A pair of serious motorcycle accidents Saturday has Albert Lea police cautioning riders to drive at safe speeds and warning residents of a dangerous intersection east of town.

Tuesday, August 14, 2001

A pair of serious motorcycle accidents Saturday has Albert Lea police cautioning riders to drive at safe speeds and warning residents of a dangerous intersection east of town.

An Austin man was seriously injured in a collision at County Road 46 and Happy Trails Lane near the Trail’s Travel Center. An hour later, another man was thrown 70 feet from his motorcycle after a crash on a residential street.

The intersection near Trail’s has caused problems in the past, said Assistant Police Chief Dwaine Winkels.

The speed limit on 46 is 55 miles per hour, increasing the chance of accidents when vehicles from the truck stop turn onto the road, Winkels said.

&uot;We need to look at that,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s a safety issue we have out there. Reducing the speed limit would be a good step.&uot;

Shortly before noon Saturday, Eugene White, 62, of Austin and his wife, Diane, were riding a motorcycle eastbound on 46. Stephanie Haro, 33, of The Woodlands, Texas, was trying to turn left from Happy Trails Lane onto 46. She told police her view of oncoming traffic was blocked by a car turning from eastbound 46 into the truck stop.

She pulled into traffic and the motorcycle struck her car at full speed, Winkels said.

The Whites were flown to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, where Eugene White is in critical condition with multiple injuries. Diane White is in good condition with a right-leg injury, a hospital representative said.

&uot;Accidents we have out there end up being injury accidents because of the speed,&uot; Winkels said. &uot;They are high-impact crashes.&uot;

Often, drivers’ view of traffic on 46 is blocked by semi trucks turning into the truck stop, causing accidents, Winkels said.

Moments after the first accident, while police were directing traffic, another car collided with a semi truck. The car attempted to pass the truck on the right while both were turning from eastbound 46 onto Happy Trails Lane, and the truck clipped the end of the car as it turned, according to police reports.

Around 1 p.m., a second motorcycle driver was injured. The accident happened at the intersection of Grand and Troy streets.

James Erickson, 27, of Albert Lea, was riding a motorcycle south on Grand when he collided with a car, driven by Steven McKinney of Albert Lea and headed west on Troy. A witness told police Erickson was driving &uot;way too fast&uot; when the accident happened, according to a police report.

On impact, Erickson was thrown about 70 feet onto a lawn and the motorcycle flew in another direction, police said. Erickson was taken to Albert Lea Medical Center, where he was in good condition Monday afternoon.

Winkels said all the riders involved in the accidents were wearing helmets, and that the headgear was badly smashed in the crashes.

&uot;They would have had severe head trauma had they not worn their helmets,&uot; Winkels said.