A motorcyclist was seriously injured in a head-on collision Saturday afternoon on state Highway 500 about 2 miles north of Camas.
James W. Koch, 38, of Camas was riding a 2007 Yamaha YFR motorcycle west on the highway near Northeast Robinson Road when an eastbound 2019 Volkswagen Jetta crossed into the westbound lane and struck him, according to a Washington State Patrol crash memo. The crash was reported shortly before 2 p.m.
Koch was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver for treatment.
Koch’s mother, Charlotte Koch, told The Columbian that her son flew into the windshield of the Volkswagen and was revived by first responders at the scene. He suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck, fracture at the back right of his skull and road rash on his left shoulder. He will likely undergo surgery for the vertebra fracture, she said.
The driver of the Volkswagen, identified as Robin E. Ray, 37, of Washougal, was uninjured; a 12-year-old passenger was also uninjured, the crash memo states.
Ray was charged with failure to yield the right of way and third-degree driving with a suspended license, the crash memo states.
