TULSA - A terrifying motorcycle accident Friday morning on Highway 169 when the rider lost control and crashed into the center median after hitting pieces of a shredded tire.
As of Friday, the rider was in critical condition and police said speed was a factor in the collision.
Witnesses noticed the motorcycle weaving in and out of traffic right before he pulled behind the trailer that lost a tire, causing him to crash.
Tulsa police said drivers are known for speeding along Highway 169, which causes many accidents.
A Dodge Dually was pulling a trailer with a backhoe when it started having issues with the inside left tire.
"The Harley rider was coming up on trailer when the tire started to shred and he tried to break and do evasive maneuvers to avoid the tire, could not, and ended up hitting the wall," Corporal Brian Collum, Tulsa Police Department, said.
Collum said in his initial investigation, the rider who also wasn’t wearing a helmet, was going an estimated 85 MPH, making it almost impossible to stop.
"When witnesses arrived he was unconscious," Collum said. "He then regained consciousness and was extremely combative with fire and EMSA crew which is indicative of a severe head trauma."
Robert Dresser is with Abate of Oklahoma, which promotes motorcycle safety and awareness.
He has been riding since he was 8-years-old and said riders need to be even more safety conscious than other drivers.
"It’s very important to leave a distance between other vehicles in front of you," Dresser said. "We generally use what’s known as the four second rule, four seconds in front of the vehicle in front of us and four seconds behind us.
If a rider is caught in a situation where they can’t stop, Dresser said to never slam on the brakes.
"Just release the throttle and slow down and kind of use your legs as shock absorbers," Dresser said.
Dresser said all motorcycle riders should practice defensive driving at all times.
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