Oil Slick Leads to Motorcycle Accident in St. George, Utah

A motorcyclist recently hit an oil slick on the Interstate 15 near St. George, Utah, causing the rider and his bike to slide sideways down the freeway. The motorcycle accident was caused by a truck in front of the rider that had inadvertently spilled some oil onto the road. The rider was sent to the hospital with serious injuries.

The Utah Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Lawrence Hopper reported that the motorcyclist “hit that oil slick, and the motorcycle and rider went down.” The oil was dripping from a black pickup truck that was driving ahead of the motorcyclist. The driver of the truck was questioned at the scene of the accident, but the motorcycle accident is still under investigation.

 The motorcyclist was sent to the Emergency Room of the hospital in St. George. There is no word yet if the rider will need a lawyer to represent him, because the officers still need to determine who is at fault. If the truck’s oil leak can count as negligence, the rider may need to find a good lawyer.

Oil slicks such as the one this rider skidded on are more common than one would think. Given the lightness of motorcycles, it is easy for them to skid out of control on slick road conditions. These oil spills are often difficult to see or prepare for, especially when the road conditions otherwise appear to be good. A rider needs to be very aware to avoid a motorcycle accident involving an oil slick.

There have been some motorcyclists that have come across oil spills that were intentionally put there by someone. These types of aggressive actions need to be handled by a lawyer, due to the graveness of the individual’s actions. If a person tries to cause a motorcycle accident by spilling oil that is just cause to get a lawyer involved.

It does not appear that the accident in St. George was caused intentionally, because oil spills from trucks can be quite common. The rider may have not have been paying close attention to the road — and because the accident occurred at night, the rider’s visibility may have been compromised. Motorcyclists riding in St. George during the spring and summer months may assume that the roads are clear because there is no rain or ice on the roads. However, there can be many other hazards that can cause accidents. 

Motorcyclists need to ride aware at all times due to a motorcycle’s inherent danger, especially at high speeds.

Lura Briggs is a legal writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry. Follow on Twitter.