A Gilroy man died after being thrown 200 feet from his
motorcycle following a head-on collision with a car on Highway 25
near Pinnacles National Monument Saturday afternoon.
Hollister –A Gilroy man died after being thrown 200 feet from his motorcycle following a head-on collision with a car on Highway 25 near Pinnacles National Monument Saturday afternoon.
Brian Derksen, 51, crossed into the southbound lane of Highway 25 while trying to make a high-speed turn on a 2003 Suzuki 1000 cc racing motorcycle, according to Hollister-Gilroy California Highway Patrol officials. His motorcycle was struck head-on by a Volvo sedan traveling in the opposite direction. The two occupants of the sedan received minor injuries, but were not taken to the hospital, said CHP Spokesman Chris Armstrong. Witnesses told police that Derksen had been riding in excess of 100mph, but CHP investigators would not say if speed was a factor in the crash or how fast the man had been going at the time of the collision.
Derksen was ejected from the bike by the force of the impact. His body flew through the air, eventually hitting a large tree branch about 18 feet from the ground and 200 feet from the crash site, Armstrong said. Derksen’s $10,000 motorcycle was destroyed in the crash. It was found in a pasture 30 feet from the highway.
Emergency officials gave Derksen CPR, but were unable to revive him. Police believe Derksen died of “massive internal injuries” following the accident. An autopsy report by the San Benito County Sheriff’s department listed “blunt force trauma” as the cause of death, said Undersheriff Pat Turturici.
While CHP officials continue to investigate the accident, Armstrong said alcohol did not appear to be have been a factor in the crash. That section of Highway 25 was closed for nearly an hour after the crash.
Armstrong said motorcyclists and motorists frequently drive fast on the isolated section of Highway 25 where the accident occurred.
“We get a lot of complaints about speeding in that area because it’s so secluded,” he said.
Derksen’s family could not be reached for comment.
