California Motorcyclist Rammed And Dragged Down Road For Legally Lane Splitting
Opinions vary from one state to another on whether motorcycles should be allowed to split between lanes. You don't have to like it, but the fact remains that it is legal in California. It's also true that you're not allowed to ram a rider and drag them down the road, whether or not splitting or filtering is legal in your state. A driver faces attempted murder charges after such an incident was caught on video, reports ABC7.
The rider, whose name was withheld, first had a minor argument with the driver of a black Nissan Altima, who he claims cut him off while he was filtering to the front at a red light. This incident occurred in Riverside, California, where lane splitting is legal. The driver rolled down his window, and the two exchanged some words.
"Well, you're behind me, I'm first," said the driver. "That's not how it works. If you're that upset about that, go seek therapy," replied the rider before returning to his bike. He admitted to ABC7 that he was mad, but neither of them raised their voices or seemed particularly angry. This was relatively calm compared to some stories we've heard.
At the next intersection, the rider again split lanes to the front at a red light. The video shows the Nissan driver also split between lanes (and between two cars), crashed into the rider, and dragged him on the ground under the front of his car across the intersection before backing up and driving away.
Police identified the suspect as Gary Delandro, who later turned himself in to police. He was charged with attempted murder and held on $1 million bail. The rider, who was wearing good motorcycle gear, still suffered nasty road rash to his backside and right leg, where he needed staples below his knee. It's bad, but could have been much worse had the rider not been able to hang onto the front bumper and gotten run over instead.
A California front license plate is clearly visible on the Nissan Altima in the video, which also doesn't help the Altima's reputation of having some of the worst drivers. While we can't confirm whether or not Delandro holds a California driver's license, he should be aware that lane splitting is not only a common practice in the state, but it's also legal. From what I've observed while riding in California myself, most drivers expect you to split, sometimes moving to the far edge of their lane to give you more space, and are only surprised if you don't do it. While running someone down for lane splitting isn't legal anywhere, it stands out even more in California, where the culture and the law embrace it.
