Two people were hospitalized in a car accident caused by a speeding motorcycle on Highway 99 near Sacramento.

Police said alcohol may have been a factor in a Wednesday-night car accident caused by a motorcycle speeding at up to 120 mph on Highway 99 in Sutter County, about 20 miles north of Sacramento.

•   A motorcyclist who had alcohol on his breath was riding on two-lane Highway 99 at speeds of up to 120 mph. 

•   Still traveling at high speed, he tried to ride between two cars. 

•   One of cars had to swerve to the right and went off the road, rolling several times.

•   The driver of that vehicle was hospitalized with serious injuries.

The rural highway crash occurred shortly before 8 p.m., according to a report in the Appeal-Democrat.

California Highway Patrol Officer J.D. Moser said 23-year-old Dean J. Wright of Salinas — who may have been under the influence of alcohol — was riding a 2008 Honda motorcycle southbound on Highway 99 at a speed of up to 120 mph when the accident happened.

Wright was attempting to ride at high speed between two vehicles, just south of Howsley Road, and caused a 2002 Jeep Liberty to swerve off the west side of the road, Moser said. The Jeep flipped over and rolled several times.

The driver of the Jeep — 53-year-old Robert P. Perrin of Clipper Mills — suffered moderate injuries and was transported by ground ambulance to Rideout Memorial Hospital.

Rural Highway Accident Statistics

Only 23 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, but 57 percent of all motor vehicle accident fatalities occur on rural roads, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The NHTSA’s latest figures show that the fatality rate per vehicle miles traveled was 2.5 times higher in rural areas than in urban areas.

A large majority of car accident deaths in rural areas — 67 percent — occur on highways, where the speed limit is 55 mph or higher. In urban areas, the opposite is true: 68 percent of all fatal crashes occur on roads where the speed limit is less than 50 mph.

Rural highways often are only two lanes, which presents significant danger to motorists who use the oncoming traffic lane to pass at high speed.

Finally, hospitals are few and far between in rural areas. The risk of dying on the way to the hospital is significantly higher in a rural accident than an urban one.

Sacramento Car Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.