Hollister
– A motorcycle crash took a woman’s life and severed a leg of
the man driving the bike late Sunday morning on Highway 152, the
California Highway Patrol reported.
Hollister – A motorcycle crash took a woman’s life and severed a leg of the man driving the bike late Sunday morning on Highway 152, the California Highway Patrol reported.
Louie Lopez, 38, and Cathy Lopez, 44, both of Hanford, Calif., crashed at 11:44am Sunday just west of the Cedar Creek Bridge on Highway 152, the CHP reported.
Louie Lopez was eastbound on a 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle with two other motorcycles in the same lane when he tried to pass a slower vehicle, officers said.
The motorcycle crossed onto the dirt center divide and crashed into the center guardrail, the CHP reported. The couple were ejected from the motorcycle, according to officers.
There has been a fatality every year on rally weekend since 1997, according to the CHP. In 2006, when Hollister didn’t host an official rally, there were no fatalities, CHP officer Chris Gallegos said.
“You bring that volume of people in the area and there’s the potential,” Gallegos said. “It’s unfortunate that it happened.”
Louie Lopez was flown by helicopter to a Bay Area hospital, but there was no available update on his condition as of press time Monday, CHP Hollister-Gilroy area office Capt. Brent Newman said.
“I thought for a second Sunday morning that we would be able to get through the weekend without a fatal,” Newman said.
There were seven vehicle crashes in San Benito County during the 2007 rally weekend.
The CHP reported a major injury motorcycle crash at 2:45pm Saturday near Shore Road and Highway 25 but could not provide details Monday.
Sunday’s crash is still under investigation, the CHP said. Drugs and alcohol are not suspected in the crash, according to the CHP.
