man and A loving father he had the right of way he served his country and he is a USA vet he workerd hard and he was on his way to school when an agressive marriot driver killed him justice will be served for John Raymond Green Jr. He left behind 3 beautiful children Rest in peace brother you will be missed
Diane, no offense, but I am quite certain the police report stated your sister’s husband was going well above the speed limit. I don’t think it is right for you to wish bad things upon the driver of the van. I am sure he is pretty messed up emotionally. Sure, he is at fault due to not having right of way. However, the guy on the motorcyle might be alive today had he not been speeding. People need to slow down on Main, especially bikers. They have twice the risk.
Please if there is anyone who was at the scene April 12 2010 that witnessed the entire accident please contact me. Shannon or anyone who can help us try to find out exactly what has happened. As for Diane she did not mean to point any fingers she is sad and wants answers the pain is so much and it is tearing her apart.
contact icecola25@yahoo.com
IT’S BEEN A YEAR AND WE MISS YOU SOOO MUCH. GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. I WISH I COULD REWIND TIME AND PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO YOU. YOUR FAMILY MISSES YOU DEARLY. YOU WERE SO FULL OF LIFE……………..
So sad to find out that Ray is no longer with us!! I’m honored to have met him. He was the nicest and most caring person!!