2 killed in crash with car

Motorcycle was on Willows Road

Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008

Phillip Brian Natalie, a 26-year-old Lexington Park resident driving the westbound Yamaha R-1 motorcycle, died at the scene of the crash that also involved a car entering the roadway from a housing area, police report. Jessica Laurel Natalie, 26, later was pronounced dead at St. Mary's Hospital.

They were traveling near their home at another nearby housing area at 5:43 p.m. that day, police report, when the motorcycle collided with the Toyota Camry driven by Lateesha Shonte Cooper, 25, of Lexington Park, who was treated at the hospital and released.

Police report that the car was turning left from Crimson Drive, in the path of the westbound motorcycle, to enter the roadway's eastbound lane when the collision occurred in that lane.

"To me, it appears that [the motorcyclist] was taking maneuvers to avoid the collision," police Lt. Michael Thompson said Tuesday at his office in the Leonardtown barrack.

The police investigation of the crash is still in its preliminary stages.

"We're going to look at what happened pre-crash and what happened in the accident," Thompson said.

The car's possible failure to yield the right of way to the motorcycle is "absolutely a concern," the lieutenant said, and "we're [also] going to determine the speed of the motorcycle at the time of the collision. It has the potential to be a contributing circumstance."

State police report that 96 people were killed in motorcycle crashes in Maryland last year. Two percent of Maryland's registered vehicles are motorcycles, police report, but they are involved in 16 percent of the state's fatal accidents. Half of those accidents are the fault of the motorcyclist, police report, and half are the fault of the other driver.

Thompson noted that another fatal motorcycle accident occurred last weekend in Howard County.

"It's absolutely imperative that all [vehicle] operators be very attentive to what they're driving and focus on the safe and prudent operation of their vehicle," Thompson said. "When you've got two wheels, you're already at somewhat of a disadvantage. You don't have that metal shield around you."

jwharton@somdnews.com