Lane-Splitting Motorcycle Downed On I-215, Murrieta Hot Springs: CHP

MURRIETA, CA — All lanes of the I-215 southbound were reopened north of Murrieta Hot Springs Wednesday morning after a lane-splitting motorcycle crash, according to California Highway Patrol officers.

The rider was taken to a nearby hospital for injuries sustained in that crash, and traffic was at a standstill for about an hour, according to CHP Officer Mike Lassig.

At 8:20 a.m., a motorcycle was splitting lanes when it struck a BMW just north of the Murrieta Hot Springs exit.

The Menifee motorcyclist was riding a 2024 Yamaha RX street bike, heading southbound at approximately 75 miles per hour, splitting lanes at about 70 to 75 miles per hour while traffic was flowing at about 40 mph, according to CHP officer Mike Lassig.

The driver of a BMW 330i, driven by a 40-year-old Murrieta woman, was in the #2 lane, changing lanes into the #1 lane, when the motorcyclist chose to split lanes.

"Due to the motorcyclist's unsafe speed at the time of the crash, he was unable to avoid the BMW," Lassig said. The force of the crash flung the rider from the bike into a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado pickup in the #2 lane, driven by a 40-year-old woman from Moreno Valley.

Both rider and motorcycle were downed.

Murrieta Fire & Rescue was called to the scene, and medics took the motorcyclist to Inland Valley Hospital with minor to moderate injuries. According to Lassig, the vehicle drivers were not injured in the crash. "Everyone, including the motorcyclist,was wearing their proper safety equipment."

Both the #1 and #2 lanes were closed for about an hour to see to the victims and remove the disabled motorcycle from the roadway.

Officer Lassig offered a safety message for highway drivers and motorcyclists who choose to lane-split traffic.

"All drivers should use the three-second rule when following other traffic, regardless of speed, and motorcyclists are advised to drive no faster than the flow of traffic, or five to ten miles per hour ahead of traffic if they choose to split lanes," Lassig told Patch. "We encourage motorcyclists to drive at a safe speed preventing such collisions.

"Vehicle drivers are encouraged to look twice for motorcyclists and use turn signals before lane changing."