I was going East on the 60 freeway, in light to medium traffic. I was in the car pool lane, and the two-wheeler was behind me. Traffic was going about (I think) 30 to 35 mph. Traffic slowed down, so when it was safe I moved over to the left to let the two-wheeler pass me on the right. With me moving over he had plenty of room, and in my opinion made a safe pass. Not too fast, but fast enough to get past me in a timely manner. The two-wheeler waved to me as he passed, and I waved back. The two-wheeler passed the car in front of me in the same manner, the car moved over, and he passed the car. Traffic again started to move faster, and I lost sight of the two-wheeler.
Further up the freeway traffic slowed down, and I saw two white compact cars (Don’t know make or model). One looked like the bumper was damaged as if a rear end collision had happened, and the other with the flashers on. These cars appeared to try to go left towards the car pool lane, but then went right towards the shoulder. They continued on, and I assumed to go to the side of the freeway or the off-ramp. I did not see them after this. As I was moving on I noticed the cars in the car pool lane moving over to the right, and when the car in front of me pulled to the right I saw the two-wheeler that had passed me. The bike and rider was down.
The rider was pulling his helmet off, so I stopped my bike about 15 feet behind him to work as a road block to keep him safe, got off the bike, and took off my helmet/gloves. I approached him as a male from a pick-up truck, and two females from behind me got to him. The rider was bleeding a lot from his nose, and the guy asked him if he was okay. The rider said no, and one of the women with a first-aid kit started to help him. I realized that I would only be in the way, so started traffic control.
At this point a CHP officer arrived, and talked to the rider, and woman helping. The other woman was just watching, so she wanted to leave, and did so. The officer started to talk to me to see if I saw what happened, and I told him no. That when I had come upon the scene I stopped to help. The Officer asked me to help him move the bike that was sitting with its rear tire on top of the double yellow line and the rest in the number one lane. After I told him I would he took some pictures, put on his gloves, and we moved the bike to the edge of the freeway in the car pool lane.
The Officer then started to talk to me when another two-wheeler (fool #1) came up, and the Officer yelled at him to stop, the Officer then talked to two-wheeler while still in the fast lane, and told him to pull over into the car pool lane. The officer asked him why he was riding the double yellow line. The rider said he was not, and only crossed it because of the traffic from everyone moving over. The Officer said no, and that he watched him ride the line for some distance. It then looked like the other CHP Officer wrote him a ticket. The officer then talked to the downed rider again, and came back to me. While talking to me another two-wheeler (fool #2) came upon the scene and was standing up on his foot pegs. The Officer stopped him, asked him if he wanted to end up like him (pointing to the downed rider), talked to him some more, but did not write him a ticket.
The CHP Officer asked me more questions as to how the downed rider was riding the two-wheeler, and his passing cars. He was under the impression that the two-wheeler was recklessly lane splitting, and wanted to know if he crossed over the double yellow line. I explained that he seemed to be riding safe when he passed me, and when he passed me I felt he did so in a safe manner. The CHP Officer thinks the two-wheeler clipped a car while lane splitting.
The CHP Officer asked several times how fast we (the two-wheeler and I) were going. I told him I think it was between 15 to 20 miles per hour. The first time the CHP Officer talked to me about speed he said the downed rider was either not saying, or does not remember. I told him I was not sure as I was not paying attention to my speedometer. The second time the Officer talked to me about speed he said the downed rider said he was going 30 MPH, and I said that might be, but I really do not know. The Officer took my information, and thanked me for helping out. Then when I was ready they stopped traffic so I could leave.
Further up the freeway traffic slowed down, and I saw two white compact cars (Don’t know make or model). One looked like the bumper was damaged as if a rear end collision had happened, and the other with the flashers on. These cars appeared to try to go left towards the car pool lane, but then went right towards the shoulder. They continued on, and I assumed to go to the side of the freeway or the off-ramp. I did not see them after this. As I was moving on I noticed the cars in the car pool lane moving over to the right, and when the car in front of me pulled to the right I saw the two-wheeler that had passed me. The bike and rider was down.
The rider was pulling his helmet off, so I stopped my bike about 15 feet behind him to work as a road block to keep him safe, got off the bike, and took off my helmet/gloves. I approached him as a male from a pick-up truck, and two females from behind me got to him. The rider was bleeding a lot from his nose, and the guy asked him if he was okay. The rider said no, and one of the women with a first-aid kit started to help him. I realized that I would only be in the way, so started traffic control.
At this point a CHP officer arrived, and talked to the rider, and woman helping. The other woman was just watching, so she wanted to leave, and did so. The officer started to talk to me to see if I saw what happened, and I told him no. That when I had come upon the scene I stopped to help. The Officer asked me to help him move the bike that was sitting with its rear tire on top of the double yellow line and the rest in the number one lane. After I told him I would he took some pictures, put on his gloves, and we moved the bike to the edge of the freeway in the car pool lane.
The Officer then started to talk to me when another two-wheeler (fool #1) came up, and the Officer yelled at him to stop, the Officer then talked to two-wheeler while still in the fast lane, and told him to pull over into the car pool lane. The officer asked him why he was riding the double yellow line. The rider said he was not, and only crossed it because of the traffic from everyone moving over. The Officer said no, and that he watched him ride the line for some distance. It then looked like the other CHP Officer wrote him a ticket. The officer then talked to the downed rider again, and came back to me. While talking to me another two-wheeler (fool #2) came upon the scene and was standing up on his foot pegs. The Officer stopped him, asked him if he wanted to end up like him (pointing to the downed rider), talked to him some more, but did not write him a ticket.
The CHP Officer asked me more questions as to how the downed rider was riding the two-wheeler, and his passing cars. He was under the impression that the two-wheeler was recklessly lane splitting, and wanted to know if he crossed over the double yellow line. I explained that he seemed to be riding safe when he passed me, and when he passed me I felt he did so in a safe manner. The CHP Officer thinks the two-wheeler clipped a car while lane splitting.
The CHP Officer asked several times how fast we (the two-wheeler and I) were going. I told him I think it was between 15 to 20 miles per hour. The first time the CHP Officer talked to me about speed he said the downed rider was either not saying, or does not remember. I told him I was not sure as I was not paying attention to my speedometer. The second time the Officer talked to me about speed he said the downed rider said he was going 30 MPH, and I said that might be, but I really do not know. The Officer took my information, and thanked me for helping out. Then when I was ready they stopped traffic so I could leave.
