Stunt motorcycle riding on Stevenson Expressway leads to fiery crash; driver who got caught behind it said she felt she was in danger
By Charlie De Mar
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CHICAGO, IL (WBBM) — In a scary scene on a crowded Chicago expressway this past weekend, a motorcycle crash ended in a blaze of flames.
What happened was brazen, risky, and illegal – to select three relevant adjectives. And CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar spoke Monday with a woman who got trapped in the middle of the mess.
The motorcyclists didn’t perform their stunts on closed roads or a professional course Saturday afternoon – they did it right on the Stevenson Expressway.
Video shows one rider popping a wheelie and touching his feet together in midair. Moments later, he loses control while trying to touch the ground.
Another rider violently flips over the crashed bike, causing a fiery pileup. Other riders stopped to help and are even seen patting the fire out on one of the injured drivers
Rebecca James was driving right behind the crash.
“It was a swarm, to say the least,” James said. “There was a fireball – just a complete fireball.”
James said she was surrounded by hundreds of motorcyclists and ATVs who started banging on her window after the wreck — and with seemingly nowhere to go because of the crash, she started recording on her cellphone.
“My life was in danger – there’s no doubt about it,” James said. “There was a sense of like: ‘What are you doing in our space. Get off.’”
The riders involved in the crash identified themselves in a social media post. They are both OK, sand said they accept the risk that goes along with stunt rides. They also said they don’t blame anyone.
The motorcycle meetup attracted hundreds — some from out of state. They rode throughout the city all weekend, and a YouTube video shows those dangerous stunts up close.
Other video posted online from the Loop shows hundreds of motorcycles passing through — even using the sidewalk to get around.
“How many people’s lives are being put into danger?” James said. “It’s profoundly selfish – that’s the thing that is frustrating.”
Illinois State Police said they were called for that fiery crash, but by the time troopers arrived, the bikers were gone. State police said in a statement they know how frustrating reckless driving can be – adding that they take it very seriously and that it is one of the most cited complaints.
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