MLA Greg Lawrence Injured In Motorcycle Accident
By Robert Thomas
Moose Jaw Wakamow MLA Greg Lawrence has been injured in a single vehicle motorcycle accident on the Manitoba Express near the Trans-Canada Highway.
The 57 year old Lawrence is well known in the community as an avid motorcyclist.
According to a news release from the SaskParty caucus Lawrence will be spending a few weeks in hospital to recover from his injuries.
Although there’s been no official release of the injuries he sustained in the accident sources close to the MLA describe them to MJ Independent as “serious” in nature with many broken bones.
No official cause of what caused it single vehicle accident has been released.
CHAB reported that the Moose Jaw Police Service said the accident involved a motorcyclist hitting a tree.
Coroner’s 2012 Report Calling For Roadway Improvements Ignored
It should be noted in the past recommendations were released as part of a coroners report looking into a 2011 fatality on the roadway and the dangers of the roadway.
The 2012 report came following the second death involving a single vehicle death on the Manitoba Expressway where a tree in the median was struck.
An earlier fatality on the roadway involved a motorcyclist.
The recommendations from the coroner’s report calling for safety improvements and are listed below.
The report stated “Statistics indicates since 2006, there have been a total of 40 collisions in this area causing significant property damage, injuries and 2 fatalities. It is my opinion that a review with a focus on prevention is warranted.”
The report was submitted to the City’s engineering department, as well as the now defunct Traffic Technical Committee.
Recommendations from a 2012 coroner’s report regarding the Manitoba Expressway - source 2012 coroner’s report
The report called for major safety upgrades on the Manitoba Expressway.
Upgrades which included the removal of some trees on the roadway.
As full disclosure, the author of this article was a member of the Traffic Technical Committee in 2012, and that is how he received a copy of the report and it’s recommendations.
At the traffic technical committee’s out of camera meeting where the issue was discussed by the traffic technical committee any safety upgrades were dismissed as to expensive or aesthetically something the community would not accept.
The committee discussed the removal of the trees that are in the centre meridian of the roadway, as they are to close to the roadway and “unforgiving in an accident.”
The tree MLA Greg Lawrence hit in the center meridian bears the scars of the accident attesting to the severity of the impact - MJ Independent photo
Additionally, the committee discussed installing barriers to prevent vehicles from leaving the roadway on curves and striking trees. The committee discussed the potential of installing barriers similar to the ones used in BC.
The committee was told that installing such safety barriers was “ too expensive” by committee chair Terry Coleman and the issue was shelved with no public report proceeding to Council of the day.
And finally the committee’s discussion turned to sections of the Manitoba Expressway were unsafe for motorcycles at higher speeds due to the tight turns and potential debris (sand and gravel) on the road that made them dangerous at the then posted speed limits.