Unlicensed Lawrence motorcyclist dies after crash with SUV

Related Photos

An overturned motorcycle lies in the westbound lane of Marston Street following a crash involving a sports utility vehicle. The rider, who police said did not have a motorcycle license, died at a Boston hospital from serious injuries. Mark Vogler

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. To join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address. Once you do, your comments will post automatically. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.

comments powered by Disqus

August 19, 2010

By Mark E. Vogler mvogler@eagletribune.com The Eagle Tribune Thu Aug 19, 2010, 01:50 AM EDT

LAWRENCE — A Lawrence man who police said wasn't licensed to drive a motorcycle died from injuries last night after crashing a friend's Yamaha into a sports utility vehicle.

Johnny Guillermo, 25, of 205 Crawford St., was pronounced dead shortly after 10 p.m.— about two hours after the accident on Marston Street, Lawrence Police Chief John Romero said.

"The preliminary investigation determined that he was westbound on Marston Street when he lost control of the motorcycle, went airborne and into the eastbound side of traffic, hitting the SUV," Romero said.

"When we to talked to the motorcycle's owner, he told us that he loaned the bike to a friend. It turned out the friend had a driver's license, but not for a motorcycle," Romero said.

Guillermo was flown by medical helicopter to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston just as a state police accident reconstruction team was called to the scene in the westbound lane of Marston Street at the bottom of Storrow Street. The unit is routinely called to investigate fatal accidents in the city and crashes where life-threatening injuries are involved.

An ambulance transported Guillermo to Lawrence General Hospital, where he transferred to a medical flight.

No information was available on the occupants of the sports utility vehicle, who appeared to be uninjured. They sat on a jersey barrier a short distance from where the SUV was parked. The Yamaha's headlight remained lit as the machine lay in the street.

Romero said the motorcycle was registered to a man on Oakland Street, but would not identify the owner.

"It's an ongoing investigation right now," Romero said.

"We know the victim wasn't licensed to drive a motorcyle, but don't know whether he had been on one before or had been experienced to ride one," the chief said.

Dozens of spectators from the nearby Prospect neighborhood came down to the edge of the blocked road, curious to know what happened.

Brenda Rodrigues, 39, of Storrow St., said she and her family were inside their home when they were startled by "a loud bang"

"We actually heard the motorcycle sliding along the street," Rodrigues said.

"When we came out to see what happened, he was under the front bumper of the SUV. His helmet was way down on the other side of the road," she said.

Soon after the crash, police blocked off the westbound lane of Marston Street, at the segment that turns toward the entrance ramp to the bottom part of the double-decker bridge on Interstate 495 South.

• • •

Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com.