Motorcyclists Hurt after Crash on Pell Bridge

Two Connecticut men who lost control of their motorcycles while riding on the Claiborne Pell Bridge Sunday were hospitalized and one, a 57-year-old Niantic man, remains in serious condition at Rhode Island Hospital.

The second, a 53-year-old Moosup man, was treated for minor injuries at Newport Hospital.

The state police said the two men were riding next to each other on the bridge when they came upon traffic caused by cars backed up onto the bridge from the downtown Newport exit.

The men apparently didn’t expect the traffic, which is typical on the bridge near the exit during the summer months. They attempted to stop but began to skid and lost control.

The crash, which happened at around 1:45 p.m., shut down the bridge for about 20 minutes causing a substantial traffic delay going in and out of Newport and along Route 138.

Photo via Twitter:

Stuck on Newport Bridge, good thing for sun roofs...good view. #newport #ritraffic pic.twitter.com/SFUklsqpuC

— Bryan Ricard (@BryanRicard) August 10, 2014