Officer still in hospital after fiery crash

Personal Injury News

Article Date: 1/6/2010 | Resource: MLG

Officer still in hospital after fiery crash

A Buena Park motorcycle officer remains hospitalized recuperating from injuries he suffered when his bike collided with a sedan and then burst into flames, police said.

The 30-year-old officer is recovering at UCI Medical Center in Orange after undergoing several surgeries, but is expected to be released in a few days, said Buena Park police Sgt. Bill Kohanek.

“Due to the severity of the accident we are extremely fortunate that he was not hurt worse,” Kohanek said. “It was one of the most serious motorcycle versus automobile accidents I’ve ever seen in my career.”

At 5:53 p.m. Saturday, the officer was headed south on Knott Avenue at an unknown speed when his Honda motorcycle crashed into a red 2005 Nissan Sentra that was headed north on Knott and was preparing to turn left on San Bruno Drive, said California Highway Patrol spokesman Ray Payton, whose office is investigating the accident.

The preliminary investigation revealed the 20-year-old driver, Justin Moser, did not see the motorcycle officer and turned left directly in his path just as the officer entered the intersection, Payton said.

The motorcycle crashed into the right front side of the Sentra and exploded on impact. The officer was thrown about 50 feet from his motorcycle Payton said.

“The impact was so forceful that the officer’s boots fell off of him,” Kohanek said.

Payton said the officer, Ryan Herst, suffered moderate injuries and severe road rash. Moser and his two passengers were not injured, Payton said.

The motorcycle and the Sentra were totaled, Payton said.
Kohanek said the officer has nine years experience as a police officer and has been a motorcycle officer for about a year.

For more information regarding this article please contact:

Jeffrey Marquart
(949)589-0150
jmarquart@marquartlawgroup.com