TEMECULA – A 76-year-old motorcyclist was killed on Interstate 15 in Temecula when his Harley-Davidson tipped over as he tried to thread his way between two tractor-trailers and one of them rolled over him, then left the scene, authorities said today.
The rider, who was not immediately identified, was fatally injured shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday on northbound I-15 near Winchester Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
CHP officials said the victim was in heavy commuter traffic and began “lane splitting” to get between slower vehicles.
He was mainly going between traffic in the No. 3 and 4 lanes, riding the Harley at 15 mph.
“The motorcyclist attempted to pass between two big rigs,” according to a CHP statement. “For an unknown reason, he laid his motorcycle down, and he was ejected from his motorcycle. He went into the No. 3 lane, and he was run over by the rear trailer wheels of the big rig.”
The trucker apparently never realized that he had rolled over the motorcyclist and continued forward, with witnesses behind him unable to get his attention, the CHP said.
Riverside County Fire Department paramedics reached the location about 20 minutes later and pronounced the victim dead at the scene.
CHP officers attempted to find the tractor-trailer but never did. One witness said the semi had the words “Pan American Cargo” painted on the trailer, which was white. No license plate number was recorded.
Northbound I-15 was partially shut down for over two hours while a preliminary investigation was conducted.
Anyone with information about the 18-wheeler or its driver was asked to contact the Temecula CHP office at 951-506-2000.
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Motorcyclist killed on I-15 in Temecula
TEMECULA — A motorcyclist was killed on Thursday night, July 13, around 6:15 p.m. in an accident with, or somehow related to a big rig.
Though the details were unclear at the time of the accident, there was a sig-alert issued according to the CHP, as the northbound No. 3 lane was closed and blocked by a semi-truck.
The Winchester onramp to NB-15 was closed as well. Traffic was still backed up to the Fallbrook area as of 8 p.m. Details will be updated as they continue to come in.
