2 Motorcyclists Collide Near Novato; Both Seriously Hurt
NOVATO (CBS SF) -- Two motorcycle riders were seriously injured in a crash near Novato on Wednesday night, a California Highway Patrol officer said.
Both riders were ejected from their motorcycles in the collision that took place around 7:45 p.m. Both motorcyclists were taken to Marin General Hospital, CHP Officer Eric Hohmeister said.
Robert Kline, 20, of Novato was riding a 2010 Yamaha R6 motorcycle south on Point Reyes-Petaluma Road west of Novato Boulevard at approximately 100 mph, Hohmeister said.
Erik Dyvad, 20, of Novato was riding south ahead of Kline on a 2004 Honda 600RR motorcycle between 60 and 100 mph, Hohmeister said.
Dyvad abruptly applied his brakes and Kline was unable to avoid colliding with Dyvad's motorcycle, Hohmeister said.
Dyvad was ejected from his Honda motorcycle, landed on the shoulder of the road and slid in a southerly direction, Hohmeister said. The motorcycle struck a telephone pole on the east side of the road.
Kline's Yamaha motorcycle continued south, struck a barbed wire fence and began to overturn, Hohmeister said.
Kline was ejected and struck the ground and the barbed wire fence, Hohmeister said. Both Kline and his motorcycle came to rest in a field east of the roadway, Hohmeister said.
Kline suffered a nearly severed left leg, a broken left arm and lacerations and Dyvad suffered a broken left arm, Hohmeister said.
The crash closed Point-Reyes-Petaluma Road for approximately one hour during the crash investigation but reopened to one-way traffic before it fully reopened at 10 p.m., Hohmeister said.
Unsafe speed, but not alcohol, was considered a factor in the crash, Hohmeister said.
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