One Killed in Motorcycle Crash with Transit Bus at Mill and County in New Bedford, MA
New Bedford, MA -- July 15, 2021, one person was killed in an accident involving a motorcycle and a transit bus at Mill and County streets in New Bedford.
Authorities say the incident occurred Thursday morning near Mill and County. Few initial details are available about the incident but preliminary reports indicate it involved a Southeastern Regional Transit Authority bus and a motorcycle.
Investigators confirm one person was killed in the collision.
The crash remains under investigation. No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Fatal Motorcycle/Bus Accident at Mill and County in New Bedford
There isn't much to go on here as authorities continue to investigate what exactly led to and happened in the collision. I wouldn't want to reach any conclusions without more information. Unfortunately, some folks out there may not be so prudent. One thing that always concerns me is how thorough investigations really are after a fatal motorcycle wreck; put simply, there's a common bias against motorcyclists that can lead to faulty reporting.
Many people tend to think of motorcyclists as reckless even though most riders are highly safety-conscious--often more so than car and truck drivers since they are without the benefit of airbags or seatbelts. Beyond that, riders must generally use extreme caution because many other drivers fail to keep a proper lookout for them. Despite this, people tend to look at reports like this and immediately focus on the possibility that the motorcyclist was speeding or reckless, rather than the possibility that the bus driver failed to yield. Is it possible that speeding could lead to a crash like this? Of course, but it cannot be taken for granted and doing so helps no one.
Unfortunately, I've even seen cases where the authorities let that negative bias affect their investigations. Only after more thorough independent efforts did the truth come to light. Is that going to prove necessary here as well? At the very least, leaving a devastating crash like this up to chance likely isn't the best idea when the victim's family deserves answers.
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