KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Motorcyclist collides with cement truck enroute to construction project.
Update: 2:23 pm, Tuesday
Newhall resident David Glenn Garrett, 25, died Monday morning near Golden Valley High School after his motorcycle collided with a cement truck at approximately 9:25 a.m.
According to Sgt. Ronald Schaffer, the motorcyclist was westbound on Golden Valley Road. A truck from National Redi-Mix cement was making a left turn from eastbound Golden Valley on to Robert C. Lee Parkway. Schaffer said the rider was unable to stop his bike and hit the cement truck. Garrett died at the scene. The driver of the cement truck was not injured, but was taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital as a precaution.
Traffic investigator Deputy Jeff Maag saig that Garrett's speed was definitely a factor in the accident.
“With all the vehicles on the road, motorcyclists make up such a small percentage, but yet over the last year, a substantial amount of our fatalities have been motorcyclists,” said Captain Anthony LaBerge, commander of the Santa Clarita Valley station, who responded to the accident scene.
LaBerge said that this accident, as well as the Jan. 28 incident where rider Kyle Seaholm died on Camp Plenty Road, has prompted him to revise a public safety presentation planned for next week’s City Council meeting. Initially planned to cover bicycle safety in concert with the Amgen Tour of California, LaBerge said that motorcycle safety will now be stressed by traffic deputies.
Golden Valley Road was closed between Sierra Highway and Centre Pointe Parkway for several hours so deputies could complete their investigation. The coroner was delayed in responding to the scene because of traffic backups on the Golden State Freeway.
Golden Valley High School was placed on a “closed campus” status (as opposed to a lock-down) to limit foot and vehicular traffic in the area. This closure extended into the lunch hour, but the road was reopened by the end of the school day. No students were involved in the accident.
