WATCH: The driver of a motorcycle was unable to avoid the yellow lab that darted on to the road in front of him on Friday.
Emergency crews responded to Headquarters Road near Davis Road north of Courtenay Friday afternoon after a motorcyclist was injured in a collision.
“This was a motorcycle versus a dog,” said Courtenay Fire Chief Don Bardonnex. The dog came out of the driveway and the cyclist hit it. He is stable fortunately with minor injuries and is being transported to hospital.”
The dog, a yellow lab was killed in the collision. For some reason, it was on the road or had darted onto the road in front of the motorcycle and was hit.
The driver was thrown from his motorcycle trying to avoid the collision.
Another motorcyclist was hurt in a crash in Courtenay Thursday night. It happened on Fitzgerald Avenue where a car and motorcycle collided.
That rider suffered minor injuries.
Emergency officials point out that with the warmer weather there are more motorcycles on the roads and that always means more accidents.
“In the summer as soon as this weather comes out, yeah the bikes are coming out and of course the more bikes on the road the more likelihood there is of an accident,” said Bardonnex.
“To ride a motorcycle you have to be diligent, you have to stay focused 100 per cent of the time,” said Wendy Wiseman of Comox Valley Driving school who teaches a motorcycle safety course.
“The onus for safety is on the rider, but the drivers have to wake up,” she added. “If you?re not watching them they?re not watching you so you have to be focused 100 per cent of the time.”
“It?s hard to see cyclists. I mean their headlights are on all the time but people take quick looks when they?re pulling out of intersections and driveways. Take a little bit longer in the summer, there?s going to be a lot more motorcycles and cyclists coming out so we just have to be a little bit more aware of them.” said Bardonnex.
Dean Stoltz
