FOLLOWUP: Motorcycle-crash victim’s family looking for answers

(WSB photo, Saturday night: Police investigating at Spokane/East Marginal)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Ryan Overland‘s family is struggling to make sense of the crash that killed him.

The 39-year-old man who died after a bizarre motorcycle crash Saturday night (WSB coverage here) was so experienced, they say, there must have been some factor beyond rider error. They are hoping witnesses will come forward.

Police tell us only that the investigation is ongoing. The Traffic Collision Investigation Squad spent hours at two scenes related to the crash on Saturday night: Mr. Overland was found on S. Spokane Street north of East Marginal Way. He had fallen from the elevated roadway above – the ramp from Southbound Highway 99 to the westbound West Seattle Bridge. After his fall, his riderless motorcycle continued onto the bridge and finally stopped against the median, on the shoulder of the left lane. WSB commenters described the startling scene.

His family says Mr. Overland died at 1:30 am Sunday, about six hours after the crash. He did not live in West Seattle but was headed to visit a friend who lives on Alki. That’s according to his brother Casey Knox, who tells WSB that Mr. Overland worked as a cancer-research scientist in the private sector: “He loved what he did, always trying to make a difference in the medical field.” The family is raising money for funeral expenses via GoFundMe.

Trying to find answers is even more of a challenge. Says Knox: “We have had little-to-no contact with the police, as they haven’t received too much information about the incident, other than what was present. Trying to find out information seems impossible, but, I think this will help provide closure to many of us that were close to him. We all know how great of a rider he was, very defensive and always aware of his surroundings.” Knox says his brother taught him how to ride, and they both had traveled that same route any times before.

If you have any information that might help the investigation, TCIS detectives are at 206-684-8923; you can refer to the SPD incident number, 2016-328892.

Nichole September 13, 2016 (2:33 pm)

Has the WS bridge ever had a known case of “bridge bounce”?

WSB September 13, 2016 (2:38 pm)

If you mean what happened here … not that I have ever heard of. But this was the ramp – a single-lane structure – not the bridge itself, FWIW.

RS September 13, 2016 (3:08 pm)

I’ve been thinking about this ever since I drove past the scene what must have been only moments after the accident. Today I rode basically the same way that he must have gone, trying to figure out how it happened. As I approached the ramp to the bridge from 99, I made sure to keep my eyes out for any clues. Just before the ramp it occurred to me that I always try to prepare myself for the cars that so often try to take the exit after passing the gore point. Sure enough, a car flew past me as I got closer, cutting off a car that was a few vehicles ahead of me. That got me to wondering… What if this is what happened to Ryan? What if he suddenly found himself having to share the ramp with someone who cut in right next to him, rather than in front of him? A car speeding to get ahead of other cars in the exit lane might not have been able to see that there was a bike in front before it was too late. A rider might have had to try to readjust his line, but may not have succeeded. I could see a bike having to pull to the right to avoid being sideswiped by a car, making contact with the right side barrier, and somehow causing the rider to separate from the bike and the bike continuing without him. Of course this is only a theory. Unless a witness comes forward, we may never know. I just know that I’m deeply sorry for his loss of life, and the loss to his family and friends.

Pops September 13, 2016 (5:01 pm)

I agree with your theory.

At that time of day someone had to have seen what happened. Witnesses please come forward.
Dickm September 13, 2016 (7:35 pm)

Have to agree with RS, I ride 3 different motorcycles all over Seattle. But I do not ride during rush hours. I take the Suburban instead.

watertowerjoey September 13, 2016 (3:24 pm)

RS, I was thinking the EXACT same thing. Every night during the commute between downtown and west seattle I see the same thing. Cars from the middle and left lanes racing to get ahead of busses and other cars – some cutting in RIGHT before the WSB exit. It’s a strange phenomenon on that road. Everyone is traveling very slow on the curvy viaduct only to have it turn into a race track right when that extra lane becomes available. It’s like saving an extra 10 seconds means the workd to some people.

I think you are onto something – but without someone coming clean we may never find out.

Aly September 13, 2016 (4:04 pm)

I drove across the West Seattle Bridge Saturday night and did see his motorcycle laying on the side of the rode with two police cars next to it but I had no idea what had happened. This is very sad. My condolences to his family

Samuella Samaniego September 13, 2016 (4:32 pm)

I have been meaning to read this story for the past day or two. My sincere regards to Ryan Overland’s friends and family for their loss.

As riders we ask a lot of our loved ones to trust us to always be careful, considerate and on constant guard for automobile drivers who may not see us, who might miscalculate time, speed and distances as it relates to us and the bike we are riding. After reading media and especially WSB coverage and comments, I have a strong impression that Ryan was a rider who loved riding and recognized you simply have to be a safe, defensive rider at all times so you can keep enjoying your bike, the wind, and the road in front of you. Again, my heart goes out to Ryan’s community of loved ones. I am so very very, sorry for your loss.

I hope this does not seem insensitive or forward, but can I ask of anyone who knows, what model of bike Ryan rode? I used to ride an 800 Intruder, red body and plenty of chrome. One of the comments made reference to his bike as a red colored Suzuki. I know how my bike handled that ramp and the various circumstances that impacted me as a result of other drivers, sunset glare, mud and sand etc.

I’m with you “RS” and “Watertowerjoey”. Its hard not to think about the details and want to contribute to whatever Ryan’s friends and family wish to know so they can possibly gain some sense of resolution.

Peace everybody.

Pops September 13, 2016 (4:57 pm)

Wouldn’t surprise me if someone cut the gore point and didn’t see the biker, forcing him into a bad situation. Gore point crossing/late exits are illegal and an epidemic in the Seattle area because it’s rarely enforced by WSP. Videos on youtube if you don’t believe me.

Jim September 13, 2016 (6:00 pm)

That exit ramp has a multiple radius curve to it. A result of the ramp being recycled for use with the new high level bridge in the 80’s. Motorcycles have to adjust their line mid corner, if you don’t, you will end up in the marbles on the shoulder half way around the corner. Throw in a expansion joint half way through the curve… I’m surprised this doesn’t happen more. That said, you have an experienced rider here, who has driven this route many times before. So short of a tire going down, or a gas or diesel spill on the corner, it is hard to say what happened. But the reason I say all this… If something happens mid corner, a rider has few options and no time. The last deadly wreck I recall was 20+ years ago when a West Seattle resident was pinched off by a pick-up truck in the left lane on the Northbound 99 viaduct. Him and his bike ended up on the railroad tracks below. And more recently I think we had a sport rider who failed to negotiate the left turn at the South end of our modified viaduct.

Martin Ballew September 13, 2016 (7:16 pm)

I did not see the actual accident itself, but saw the motorcycle after it came onto the West Seattle Bridge as I was driving across.

Below is some footage that I took after Ryan’s motorcycle right after it came driving itself along the ramp barrier and right in front of me onto the West Seattle Bridge. I was in total shock and couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

The riderless bike drove into the left barrier, bounced off, drove into the barrier on the right, repeated this cycle one more time, and that’s when I pulled out my phone and got that last 2 impacts before it fell over.

I didn’t actually learn what happened until hours later. My condolences to Ryan’s family.

I don’t think this will provide any answers, but felt I should post it anyway.

Here is the footage from my Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/martin.ballew/videos/vb.744360033/10157373194430034/?type=2&theater

WSB September 13, 2016 (7:28 pm)

Hi there – Unfortunately Facebook video is not sharable/embeddable anywhere else – if you can, please consider e-mailing it to us, and we can add it to the story. editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you. Or upload it to YouTube, which IS sharable just about anywhere, and send us the link or post it here? Thank you! – Tracy
Pops September 13, 2016 (10:37 pm)

Whoa. I drove by about 30 minutes or so after you. Saw the bike on the shoulder with a police SUV behind it.

A September 13, 2016 (9:47 pm)

I was able to watch it with no problems.

Connie September 13, 2016 (11:15 pm)

Ryan’s bike is a Honda CBR

Steve Mansfield September 14, 2016 (9:42 am)

While I do sympathize with the family, and I am in no place to explicitly judge the rider here, as a long-time rider myself (25 years), since this happened, the thing that has had me wondering about this is:

How fast must he have been going for his bike to continue as far as it did? Even with spectacular bearings in his wheels, with his hand off the throttle (assuming the bike wasn’t in neutral for some odd reason), engine compression, road friction, and air resistance are all going to be working against the velocity of the vehicle. The distance traveled from that ramp to where the bike stopped, even assuming it didn’t collide with the side wall in the bend in the ramp, was appx. a half mile, and crossed the lanes twice. That alone tells me there had to be a significant amount of velocity at the point he left the bike.

So I can only assume either:

A) He was going really fast on that ramp, or

B) he was in neutral for some reason, and no rider would be taking a turn like that in neutral.

Even assuming there was say, debris on the ramp, or he was, as mentioned earlier in these comments, forced into a bad situation by another drive, that would leave his bike slamming into the rail in the curve and ejecting him over the side (a reasonable possibility), which would also kill a lot of forward velocity. Neither of those scenarios make sense to me given the distance the bike traveled after he left it.

Steve Mansfield September 14, 2016 (9:49 am)

Also, uphill most of that distance.
anothermcrider September 14, 2016 (4:51 pm)

This is more or less exactly what I was going to post. It would also make sense that if excessive speed was involved and the rider was trying to correct for it, the bike would have impacted the barrier at a small angle (which is how it continued onto the bridge, rather than going over the barrier or impacting in a way that stopped it) and riding a sport bike with the majority of your mass above the top of the barrier…it’d be tough to hang on through that impact. It’s entirely possible that something bizarre happened, but the simplest solution is the most likely, and given how far the bike traveled and where the rider landed, it seems extremely likely that this was an error in judgement that had a horrible, tragic outcome.

I’d be interested to know what cruise control system was in use; the CBR1000RR (or any CBR for that matter) shown in MARTIN BALLEW’s video has never been offered from Honda with cruise control in any form. The only aftermarket solution I’m aware of is a throttle “lock” (for those not familiar, think of a big chip clip that clamps on the grip and prevents it from rotating), which could be easily defeated by pulling the clutch lever or braking.

Wendell September 14, 2016 (11:33 am)

Condolences to friends and family of the downed rider, and try to ignore the Monday morning quarterback comments.

Godspeed brother rider.

Mikah September 14, 2016 (12:00 pm)

I believe the bike’s cruse control was found to be engaged.

RS September 14, 2016 (1:43 pm)

Where did you find that info?

WSB September 14, 2016 (1:54 pm)

If you didn’t read the comment thread on our original story – Mikah is a relative of the crash victim. – TR

RS September 14, 2016 (2:53 pm)

Apologies. I’ve read the thread, just didn’t memorize names.

KD September 14, 2016 (7:36 pm)

I’m sure the traffic investigation unit and all the SPD experts have this covered, but I was wondering about all the DOT cameras on the bridge.. any way to go back and capture, or is it just the real time few minutes before cam refreshed. Also, it would be a stretch, but any businesses on north or south side of bridge video images catch something from a distance?

Mikah September 14, 2016 (11:44 pm)

Yes the cruise control was found still engaged when the bike was picked up from the impound. There are also white markings on the tail end and tire of his bike that couldn’t have been made from the impact or ramp. We are still looking for anyone that saw Ryan on 99 heading South or had been with him prior. Ryans bike is red, black, and silver. He was wearing a red jacket with a black helmet traveling south on 99 about 7:03. The accident occurred at approximately 7:11 @ 99 and WSB ramp. I have reason to believe he was in the area before the crash.

Mully September 17, 2016 (10:49 am)

I don’t know much about motorcycles but what I have dealt with myself recently in a car, heading westbound, around the same time in the evening was a blinding glare from the sun. I had to pull my car over for 5 minutes, on Genesee Hil, heading west bound, because I could not see anything on the road in front of me. There were cars passing me driving a regular rate of speed and I don’t know how they were able to see the road.

Maybe he had the blinding glare and ran into the guard rail.

I’m sorry for the rider’s family. I hope you get your questions answered.

Sorry, comment time is over.