TUCSON, Ariz. — A motorcycle crash can unfold in a matter of seconds, what happens after can determines whether the rider lives or dies.
One local organization is educating the community about what they can do, in case they see a rider going down.
On Saturday, the organization 'Riders to the Rescue' had its grand opening of a classroom.
Riders to the Rescue is a business started by Kris Hinson, a woman who has been riding motorcycles for over 17 years.
She says something can always be done to save a life.
“If you don’t act they will die,” Hinson told KGUN9.
She says you don’t have to be a motorcyclist to help, but you do need to know what to do.
Which leads us to her classroom on Broadway Boulevard and Montego Drive.
Here’s where her collision scene management class comes into play.
“It teaches scene management, it teaches rescue breathing, it teaches trauma management to stop the bleeding, and it does so in a way that makes people feel confident in what they do,” Hinson added.
The idea behind ‘Riders to the Rescue’ came when one of Hinson’s friends witnessed a rider slide on gravel and hit his head.
By the time EMS arrived, he was dead.
“I just remember my friend tagged me on Facebook and said, I wish you had been there to show me what to do. And that’s really what made up my mind to start doing this,” she said.
Being there are so many destinations for riders in southern Arizona, Hinson says that poses challenges when something goes wrong.
“The problem with riding out there and that far is that sometimes there's a lack of signal with your cell phone, and EMS services are not necessarily nearby. It can take up to 5 to 30 minutes for EMS services to get to your area,” Hinson told KGUN9.
Which is why she says it's really important people know what to do.
So, through education, she hopes to reduce the amount of injuries and deaths of motorcyclists.
“Ten months out of the year is riding season for us. So we are going to see a lot of motorcycle crashes. And It just feels like we've seen too many in the last couple of years,” she added.
She also hopes to help reduce the injuries and deaths of bystanders trying to help on scene.
“I believe, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that this course can make a difference. It was just time to stop feeling hopeless and start doing something,” said Hinson.
For more information on how you or your riding group can take a class, click here.
