Stunt motorcyclists riding on Chicago expressway cause FIERY crash after bikers 'swarm' road on busy Saturday afternoon - highlighting larger problem of dangerous stunt biking in major cities
A rogue stunt motorcyclist riding on a Chicago expressway caused a fiery crash on Saturday afternoon
A rogue stunt biking gang causing a fiery crash Saturday afternoon on one of the busiest roads in Chicago was caught on video.
CBS Chicago obtained footage of the horrific motorcycle accident, which left fellow riders fearing for their lives.
The motorcyclists 'swarmed' the busy Stevenson Expressway before one rider 'pops a wheelie' putting his feet together in the air, said one witness.
Within seconds, that motorcyclist, identified as Calien Rosas, loses control of the speeding bike as he attempts to get his feet back on the ground.
In a domino effect, a rider behind him then flips over the crashed bike, which ignites the fiery pileup.
Rebecca James was in a car behind hundreds of motorcycles, ATVs and dirtbikes at the time of the crash, and said the group crowded her lane in the moments leading up to the pileup.
'It was a swarm, to say the least,' James said of Saturday's accident. 'There was a fireball – just a complete fireball.'
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The man, identified as Calien Rosas, was attempting to place his feet down after 'popping a wheelie' before losing control of the bike and careening out of control
The initial bike crash caused the rider behind him to crash into the fallen bike, causing a fiery crash and pileup that was all caught on video
The moment where the fiery pileup began, after stunt motorcyclists in Chicago swarmed a busy expressway on Saturday afternoon
'My life was in danger – there’s no doubt about it,' she added. 'There was a sense of like: ‘What are you doing in our space? Get off.’'
Immediately after the crash, fellow bikers could be seen frantically patting out the blaze on the stunt rider, whose bike was burning just feet away. He dropped to the expressway and rolled to help extinguish the flames.
James said some of the stunt riders began banging on her car window after the crash, and she started filming.
Video showed the riders toward the front of the pack, where the crash took place, staring at the burning bike, completely engulfed in flames. The bikers then start to flee the scene on their motorcycles and ATVs.
YouTube video shows the group was riding and performing impromptu stunts throughout the city all weekend prior to the burning pileup, in some cases riding on the sidewalk to get around.
Pictured: Rebecca James' car was right behind the pack of stunt cyclists at the time of the fiery crash. 'My life was in danger – there’s no doubt about it' she said
Hundreds of stunt riders flocked to Chicago city streets over the weekend
These kinds of stunt motorbike meetups can attract upwards of hundreds of riders, like in the case of Saturday's fiery crash, with some even coming from out of state to join the pack
These kinds of stunt motorbike meetups can attract hundreds of riders, with some coming from out of state.
Motorbike gangs are familiar in urban areas across the country; law enforcement is often stymied when it comes to a solution.
'We are not allowed to pursue ' Isaac Soberal, NYPD captain from the Bronx's 45th Precinct, said of the gangs of urban stunt motorcyclists.
'But the way we get around this is we wait to see the dirt bikes refueling at a gas station or, as the councilman said, if we get info that a place is storing illegal dirt bikes, we investigate that angle. And that’s something that often leads to large seizures of dirt bikes.'
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The moment where Rosas hit the pavement just prior to his fellow stunt rider crashing into his fallen bike
Cailen Rosas and Felipe Rodriquez pose together after the fiery crash, where both men's motorcycles were left in a fiery heap
In New York City, the issue of rogue dirtbikes and motorcycle gangs roaming the city's highways and streets has become such a pressing issue that the city is considering raising fines for illegal bikes, NY 1 reported last month.
For James, who witnessed Saturday's motorbike brigade gone awry, any type of law enforcement for mass motorcyclists is long overdue.
'How many people’s lives are being put into danger?' James said.
'It’s profoundly selfish – that’s the thing that is frustrating.'
A social media post identified the two riders in Saturday's crash, as Rosas and Felipe Rodriguez. They said they are OK physically and don't blame anyone for the accident, saying they accept the risks that come with motorcycle stunt riding.
A photo of the two men shows one in an arm cast and sling, although details on their exact injuries are unknown.