Student jumps from motorcycle, avoids injury in collision

A white Ford Escape cut off engineering freshman Adrian Mejia while he was riding his motorcycle south on North Main Avenue around noon Nov. 8.

The driver of the Escape, Brian Conness, said he did not see Mejia when he turned left from North Main Avenue into the parking lot of a Subway sandwich shop at Main and Myrtle.

Mejia said he jumped off his motorcycle to avoid serious injury, but he still suffered a minor scratch on his knee.

He was wearing his helmet, and his motorcycle had minor cosmetic damage but was operable.

"As soon as he swerved, I jumped off my bike," Mejia said, crediting his quick reaction to a motorcycle safety course he took about four years ago.

Since Sept. 1, 2009, Texas state law and the Department of Public Safety have required riders to be certified in a motorcycle safety course.

Cathy Bochat is the owner and manager of The Motorcycle School at 4918 Fredericksburg Road, which offers a wide variety of courses that cover the spectrum of riding motorcycles and qualifies for certification.

Bochat noted the benefit of taking the course. "People don't know what they don't know."

Certified rider coaches teach safety courses that range in depth based on the rider's level.

Bochat said the accident-scene course is the most effective in teaching riders safety techniques such as handling a motor vehicle, being aware of other vehicles on the road and properly mounting and dismounting.

The Motorcycle School provides all materials including the motorcycles, helmets and gloves.

Office assistant Jessica Melendez said the care and safety of students are the school's main priority, so during the courses, water is provided on the tracks and students get a one-hour lunch break to ensure they are not distracted by hunger, fatigue or dehydration.

Bochat said, "These courses teach riders to be aware of the path of least resistance to minimize injury."