Bexar County, TX — June 6, 2024, Charles Farmer was injured in a motorcycle versus car accident at about 9:30 a.m. along Blanco Road.

According to authorities, 60-year-old Charles Farmer was traveling on a northwest bound Harley-Davidson motorcycle on Blanco Road in the vicinity southeast of the Parliament Drive intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a southwest bound Mazda Tribute SUV attempted a left turn into a private drive at an unsafe time, failing to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic. A collision consequently occurred between the front-end of the motorcycle and the front-right of the Mazda.

Farmer, who had apparently been pinned beneath the wreckage, reportedly sustained serious injuries due to the crash; he was transported to a local medical facility by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Crashes involving motorcycles and left-turning vehicles almost always seem clear-cut—but that doesn't mean they're fully understood. When a rider is seriously hurt and ends up pinned under a vehicle, it's not enough to say the turn was mistimed. What matters most is whether every angle of the crash has been examined, including how the vehicles operated and what their systems were doing in the moments before impact.

1. Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?

A motorcycle crash at an intersection demands more than just a standard report. Did investigators document the position and path of both vehicles? Was speed estimated with any accuracy, or simply assumed? And was the timing of the turn cross-checked against the motorcycle’s approach using physical evidence like skid marks, debris paths, or even surveillance footage? When someone gets pinned under a vehicle, precision matters.

2. Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?

If the Mazda turned unexpectedly or failed to yield, was it purely a judgment error—or did something malfunction? Were there issues with steering, throttle response, or even visibility systems? And on the Harley-Davidson, were the brakes working properly? A mechanical inspection might reveal whether either vehicle’s systems failed to perform at a moment when every second counted.

3. Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?

Many modern motorcycles and nearly all passenger vehicles now store crash-related data. Did the Mazda register any use of turn signals, speed, or throttle position? Did the motorcycle’s onboard system log braking or acceleration attempts? If any surrounding businesses had cameras, they could also show the interaction between the two vehicles in real time—valuable evidence in a crash where judgment and timing are in dispute.

When a rider is seriously hurt in a left-turn collision, the answer isn’t just who had the right-of-way. The real story is in the details—what the driver did, what the rider saw, and what the machines were doing in the seconds that changed everything.

Takeaways:

• Left-turn motorcycle crashes require detailed mapping of vehicle paths and timing.
• Mechanical issues in either vehicle—especially braking or visibility problems—must be ruled out.
• Onboard data and potential video footage can confirm how quickly the situation unfolded.