We typically read about motorcycle accidents happening as the result of a driver’s inattention or reckless driving. Rarely would we see a motorcycle accident prefaced with a public service announcement regarding safe firearm use. However, it may be appropriate in the case of a motorcycle accident coming out of Schriever.
Target practice using guns can be a safe and harmless sport when it’s practiced responsibly. Still, firearms are deadly weapons, and a small error in judgment could have lethal results. What happens when a bullet misses its target in an outdoor environment? Some guns can fire bullets with a range of up to a couple of miles, so it is difficult to control exactly where a bullet may land.
Children playing, people hiking, cyclists and bikers are particularly vulnerable to stray bullets. In Schriever, about 70 miles south of Baton Rouge, it seems that some shooting enthusiasts take advantage of the rural nature of this part of Louisiana to enjoy outdoor target practice. In an unusual motorcycle accident recently, an 18-year-old man was riding his off-road bike in a field when a bullet hit him in the head, lodging in his skull.
The shooting was reported to Terrebonne Parish’s emergency call center, and law enforcement officers and an ambulance attended the scene. The teen was admitted to the hospital for surgery to take the bullet out of his head, and he was discharged later that night. Happily, it seems he will make a full recovery. The young man was very fortunate that the bullet didn’t cause him to have a more serious, or even fatal, dirt bike accident.
Law enforcement officers interviewed people in the vicinity, and potential witnesses are urged to come forward to provide more information about the incident. Currently, the sheriff reports that the incident was possibly accidental, as the motorcyclist was probably not deliberately targeted by the shooter.
Nonetheless, if their investigations or information from the public helps to identify the person responsible, he or she may be charged with criminal negligence or a similar crime. If you have found yourself injured at the hands of another while on your motorcycle, you may want to obtain legal counsel about claiming compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering or time off work.
Source: Fox 8, “Dirt bike rider shot in the head in Terrebonne Parish,” March 19, 2014
