Indiana Accident News

Motorcyclist driving on center line killed on I-69 in Fort Wayne

Bernard Leonelli, a 65-year-old man from Kendallville, Indiana, was killed on Sunday night on Interstate 69 while riding his motorcycle, according to The Journal Gazette out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The motorcycle accident occurred shortly before 7:30 PM.

According to the Cass County Sheriff's office, Leonelli was driving his Harley-Davidson motorcycle on the center line between the right and left lanes. Witnesses say that he was attempting to pass a Chevrolet Blazer SUV and another vehicle driving beside it when the crash occurred. The SUV was driven by Mary Schweyer, 45, of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Because there is little room in between lanes, even for a motorcycle, the motorcycle sideswiped the SUV and Leonelli was ejected from his motorcycle during the crash. Indiana State Police reported that the motorbike landed on the edge of the northbound lane of I-69, and that neither driver of the two cars involved were injured in the accident.

DeKalb County Police Officer Adam Friedel told the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel that Leonelli had lost control of his bike and hit the grassy median, which led the his ejection.

Leonelli was rushed by Samaritan Air Ambulance helicopter to Parkview Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Passing cars on the center line, also known as lane-splitting, is illegal in Indiana, as well as across the country with the sole exception of California. According to the Office of Traffic Safety, there were 397 motorcyclist injuries and 9,472 incidents involving unsafe lane changes associated with lane-splitting.

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