Edhat Staff
Update by the California Highway Patrol
May 3, 2023
On May 02, 2023, at approximately 4:45 p.m., a fatal crash occurred on Marina Drive at Alisa Lane.
Party #1 was driving a United States Postal Vehicle and Party #2 was driving a 2013 Yamaha motorcycle. Party #1 made a left turn onto Alisa Lane from Marina Drive and Party #2 collided into the right side of the United States Postal Vehicle. After the initial impact, Party #2 was ejected from the motorcycle and landed within the roadway.
The California Highway Patrol, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, and American Medical Response responded to the crash scene. The driver of the Yamaha motorcycle succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased by medical professionals on scene. The crash is still under investigation by the Santa Barbara Area of the California Highway Patrol. No drugs or alcohol are suspected as a factor in this crash. Traffic lanes were closed for approximately two hours during the investigation.
Anyone with information regarding this crash is requested to contact the California Highway Patrol, Santa Barbara Area, Monday-Friday, between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm., at (805) 967-1234.
By the edhat staff
May 2, 2023
A motorcyclist has died after colliding with a U.S. Postal Service courier vehicle on Monday afternoon.
At 4:51 p.m. Santa Barbara County Firefighters responded to the 4200 block of Marina Drive in Santa Barbara’s Hope Ranch neighborhood for a reported traffic collision.
Upon arrival crews discovered a male riding a motorcycle and mail truck had collided.
The motorcyclist was assessed at the scene by firefighters and pronounced deceased. The driver of the mail truck was not injured.
Marina Drive leads into Cliff Drive by Hendry’s Beach and is a popular route for motorcyclists.
The roadway was closed for a period of time. The incident is under investigation.
Use your blinkers please
Don’t turn left in front of an approaching motorcyclist.
99% of the time it’s the cagers fault. Not saying this was as I don’t know the speed of the motorcyclist but I can tell you this happens every single time I ride. Please people use your blinkers and look and don’t tailgate motorcycles either!
Looking at the picture it’s ready to see that the mail truck turned left in front of the motorcyclist
This is the most common way bikers die
Definitely the mail carriers fault
LETMEGO please stop perpetuating rumors. That was a single comment by one person who did not witness the accident.
LAYT – please have some compassion. Someone died. There’s no way at all you can look at 1 photo and determine “definitely” the fault.
lots of comments on the Noozhawk FB page. Apparently an entire lane of Marina was coned off due to work being done, with no flag men to control traffic.
CHP reports the mail truck turned left causing the motorcycle to collide with it.
How fast was the motorcyclist going?
People regularly drive 2 or 3 times the speed limit along that stretch of road. It’s a drag strip. I am not suggesting the motorcyclist was speeding and that contributed to the accident, but it’s certainly a possibility.
Funny. Yeah “I’m not accusing him of speeding, just suggesting it” is more like it.
“I’m not suggesting it, I’m just suggesting it”
Seeing blinkers will do little good when you are jammed on to twice the speed limit down a straight away.
There’s a uphill in both directions prior to Alisa heading east & just after Alisa heading west. It begins at 4324 Marina for the cyclist & crests at 4295 Marina & flattens out at 4280 Marina. The mail truck driver would be looking uphill & into the sun.
If the cyclist was traveling at high rate of speed it’s possible that the truck driver couldn’t see him until he already crested the hill & the cyclist probably couldn’t see the mail truck until he reached the crest. There’s no more than 200′ of road between them at that point.
Example: if the cyclist was doing 60mph he would cover that distance in roughly 2 sec.
If the truck driver hesitated slightly upon seeing the cyclist & the oncoming lane was occupied so that the cyclist couldn’t swerve around the truck, the collision would have been unavoidable.
Note that I am not placing blame on either of them. That’s for the professionals to determine.