Motorcyclist Seriously Hurt in "Horrendous Crash" at Cerritos-Lakewood Border

Updated at 11 a.m. Wednesday: The victim, a 29-year-old Lakewood resident, is said to be in stable condition after undergoing surgery late Tuesday night.

A motorcyclist suffered serious injuries Tuesday night when he collided with an SUV at the intersection of Norwalk and Del Amo boulevards along the Cerritos-Lakewood border, leaving the busy intersection shut down for more than an hour.

A Cerritos resident was driving a full-sized SUV eastbound on Del Amo Boulevard and made a left turn at the green light, heading north on Norwalk Boulevard, according to Traffic Detective Tim Britt of the Cerritos Sheriff's Station.

"At that same point in time, a motorcyclist was traveling westbound on Del Amo Boulevard ... the SUV turned into his path and a collision occurred," Britt said. Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel were summoned to the scene at 7:48 p.m. and the intersection was immediately closed off to accommodate the investigation. 

The injured man, a 29-old from Lakewood, was transported to Long Beach Memorial Hospital with serious injuries and underwent, Britt said.

The victim, who was wearing a helmet during the "horrendous crash," was listed in stable condition as of Wednesday morning, he added. 

The detective said the man in the SUV was not hurt, "It was simply a case of not seeing the motorcycle coming at him. No alcohol or drugs were involved in this case."

"Be Alert and Aware of Oncoming Traffic," Detective Says

Britt said the accident serves as a reminder of how important it is for motorists to be alert and aware of oncoming traffic -- especially when it comes to those on motorcycles and bicycles.

"There are lots of 2-wheel vehicles rolling around the streets in this area, and I see bicyclists riding at night without lights on all the time, making it so much more difficult to see them on the streets," he said. "Motorcycles are a lot more difficult to recognize on the street than cars, so the main thing is that motorists really need to concentrate when they're driving."

"Driving is not something you should take lightly," Britt emphasized, pointing out that motorists sometimes tend to pay less attention when driving in familiar areas.

"When driving in areas where you live, people tend to do it robotically and don't pay close attention to things they should," he said. "Driving is not a divided-attention activity -- all your attention needs to be put into driving."

Britt said that in Tuesday's accident, there was nothing to indicate that the SUV driver was distracted or using a cellphone, it appeared that he simply did not see the motorcycle approaching. 

DID YOU HAPPEN TO BE NEAR THE SITE OF THE ACCIDENT TUESDAY NIGHT? WHAT DID YOU HEAR OR SEE? WHAT DO YOU THINK NEEDS TO BE DONE TO CURTAIL COLLISIONS AT THIS INTERSECTION?