Earlier this month, we told you Olympic speedskater Denny Morrison was in hospital following a motorcycle crash, and police were investigating the incident. The result? Morrison was fined, but received no ticket.
Morrison ended up with a $155 fine for entering an intersection with a yellow light, but wasn’t slapped with a dangerous driving charge, after the police investigation showed he’d been riding at appropriate speed.
In a statement, he said “”I’m just happy the investigation concluded that I was not speeding or driving recklessly. I have been riding motorcycles for 20 years and take road safety seriously.”
Morrison said he thought he’d been visually obscured by another car, causing the collision with the car that didn’t see him. He told police he’d sped up at the intersection when the light turned yellow. The accident left him with a broken leg, concussion, ACL tear, and injuries to his lung, kidney, liver and back. He’s working hard on recovery now, and things seem to be going well.
But while Morrison avoided charges, online naysayers and motorcycle haters have been quick to jump up and accuse him in online comments. According to the peanut gallery, Morrison has a huge ego for thinking he might not have been responsible for the crash. Add in a gratuitous amount of vitriol towards motorcycles and motorcyclists in general, and you’ve got the general feel for the contents of the comments section on CBC and the Calgary Herald.
The lesson from all this? It’s no wonder so many riders get hit by cars that just “don’t see them.” From the sound of what they’re saying online, these people just don’t care.
Thanks, Spock.
There were 7 comments, one mine, all civil, posted on this news item a couple hours ago. 5 have been cut. Fascinating!
Maybe they went in there and cleaned out the trash, because when I saw it, it was pretty nasty.
It is a sad reflection of our society’s poor understanding of case and effect. In most of the world, countries where traffic is ten to fifty times heavier, weather and roads unpredictable, motorists simply accept motorcycles as part of the road ecosystem. Accidents are just that, and caused by actions of individuals regardless of the vehicle they use.
Yet in our sparsely populated first world paradise, motorcyclists and cyclists are villainized by many car drivers, who’s attitude suggests any incident is proof two-wheelers are dangerous.
There are dangerous jerks and idiots operating every class of road vehicle. The vitriol on the forums is just proof that making this a conflict of us vs. them is feeding this particular fire. I wish Canadians would grow up.
Good for him. Glad another biker survived. As far as car drivers go… Business as usual. Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.