Rider errors behind majority of Wichita’s fatal motorcycle crashes in 2015

Mike Vermillion likes to use serious motorcycle crashes as teaching tools in his rider instruction classes in west Wichita.

Unfortunately, 2015 has provided him plenty of teaching materials.

There have been five fatal motorcycle crashes in Wichita this year, nearly double last year’s total. In four of the five cases, police records show, actions by the motorcycle driver appeared to be responsible for the crashes.

“For me, it’s very sobering,” said Vermillion, owner of Motorcycle Rider Education. “It just helps us emphasize safety more in each class.”

The most common cause of motorcycle crashes, authorities have said over the years, is other motorists not noticing the lower-profile vehicles – or misjudging their closing speed – and turning in front of them.

But only one of this year’s fatal crashes was the result of a vehicle turning into the path of a motorcycle, police officials said. The other deadly crashes varied in circumstance.

▪ On Jan. 16, a motorcyclist struck a median as he was driving north on Washington at a high rate of speed, according to a police document. He was thrown from the bike and died later at a hospital.

▪ On June 21, a motorcycle traveling north on Oliver was struck by an Oldsmobile Cutlass turning left on 21st. A passenger on the motorcycle was killed and the driver critically injured.

▪ On July 19, a man was killed when he turned onto South Clifton in the Planeview neighborhood and was thrown from his motorcycle when it laid down on the pavement. The rider was then run over moments later by an SUV coming north on Clifton.

▪ On Aug. 19, a man was killed when his motorcycle crashed into the back of a Lincoln Continental preparing to turn left from Webb Road onto Chamberlin in east Wichita.

▪ On Sept. 3, a Newman University student was killed when his sport bike crashed into a wall of the PetSmart in the 500 block of South Tracy. Evidence at the scene indicated the rider had been driving in the empty parking lot at a high rate of speed prior to the crash, police officials have said.

Whenever there’s a crash involving a motorcycle, Vermillion said, “it’s a learning experience for everyone else.

“Unfortunately, we had a death in this last case,” he said of the crash in the PetSmart parking lot. “A lot of times, that’s where we get life’s lessons.”

Two years ago, Vermillion’s daughter’s best friend was in a motorcycle accident. She survived the crash, but Vermillion said he uses her crash “in almost every class” as an example of what can happen.

“She didn’t do everything right, but she walked away,” he said. “We use it as a teaching tool.

“You can see the look on the students’ faces. I tell them, ‘I’m not here to scare you to death. I’m here to train you. You need to understand that things like this can happen.’”

Motorcycle riders usually crash for one of two reasons, Vermillion said: they don’t know how to stop or they don’t know what the motorcycle they’re on will do in a given situation.

Inexperience lies at the root of many crashes, he said. That’s why he preaches what amounts to a mantra.

“We tell everyone in class, ‘Practice, practice, practice, practice,’” Vermillion said. “Every motorcycle is different” – even motorcycles that are the same model produced in the same year.

Vermillion said he sees a lot of riders who had a motorcycle decades ago when they were young and have started riding again after they’ve reached middle age or retired. He finds himself saying over and over again, “This doesn’t handle the same” as the motorcycles older riders had years ago.

“You’ve got to get used to your machine,” Vermillion said. “We always tell them, ‘Take it easy. Figure out how to work it. How does it stop?’”

The best place for riders to learn about their motorcycles is in their own neighborhood, he said. Inexperience lies at the root of many motorcycle crashes.

“They get new motorcycles, they want to see what they’ll do,” he said. “Get used to the bike before you go to Kellogg and Rock Road or get yourself into a situation that you can’t get out of.”

Sgt. Stephen Patton, head of the accident followup unit for the Wichita Police Department, said he’s not ready to call rider-caused crashes a trend.

“Any time there is a collision that results in fatal injuries, it is very concerning to us,” Patton said in an e-mail response to questions.

The five deaths so far in 2015 is not an unusually high number, he said. There were six motorcycle fatalities in 2013 and four in 2012.

Patton did echo Vermillion in urging riders to be familiar with their motorcycles and to gain experience in using them.

“Be as educated about safe riding habits as possible,” he said.

This story was originally published September 13, 2015 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Rider errors behind majority of Wichita’s fatal motorcycle crashes in 2015."