A ‘no-hands’ moment lands motorcycle rider in the hospital following SR-7 crash

A stock image shows a Utah Highway Patrol vehicle on a highway in Southern Utah | Photo courtesy of Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A motorcycle rider was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center with lacerations and a concussion Wednesday night after he lost control and was ejected off his motorcycle, which went down a ravine through a fence on the eastbound side of the Southern Parkway.

The remains of a motorcycle that went down a ravine off east state Route 7 near the Interstate 15 interchange after a trooper said the rider lost control and was ejected Wednesday, March 11 in St. George, Utah. | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

Utah Highway Trooper Austin Ipson said a “no-hands” moment caused the rider to lose control while traveling east on state Route 7 about a mile past the interchange with Interstate 15.

Ipson said preliminary statements from the rider indicated he had used the motorcycle’s throttle lock, which is much like an automobile’s cruise control feature, and took his hands off the handlebars.

“He said it was a very nice day outside, and he thought he would enjoy it,” Ipson said.

The male rider fell on to the roadway, where he sustained minor lacerations and a possible concussion. He was transported from the scene to Dixie Regional Medical Center.

His motorcycle suffered a worse fate after the rider was ejected, continuing off the embankment on the right side of the road, down a muddy ravine another 50 yards through a fence on a property on the other side. Two impact points were in the mud on the way down, and the motorcycle was seen resting in pieces.

As for the rider, Ipson said he was likely saved by his helmet.

“It could have been much worse,” Ipson said. “It’s a good thing he’s wearing his helmet. Fate smiled on him tonight.”

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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