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By JENNIFER LATSON
An accident involving a motorcycle in the southbound lanes of
the James River Bridge Tuesday afternoon stopped traffic for several hours.
(Heather S. Hughes, Daily Press / November 13, 2007)
NEWPORT NEWS — - A Newport News man died after his
motorcycle collided with stopped cars on the James River Bridge Tuesday
afternoon.
Police have not identified the man because his family has
not been notified.
Southbound traffic on the bridge was shut down for
several hours, snarling rush hour traffic on the two-lane bridge.
At
2:30, a van ran out of gas and stopped about two miles onto the
bridge
Another van rear-ended the stopped van, forcing both lanes of
traffic to grind to a halt, according to First Sgt. Keith Whitley of the
Virginia State Police.
Shortly after that accident, a motorcycle driver
sped through the stopped traffic, straddling the center line, Whitley said.
About half a mile north of the first accident, the driver lost control
of the motorcycle, which struck two pickup trucks and a car before bursting
into flames, Whitley said.
The driver, who had flown off the motorcycle
after it tumbled out of control, died at the scene
No one was injured in
the vehicles hit by the motorcycle, and the collision of the two vans caused
only minor injuries, Whitley said.
All lanes on the bridge were
reopened shortly after 7 p.m.
BY MIKE HOLTZCLAW |
State police say the motorcyclist who died in an
accident Tuesday on the James River Bridge was a Minnesota man stationed at
Langley Air Force Base in Hampton.
Michael Starren, a 23-year-old from
Williams, Minn., was an active-dury senior airman at Langley. He died when his
motorcycle collided with cars that were stopped on the bridge around 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday.
Traffic had stopped when a van ran out of gas and a second van
ran into the disabled vehicle from behind, shutting down all southbound traffic
from Newport News to Isle of Wight County. According to the police report,
Starren was attempting to speed through the stopped traffic by riding along the
center line when he lost control of his motorcycle and struck two pickup trucks
and car.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
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