UPDATE, 2:15 p.m.: Authorities reported a second motorcycle crash in the area of Angeles Crest Highway, Sunday afternoon.
The second crash was reported on the right shoulder of the mountain road near Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road, in the same area as the first reported crash, according to CHP officer Monica Posada.
The most recent reports indicate the second crash victim received major injuries in the solo motorcycle crash, first reported around 12:30 p.m. The crash victim was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital.
Both incidents were reported by the US Forestry Service, authorities said.
No further details were immediately known about the first crash earlier Sunday.
Previously: Authorities are still on scene of a motorcycle accident on Angeles Crest Highway past Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road, Sunday morning.
The crash was first reported to authorities before 11 a.m. near mile marker 42, well above the community of Sierra Madre.
The motorcycle was reportedly 50 feet over the side of the road, said Monica Posada of the California Highway Patrol. It is unknown if the motorcyclist was helped to the road by responding emergency personnel, passersby or under the riders own power.
According to scanner reports, Air Rescue 5 from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department called off emergency ground units and tended to the victim. It was unknown where the victim was flown to, or if there were more than one person injured.
This story will continue to be updated as information becomes available.
Air 5 has made two trips over our house today, the second just five minutes ago. (We're between Huntington Hospital and Eaton Canyon.) I'm guessing the first was for this accident. I wonder what the second one was for. We'll probably hear soon.
People race and die on streets/roads/highways all the time in cars and on motorcycles. How about we close them all and ride bicycles and take public transportation? Then, when bicycles collide ~ or buses and trains, you'll have something else to talk about.
If you want statistics from CHP go here: http://iswitrs.chp.ca.gov/Reports/jsp/userLogin.jsp
If it is an argument of resources, the money saved on the rescue services could be put toward patrols and then hike up the price of a moving violation on the crest to also help pay. I am a cyclist and refuse to ride up ACH...too much risk...not enough return.
Friends were out riding on a lovely day in Arizona. Car came around a corner, hit 2 out of 4 of them. 1 died, 1 lost a leg. I stopped riding because the leg thing scared me and all I could see were car bumpers at knee height. Sorry to hear about your leg, Daniel. Stay strong, dude.
With regards to all the negative comments about motorbikes, some observations are true, but many are just biased generalizations. Not ALL motorcyclists are inherently bad and unsafe. A safe vehicle operator- whether be it on 2 wheels or 4- is all the same. And, that is for that individual to follow the speed limit, concentrate on driving/ riding, and operate the vehicle within one's abilities while observing/ adhering to safety conditions of the road. There are easily just as many speeding sports cars and trucks up in ACH that are driving very aggressively and often crossing the double yellow lines! In addition, for every motorcycle or speeding passenger car, there are 3 times as many cars or suv's constantly driving 15MPH -BELOW- the posted speed limit, braking at every minor curve, -completely oblivious- to other traffic on the road, talking/ giggling with passengers in their cars, and refusing to use turn outs... Are these motorists making the road any safer either? I think not either...
I was just in ACH this past weekend, and on Saturday I witnessed a white Mercedes driving extremely aggressively going up ACH. I wish I had gotten the license plate, but he was driving much too fast for me to take it down... The white Mercedes got very impatient following a very slow car in front of him- ie one of those oblivious/ slow drivers that was driving way below the speed limit and completely oblivious to the fact that 3 or 4 cars were piling up behind and not using a turn out. Finally, the Mercedes got fed up and pulled across the double yellow in a blind rage AT A BLIND CORNER, and he nearly hit a motorcycle going down ACH head on. This is the type of driver that CHP and Forest Services needs to go after. I think it's ok for a car to pass another one on a straight-away when it's visible and clear in both directions, but ABSOLUTELY NEVER on or at a blind corner. He could have easily killed someone without even knowing it. This is also why "slow cars" are hazardous- because they indirectly cause and bring out this type of behavior and aggravation among other drivers that get stuck behind them.
The Air Resources Board estimates there are 600,000 motorcycles in active use in California, which account for less than 1% of vehicle miles traveled in the state. Those 600,000 motorcycles, however, account for 13% of the state's hydrocarbon emissions from passenger vehicle." More specifically, level of emissions spewing from on-road motorcycles and scooters. In California, such bikes make up 3.6% of registered vehicles and 1% of vehicle miles traveled, yet they account for 10% of passenger vehicles' smog-forming emissions in the state. In fact, the average motorbike is about 10 times more polluting per mile than a passenger car, light truck or SUV, according to a California Air Resources Board comparison of emissions-compliant vehicles.