Bath Township police are amazed that a 63-year-old man, who was pulled off a moving motorcycle by a low-hanging wire, survived and only suffered minor injuries.
The scary crash happened around 7:45 a.m. Wednesday in the 4500 block of West Bath Road.
"Initially when we received the call, we feared the worst, possibly decapitation," said Chief Mike McNeely. "He suffered bruising from around his neck, but he was able to walk away from the accident amazingly."
The victim was traveling westbound and the sun and shadows made it even more difficult to see the black line dangling close to the roadway, police said.
During a 911 call, the man said it felt like "a rope burn" when he was pulled off the motorcycle. The speed limit on on the road is 45 miles-per-hour.
"I'm riding a motorcycle and there's a low wire like cable television that cut me right in the neck," he told the operator. "And it pulled me off."
When the operator asked if he was alright, the man responded, "Kind of, I think."
"Everybody was amazed at the scene that somebody would survive this type of crash," McNeely said.
Police said the line was attached to a FirstEnergy pole, but the wire — which is likely used for phone or cable — is owned by Frontier Communications.
Frontier Communications did not respond to a News 5 request for comment as of Thursday evening.
McNeely believes the line came down shortly before the accident happened because no other drivers reported it during a time when the road is heavily traveled.
