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Motorcycle crash victim shares powerful safety message

Motorcycle crashes start to tick up this time of year, and one crash victim is sharing a powerful message about safety as he continues to battle the aftermath of the event.

MERIDIAN -- Warmer weather always brings more people to Idaho's roads, especially motorcyclists.

Motorcycle crashes start to tick up this time of year, and one crash victim is sharing a powerful message about safety as he continues to battle the aftermath of the event.

Dawson Lewis says it happened in broad daylight on July 22, 2016, on Overland Road near Walmart and Roaring Springs in Meridian. He says he was heading east on his motorcycle on Overland when a woman failed to yield on a flashing yellow left turn and hit him as he was entering the intersection, changing his life forever.

He was on his way to meet his family for brunch before moving out of the country.

"It can happen in the blink of an eye," Lewis said. "I was just heading down here, headed to Joe Mamas on Overland and Eagle and she just turned in front of me."

He says there was a large commercial truck in the lane next to him that was likely blocking him from the driver's view, but she shot out in front of him.

Almost two years later, Lewis struggles with physical and mental scars from the accident. Brain trauma left him without memory of the wreck, but a witness helped him piece it together.

"He said I hit my face on her windshield and my handlebar went into my gut and I went over end-over-end and I guess he said I went as high as the intersection lights," Lewis said,

Lewis landed on the asphalt with broken arms and a destroyed colon. He also fractured his skull because his helmet wasn't strapped on all the way and flew off as he was flipping through the air. It protected him when he hit the car's windshield.

"Thankful for that helmet, for sure, would not have survived without that," he added. "I'm just thankful and blessed, blessed to be alive. And just would like to shed a little perspective for other people that are riding around on a really hot day without their helmet on, and how it's not you. I prided myself on how defensive I was as a motorcyclist; granted, I got in the accident."

Lewis says he didn't wear his helmet all the time because he appreciated the freeing feeling and wind in his hair, but he's now sending a strong message to other motorcyclists: The benefits of wearing a helmet far outweigh not wearing one.

"It's just not worth it," Lewis told KTVB. "It's just smart to wear a helmet because someone else can end your life [like that]."

It can be tough to see motorcyclists and officers say we need to intentionally look out for them. The majority of the year we are not traveling with motorcycles on the road so we're not typically used to seeing them except in warmer months.

"Not knowing that a motorcycle could come up quickly on the side or behind you or cross in front of you is typically what we see out there as being dangerous," Idaho State Police Master Corporal Jeff Jayne said. "We have to purposefully look for them, not for a large object such as an automobile. So once we re-train ourselves in how we think at intersections and on the roadways, in particular, then we can be safer in seeing those smaller moving vehicles approaching."

But, Idaho State Police says most crashes are the rider's fault.

"The nature of the beast is motorcycle riders are risk-takers so when that raises to a level of thrill-seeking such as excessive speeds, unsafe passing, following too close, unsafe lane changes, then we create problems for ourselves. We have to operate within our ability and within the law. When that happens then the chances of a collision significantly reduce," Trooper Jayne said.

He says motorcyclists need to slow down, stay within their lanes, pass and change lanes safely and not follow too closely.

"And then also as the motorcyclist we have to drive defensively. We have to expect that the other motorists are not going to see us," he added.

Though it might be freeing and it's not required by law, Jayne says: wear a helmet.

"When you are on a 700-pound to 800-pound moving vehicle with nothing around you moving at a high rate of speed you'd think you'd want as much protective gear as possible."

"Even with my helmet on I still suffer with issues from the accident. But dying? Dying over not wearing your helmet? No," Lewis added.

Memorial Day is the start of what's called the "100 Deadliest Days of Summer." Every year motorcycle wrecks contribute to those devastating statistics.

According to data from the Idaho Transportation Department, between 2012 and 2016, there were 122 fatal motorcycle crashes with 124 people killed, accounting for 13 percent of all fatal crashes. Fifty-seven percent of those killed were not wearing helmets. Data shows there were 743 serious injury motorcycle crashes, accounting for 14 percent of all serious injury crashes. Forty-six percent of people seriously hurt were not wearing helmets. Read more reports from ITD here.

Credit: Boydston, Morgan

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