Police: Helmet, leathers helped biker survive crash

A motorcyclist airlifted from the scene of a crash in Hampshire late Thursday afternoon is expected to survive, police said.

That's due in part to his wardrobe, as the man's helmet and heavy leather gear helped cushion his fall, said Lt. Patrick Gengler of the Kane County Sheriff's Department.

“It's a fashion statement for some of them, but it actually helps them out,” Gengler said of the leather clothes. “That made a huge difference in his safety.”

The man was driving north on French Road, a two-lane road, about a block south of Lenschow Road when he tried to pass a number of vehicles in the southbound lane, Gengler said.

As the man was driving in the southbound lane about 4:45 p.m., a pickup truck in the northbound lane attempted to make a left turn into a driveway. The motorcyclist struck the driver's-side door of the truck and was thrown from the motorcycle, Gengler said.

The driver was flown from the scene by Flight for Life to St. Anthony's Medical Center in Rockford with serious but what police say are nonlife-threatening injuries, Gengler said.

No tickets have been issued and police were not yet releasing anyone's name, police said.

The driver and passenger of the truck were not injured.

Staff Writer Lenore T. Adkins contributed to this report