Man Killed in Crash of Motorbike

A man driving a motor scooter on busy Newport Boulevard was killed Friday afternoon after he lost control of the vehicle, was pinned under a motor home and dragged, police said.

Witnesses told police that the man had been speeding and weaving between cars just before the accident happened, said Sgt. Tom Winter. His name had not been released because his relatives had not yet been notified of his death.

The victim, a 49-year-old Newport Beach man, lost control of his motor scooter on northbound Newport Boulevard near 20th Street as he tried to pass a 26-foot recreational vehicle on the right, between the motor home and the curb, Winter said.

He was thrown from the scooter and landed in the path of the motor home, which caught him on its undercarriage and dragged him 130 feet, Winter said.

The Fire Department jacked up the Winnebago and extracted the victim, and he was taken to Hoag Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:48 p.m. of massive head, neck and internal injuries, Winter said.