Motorcyclist suffers major injuries in crash south of Merced

A 43-year-old man on a motorcycle suffered major injuries in a crash south of Merced Monday afternoon, the California Highway Patrol officers reported.

At about 4:12 p.m., a 2009 Yamaha motorcycle was behind a 2006 white Dodge Ram headed north on Highway 59 near Canton Road, Officer Noe Lomeli said. Traffic began to slow, he said, and the driver of the Dodge Ram, Aureliano Barajas-Valencia, 43, braked and swerved to the right.

The motorcyclist didn’t slow down in time, Lomeli said, and crashed into the rear of the Dodge Ram. Alcohol and drugs were not a factor in the crash, he said.

“The car in front of me stopped abruptly,” Barajas-Valencia told the Sun-Star

Baragas-Valencia said he slammed on his brakes and swerved to the right so he wouldn’t hit the car in front of him.

“I think he (the motorcyclist) had the same idea I had,” he said.

The rider suffered major injuries and as taken to a regional hospital for treatment. His name was not immediately available.

This story was originally published September 25, 2017 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Motorcyclist suffers major injuries in crash south of Merced."