Idyllwild local Stacey Grant avoided a head-on collision with a motorcyclist on Sunday, Dec. 6. Grant was driving her 2011 silver Subaru Outback west on Highway 74 around 11:00 a.m. just after the last turnout near the bottom of the Hill on the Hemet side.
Grant noted she had slowed as cars ahead of her pulled into the turnout, and was just speeding up, going about 35 mph, when several motorcycles rounded the horseshoe bend into which she was headed. Grant said California Highway Patrol estimated the bikers were traveling at about 60 mph. Two made the curve and one seemed to be unable to control his bike and correct out of the turn. He crossed the double-yellow line and headed, according to Grant, directly toward her, now in her lane and positioned for a head-on.
Grant said she started to correct into the other lane to avoid the head-on when the 19-year-old motorcyclist clipped the right front side of her car and then the mid-section of the right side.
Grant said her car was hardly drivable after the collision but she managed to get it back into the westbound lane and partially off the road. “My first instinct was to get any part of the car out of the oncoming lane,” she said.
The biker was thrown from his bike into a culvert and required medical transport. Grant also required transport complaining of neck and hip pain.
As of press time, CHP did not have an official report of the incident.
