The Antelope Valley Times

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Motorcyclist, 72, killed in crash with big rig

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LANCASTER – A 72-year-old Lancaster man died Tuesday morning after his motorcycle crashed into a big rig in a local intersection, authorities said.

The fatal collision happened around 9:18 a.m. Tuesday, July 18, in the intersection of Avenue I and 70th Street East, according to a California Highway Patrol report.

Eric Allen Seekins, 36, of Lancaster, was driving a 1996 Freightliner/Tractor in combination with two flatbed trailers northbound on 70th Street East, and the 72-year-old motorcyclist was riding a 1991 Harley Davidson westbound on Avenue I, the CHP report states.

The rig “came to a complete stop at the intersection of 70th Street East and Avenue I” and then “proceeded and entered the intersection directly into the path” of the motorcycle, the CHP report states.

The motorcyclist was unable to stop in time and struck the back of the first trailer, according to the CHP report.

He sustained major injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not yet been released pending next of kin notification, but he was a 72-year-old man from Lancaster, coroner’s Assistant Chief Ed Winter said Tuesday afternoon.

The rig’s driver [Seekins] sustained minor injuries, according to the CHP report.

Alcohol and drugs were not factors in the collision, which remains under investigation, the CHP report states.

The intersection of Avenue I and 70th Street East was closed in all directions until about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday to allow for the collision investigation, the CHP reported.

Anyone with information on this collision is encouraged to contact the Antelope Valley CHP Office at 661-948-8541.

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Filed Under: Lancaster

31 comments for "Motorcyclist, 72, killed in crash with big rig"

  1. THOSE OF YOU THAT SAID YOU SAW THE ACCIDENT… I HOPE YOU REPORTED IT TO THE AUTHORITIES!!!! OR THIS P.O.S. TRUCKER WILL NEVER GET WHAT’S COMING TO HIM!!!! FIGHT FOR THIS RIDER SO WE CAN PUT AN END TO SENSELESS ACCIDENTS! I SEEN THIS TRUCKER WAS ALREADY BACK DRIVING THE***VERY****NEXT****DAY!

  2. It would have taken 4 or more seconds for the truck to get that far in the intersection after a complete stop. It does not take four seconds to stop a Motorbike that is running at speed limit. What was the bike rider doing when he was approaching the intersection?

  3. This man was my Uncle he was a kind and giving man,he was a friend to many Buff you will be missed and you will be alive in my heart forever. He has 2 children that are left without a father .that road is flat and open how do you not see him?? I love you

    RIP

  4. This is tragic, even more so because it is a common issue. Reading through the comments I think a very important point has been missed. Regardless of whether the motorcyclist was speeding or distracted does not change the fact that the truck driver impeeded his path. Driving is their profession, they are required to have a specialty license. I would think a bare minimum requirement to operating such a dangerous vehicle, would be to anticipate the speed of other vehicles on the road.

    It is also unacceptable that they are not held to a higher standard when deciding fault in an accident, especially when life is lost. This is no different than holding a police officer to a higher standard than that of an everyday licensed gun owner when firing his weapon. They are professionals, on the clock and the road in there workplace.

    I moved to a state where truck drivers are permitted in any lane, and get this, even the HOV “carpool” lane as long as they have a passenger! They also have the same speed limits as a passenger vehicle, meaning stretches that they are permitted to do 75 mph!

    A crackdown is long overdue. This is not a bashing, this is a reality. I guarantee that there is not a single reader on this thread that cannot recal at least a half dozen near misses with a semi.if this were a doctor, police officer, or any other profession it would not be tolerated. There would be a public outrage, coalitions speaking up, activists demanding change.

    Higher standards and penalties are long overdue.

  5. I saw the accident. The MC rider had no where to go. The truck pulled out after a quick glance. Due to oncomind traffic he couldn’t go around the trailer. So he tried to brake. Unfortunately two brakes are not like 4. The truck driver should get a manslaughter charge because the loader was right behind him and they must have been in a hurry. I have ridden for 40 + years and people think bikes can stop on a dime. That driver was wrong and I hope his family get some restitution from those a..hol.s.

    • PLEASE PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU REPORT THAT YOU WERE A WITNESS! THIS TRUCKER IS ALREADY BACK TO WORK, WHICH MEANS THEY DIDN’T CHARGE HIM. THEY HAD A HANDFUL OF “WITNESSES” THAT SAID THE TRUCKER STOPPED AND THAT THE MC CAME OUT OF NOWHERE. I SMELL BULL.

  6. Law enforcement and the courts always go soft, on bikers and truckers. Perhaps it’s on account they’re not very intelligent.

  7. I personally have experienced lost in which a vehicle stuck and killed my father that was riding a motorcycle. It is hard to recover from. To this day I have issues driving. I drove by this accident minutes after it happened and a flood of memories returned because I drove by my dads accident on my way to the hospital. I have witnessed big rigs run this stop sign 2 time. People in this valley drive reckless and aggressive. I heart goes out to this mans family. My father was also 74 when he passed. He drove a bike since he was a kid. The roads are public domains and people druve as if there the only ones ENTITLED to them.

  8. The traffic on Avenue I has no stop sign at that intersection. My son and I were also in an accident at the same intersection caused by a big rig which did not yield the right of way. The truck drivers on these rural roads need to stop putting people at risk to save a few seconds.

    • Buffalo is a good man. He took care of some ladies with a little girl by letting them stay at his house. He took really good care of his daughter, treating her like a princess. Bless his heart and his life. Much love and respect.

  10. This is tragic for both families… the truck driver will be messed up for years maybe for life with flashbacks , the mc rider was some bodies family member. Prayers to all involved. Btw… yesterday I watched as a guy rode on his back tire ( wheelie) down Rancho Vista from one light to the next near the Sears outlet… all I could think of was… why?

    • Because he can?
      Because he enjoys it and has a little “wild child” in him?
      He can do something that you never will be able to?
      Look at me?

      I’ll stop now.
      Red light ahead, you know.

      • Good thing you stopped because you are wrong on all points.

        He/she is a fool that needs to attract attention in order to compensate for underlying self esteem issues, regardless of the risk to others. They need to be ticketed and ordered to pay a significant fine.

        Signed…

        Former American Motorcyclist Association Licensed Professional Motorcycle Racer
        American Motorcyclist Association District 37 Expert (Desert)
        Three time SIDRA Series Champion
        Motorcycle test consultant (rider) for various magazines

  11. Chuck that can also be the case when a mc goes between two cars or on the outside shoulder, that happened to me and he clipped the fender of my truck. Luckily for him he didn’t crash so don’t go blaming all of us vehicle drivers when we have to be on the look out for the reckless mc going too fast.

  12. R.I.P. to the mc The officier said that the driver made “A COMPLETE Stop” then proceeded. They cannot start back up quickly and for the mc to have hit the 1st trailer at the back of it, means that the truck was over 30 feet into the intersection when the mc hit it. I looked up the truck and trailer size and the trailer alone is 20′ (smallest one I found) and the truck has to be 8-10′ maybe more depending on the model. I am not blaming anyone for this it was just an accident that ended in tragedy.

  13. The story was the motorcyclist was speeding and not paying attention (talked to other mcs) the mc had enough time to stop because he hit the back trailer(2 back frim the rig)

  14. I saw many, many accidents out thata way while riding my Harley…..could never understand how the heck they dont see each other out in those wide open spaces!!!

  15. Tragic indeed. Deepest Sympathy and condolences to the MC’s family.
    AV has become a death trap to MC’s, every week there seems to be a MC killed or nearly killed.

  17. To be clear, the motorcycle didn’t simply crash into a big rig as the opening statement says. The truck pulled into the intersection in front of, and violating the right-of-way of, the motorcycle. This is not a 4-way stop. Avenue I, on which the motorcyclist was traveling, doesn’t stop at the intersection. Perhaps the trucker didn’t see the motorcycle, but that’s no excuse. Watch out for motorcycles!

      • For the rig to start moving and be that far into the intersection it’s possible the motorcycle wasn’t all that visible. Depending on it’s speed.
        Yes drivers need to remain aware of motorcycles, but bikers also have to realize there are limits to their visibility.
        I had 3 different bikes split lanes in one trip home last week, all while traffic was moving 60-65+.
        Splitting lanes was allowed to help when traffic was too slow to safety ride, it’s not your personal autoban.

    • Not intended as an excuse for the guy driving the truck, but the seemingly random distribution of two way and four way stops out there in the eastern part of the valley seems almost as likely a factor as the usual ‘didn’t see the motorcycle.’

      Either way, tragic.

    • Yes, watch out for motorcycles, their operators are Fathers, Husband/Wife, Uncle/Aunt, Son/Daughter, Brother/Sister, Grandparent and they have many other who will miss them if you Kill Them. Watch out for Motorcycles.

    • I don’t know what the truck drivers excuse was. Obviously, if he saw him it was murder, if he didn’t it was “an accident”.” I didn’t see him” sounds like a pathetic excuse. Maybe when we start charging people with manslaughter, they might be able to see better. Too many Brothers loose their lives to inattentive drivers. I can’t count how many times I’ve been cut off, or had to lock up the brakes because someone was texting, talking on the phone, or just not paying attention. R.I.P. Bro.

      • Serious questions, and no disrespect intended.

        Have you never pulled out in front of someone that you didn’t see coming? Maybe at a blind corner, maybe just a momentary distraction, maybe someone who changed into the right hand lane that was clear when you started your turn.

        Have you never missed a stop sign that was maybe buried in some tree branch? A light that turned yellow just at that moment when something in your mirror struck you strange and held you for that extra half second so you ended up late and went through on the red?

        Have you, genuinely, been exactly perfect through every minute you have ever spent behind the wheel?

        I pulled out in front of someone once. I saw them at the last second and stomped brakes and they swerved and went around me. If they’d been less aware or their car been less agile they’d have hit me. Do I get spared the charge for this mistake just because they had skills and the right car? I made the same mistake other people make that aren’t as lucky.

        I was stopped at a red light one time, in the left of three lanes. There was a guy stopped in the right lane. A pick up truck shot through in between us. Had to be going forty at least, probably fifty. What he thought the two of us were doing sitting there I cannot even imagine. He went through a gap in the moving cross traffic that was maybe two car lengths wide. It was, frankly, a miracle. If a cop had been around all he’d have gotten is a ticket, and as it was he got nothing. Should that guy get a pass on this manslaughter charge idea just because he was waaaaaaay beyond lucky?

      • Chuck,

        I have been on 2 wheels for more than 50 years and have had more than my share of stupid crap happen to me by drivers not paying attention, however I have seen many cases of fellow riders doing things that got them going down and getting hurt or killed. It is a sad thing regardless of who was at fault. Someone commented the rider was speeding, this is supposition and should not be said unless it was from an eye wittiness who saw the accident.

        RIDE DEFENSIVE AND KEEP THE SHINY SIDE UP AND GO HOME TO YOUR FAMILY