Biker Airlifted After Crash on Idaho Interstate

We don’t know his condition, but an Oregon man was airlifted after a motorcycle crash in Jerome.  It happened Saturday night, a few hours before sunset.  The biker appears to have lost control while westbound on Interstate 84, at mile marker 173, southeast of Jerome.  The Harley-Davidson came to rest in the median.

The 49-year-old wasn’t wearing a helmet.  Air St. Luke’s was needed to take him to the hospital.  The highway was blocked for 90 minutes.

There was a Large Emergency Response

Troopers were assisted by deputies from Jerome County, Jerome Rural Fire, and Magic Valley Paramedics, as well as the chopper crew.

A 2007 Harley-Davidson FXDBI motorcycle, ridden by a 49-year-old male from Gresham, Oregon, was traveling westbound on I84 when he went off the roadway and came to rest in the median.

The crash remains under investigation.

Some Opinions on Wearing Helmets on the Road

Now, beyond the facts, some opinion and a plea.  I realize riding without a helmet increases the sensation of freedom.  Even tooling around town without a helmet increases danger.  On the Interstate at much higher speeds, I cringe at the thought of what can happen.  I’ve lost friends because they didn’t have a helmet.  Some would probably still be with us today.

Then I also have a friend who was hit by another fellow who ran a stoplight.  My friend flatlined twice on the helicopter, but survived.  His helmet cracked, but his head didn’t.  He went on to a solid career in talk radio and politics.