Bike rider lucky to survive Cairns region police crash
A MOTORCYCLE rider who collided with a police car was likely to have been doing well over the speed limit when the crash on the Captain Cook Highway happened on Saturday morning, police allege.
The Mareeba man, 44, was in a stable condition in hospital with leg and pelvis injuries.
However, Far Northern traffic co-ordinator Inspector Jim Plowman said he was unlikely to fully recover from injuries sustained in the accident, which saw him thrown from the bike and down a 4m ravine.
He said the police car had executed a three-point turn after detecting another bike rider speeding when the man collided with the left corner of the car after failing to pull up in time.
It is alleged a third bike, also travelling behind, had been able to pull up after spotting the police car.
Insp Plowman lambasted speeding motorcyclists and said the crash would not have happened had the bike been travelling at the 80km/h speed limit.
"We had one of our police motorcycles, that afternoon, we basically did a re-enactment of it, put a video on it and went through at various speeds and demonstrated that if anyone was going at the speed limit there was more than enough time and distance to pull up well short of where the accident site was," he said.
"What I'd say to these motorcyclists, they're high powered, the roads aren't a place to be used as a race track.
"It's lucky this bloke wasn't killed."
Police are calling for the driver of the first bike, who was pulled over for speeding, to come forward and assist police with crash inquiries.
Insp Plowman said the rider stopped when originally directed to, but eventually left the scene without speaking to the officers.
"He's actually got off his motorbike, taken off his helmet, walked to the car so we've got clear footage of him," he said.
"The point of the exercise isn't to embarrass him, but we'd like him to come forward to help us with our inquiries specific to the accident."
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au.
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Witnesses sought: Inspector Jim Plowman with the police car involved in Saturday's crash.
Lucky to survive: The motorbike that hit the police car.
