A 20-year-old motorcyclist is in critical condition this morning at Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center in Topeka with injuries he received in an accident that allegedly occurred as he fled Emporia police officers.
Ryan D. Gleue, 20, of Emporia, was eastbound on West Eighth Avenue about 1:39 a.m. and attempting to turn onto Woodland Street when he struck the side of a parked 1996 Ford pickup truck. He was not wearing a helmet.
Basic information on the incident came from the Kansas Highway Patrol, which is in charge of the accident investigation.
Emporia Deputy Police Chief Michael F. Williams issued a press release about 10:30 a.m. today on the incident.
Williams said that a call came in to the police department at about 1:35 a.m., advising that a man riding a motorcycle and believed to be intoxicated had been seen on Graham Street and heading east on 12th Avenue.
At 1:36 a.m., Officer Ray Mattas, driving west on 12th Avenue, saw a motorcyclist that fit the description provided to police; Mattas attempted to contact the driver.
“The driver of the motorcycle turned south on Prairie Street and accelerated at a high rate of speed in the northbound lane of traffic,” Williams said in the release.
Mattas followed the motorcyclist south on Prairie Street, and activated lights and siren in an attempt to stop him.
“The motorcycle accelerated away from Officer Mattas at a high speed,” Williams said. “(T)he driver attempted to turn east on Eighth Avenue and partially missed the intersection while sliding sideways.”
The motorcyclist recovered from the slide and drove east on Eighth Avenue. He was traveling at a high rate of speed and approximately 1 1/2 blocks in front of the officer, the deputy chief said.
“Officer Mattas then saw the brake light on the motorcycle come on and then saw debris flying in the air and could no longer see the motorcycle,” Williams said.
When Mattas reached the accident scene, he found both the motorcycle and the rider pinned under the pickup truck. Mattas called for emergency medical and rescue personnel, who extricated Gleue and took him to Newman Hospital before he was flown to Stormont-Vail.
Both the truck and Gleue’s 2008 Honda motorcycle were removed from the scene by Williams Automotive. The truck’s owner was not identified in the KHP report.
emporialifer (anonymous) says...
Wow. I realize that if people are intoxicated they are less likely to be thinking clearly, but a DUI charge vs. the possibility of killing yourself, someone else, hurting yourself so that you are handicapped for the rest of your life, eluding police, speeding, etc. Is it really worth it? I don't understand the logic these days. I hope this young person recovers and may it be a lesson to others.
September 26, 2008 at 1:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )