lane splitting gone awry

[dj bill]

Newsletters | Share Man accused of trying to ram motorcyclist

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10:57 PM PDT on Friday, May 6, 2011

By RICHARD BROOKS

The Press-Enterprise

A 56-year-old Beaumont man was behind bars Friday in connection with what California Highway Patrol officers say was an attempt to ram a motorcyclist along I-215 near Highgrove.

James Winans Clarkson Jr. was arrested at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at University Avenue and Redwood Street in Riverside and booked for investigation of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a gun, and possessing a gun while committing a felony, jail records show.

The freeway incident happened about 1:30 p.m. April 26 near Center Street in Highgrove.

The 22-year-old motorcyclist from San Bernardino escaped injury, CHP Officer Sylvia Lopez said in a written statement.

"Witnesses stated that the motorcyclist was safely splitting traffic and (was) actually thanking motorists that shared the lane," according to the statement.

"As the motorcyclist passed a 1998 Toyota pickup truck, the driver ... suddenly swerved towards the motorcyclist in a deliberate manner. For several miles, the driver ... made numerous attempts to strike and ram the rider."

The rider tried to race away, but both men eventually pulled over and stopped.

At that point, the statement says, the Toyota's driver displayed a revolver.

Before arresting Clarkson, officers served a search warrant and seized a gun and other unspecified evidence that they say links Clarkson to the incident.

Clarkson is being held on $1 million bail.

Reach Richard Brooks at 951-368-9463 or [email protected].

 

[Low Level FJR Pilot]

I think I know that guy, I've run into him before many times while lane sharing. Glad it turned out okay for the rider.

 

[kolonial72]

Apparently the driver figured, "Ya know, MC riders just dont' have enough to worry about. This ought to help." I hope they throw the book at him...while he is faling off a 17-story building...into a pit filled with alligators and razor blades...on fire. But other than that, I wish him well.

 

[SkooterG]

*******. Glad he got caught.

 

[James Burleigh]

Curious story. I think I upset a driver the other day, but he was trapped among the gridlocked traffic like a fly in amber, so he couldn't run me down if he'd wanted to (and that's the curious part of the above story): As I threaded up between cars on the freeway, some guy ahead in the right lane had his left arm sticking all the way out his window, resting on the window, holding a cigarette. I gave him a teensy weensy touch of my Blaster horns, and that arm shot back into the car as if he'd gotten an electric shock. Well, dude, this IS California. Get a clue, man. It did give me a chuckle I confess.

 

[ahchiu]

I hope he ends up in jail with a bunch of bikers..

 

[Crash Cash]

As I threaded up between cars on the freeway, some guy ahead in the right lane had his left arm sticking all the way out his window, resting on the window, holding a cigarette.

When I was a student at UCF, I was heading to class and I recognized one of my roommates' car in the left lane. His GF was chilling out with her foot sticking out the window. I was on my silent-but-deadly CB450SC and reached out and grabbed her foot as I went by. He said he was laughing so hard he could barely see to drive.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Jail is too good for this *****. Hopefully he's behind bars for many years and that's going easy on him.

Great post Bill, keep us informed of the mass idiots.