I'm glad to see that the motorcyclists are doing well, at least well enough to blog so soon after the accident. I was a little ways behind you two and I saw you put your blinker on and slow down. In a blink of an eye, I couldn't believe what happened to you! I was terrified by the scene I came upon. I'm so sorry for everyone involved. What a tragic event...

Its unbelievable how facts can change in a blink of an eye. I am the passenger who was on that bike. My husband was the driver. The facts that were given to the authorities were obviously immediatley changed and posted for all to read and comment on. No sense stating the truth again . We know what happened and so does the gentleman who hit us. We thank the good Lord we are alive because we shouldn't be. Although the recovery will be a long process both physically and emotionally we are both grateful to have survived and for all the friends, family and neighbors who are trying to help us get through this. God bless all of you who have prayed for and wished us well! Our bodies may be broken, but no one can break our spirit!!!!!!!

I hope the two hurt bikers are recovering well. Just to correct a fue points, merging is a 50/50 responsibility by law (also forcing the merger to stop causes traffic jams). So if you see someone merging and can get over you should, and if you are merging you are to be up to the correct speed when you merge if possible. Best case scenarios being rare we work it out. The article states the cyclists were pulling over to put on raincoats, the end of a ramp being the worst possible place to do this as people SHOULD glance over their left shoulder before they merge and would not expect someone to pull into the on ramp slowing down. I am familiar with this ramp as I have family in Newville, and the only way you pull over to the right shoulder before the bridge (where one may think of parking to stay dry) is to enter the small on ramp lane.
I feel for the bikers, but also for the car driver as I can only imagine how terrible it would feel to hurt someone with your car.
I will also say if you are speeding up to 65 and hit someone you can not stop immediately, it takes some time and I imagine it would feel like forever if you were the one under the car.

The driver of the motorcycle is also an experienced rider, 30 years plus. Just because someone is a skilled driver and used to ride motorcycles does not tell us anything. One should not pass judgment until they know the facts, not what others say or even what's in a newspaper article. I know for a fact the drivers of the motorcycle were rear-ended by an automobile and dragged for some distance. Pretty self-explanatory.
Thanks to all the well-wishers.

andiwonderwhy, re-read the article. You obviously missed what happened. The driver wasn't a woman. The woman was on the bike. If you can't even read a story and understand it then maybe you shouldn't comment since you have no clue what you are talking about. Also the driver of the car, someone I know personally, is a very skilled driver as well as someone who used to ride motorcycles. Again just read the article before you make some comment.

rickwantsmoney: "or flashing your headlights at oncoming traffic to let them know the cops are watching...LOL.. not that I would EVER do that since it's illegal!!"
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Please show me the statute in CHAPTER 346 RULES OF THE ROAD where flashing lights is illegal in the State of Wisconsin. Please.........show me this.

Simply said, they are extremely lucky! I hope they have a speedy recovery.

Settle down people. I'm sure janesvillean is preparing a comment that will provide links and info that will explain everything for us mortals.

We need to invent a new way of communicating to the person ahead of us that we would please like them to move over and let us by... ( you know.. like when truckers flash their lights to other truckers to let them know they're clear to pull back in)... or flashing your headlights at oncoming traffic to let them know the cops are watching...LOL.. not that I would EVER do that since it's illegal!! Any suggestions? A "Morse Code" with the horn, perhaps? One long beep.. two short beeps, and one long beep. Or five short beeps? One for each word in "YOU ARE IN MY WAY!" There have been a few times where I'll be in the left lane doing 70, um.. "ish" and the next thing I know some monster truck's behind me. I'll have to mutter a "whoops, sorry" and pull over a lane.. I think most of us have done it. If I heard five short beeps ONCE, I don't think I'd take offense... if I still don't move over, then I deserve whatever you do AFTER that (unless I can't for obvious reasons).

msleo- READ THE STORY AGAIN..............

This is the case to where the vehicle merging did not yield (as required by law). Merging vehicles must yield to the traffic and most people think that it is the other way around. The car was probably trying to get up to speed and didn't either see the motorcycle or was paying too much attention to behind her and was not watching where she was going....This was an accident (my prayers go out to the brother's of the 2 wheels)and the only prevention is better attention to drivers. As a emergency provider I am required to take a driving skill test every year...so why don't we require skill compentancy testing every 8 years when we renew our license...that would help people maintain their skills better.

the entrance ramp going to madison is to short, because of the bridge the semi always move over to the right lane there and then no one lets them back over for traffic coming off the ramp, where they are talking about here this bridge is right at the end of the exit ramp, no one coming off this ramp would expect anyone to stop there. this is a case where there is an exit right there the smarter choice would of been to get off the exit and put your gear on at the gas station. i hope everyone recovers

More lanes = More accidents.
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Again, the cause of accidents are not the roadways, it is people.

The project to increase the freeway from 4 lanes to 6 lanes has begin. Most of the bridges have been made wide enough for 3 lanes each way. They still need to increase the bridges over Hwy 26 and Hwy 14, then they will be able to start the instillation of the additional lanes. However the project needs to work it's way up the priority list.

I am not sure why accidents occur there.. maybe they are distracted by the river below, the Culver's McDonalds etc. at that exit. Regardless someone may have lost their life here. Try to be kind.

Didn't it start raining about that time?

I avoid the interstate as much as possible between Beloit and Madison. I like driving in Janesville until I hit Milton Ave. and then drivers seem to turn into race car drivers.

The problem? (I like this game): Following too close.

The problem is typically inattentive, lackadaisical driving. Driving requires your full attention, 100% of the time.
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And we're ALL guilty at one point or another.

The problem? How 'bout too fast, too slow, texting, cell phone, eating, reading, applying makeup, and just not paying attention while driving. Another is over-reacting when something does happen. The strip of pavement doesn't cause the accident...people do.

All I'm saying is to loose that bubba attitude that only us WI. drivers know how to drive. Just because they don't report on every accident doesn't mean it's not happening with ALL types of boneheads from all states. DOT stats will prove that. Get over it.

When you're on the Interstate in Wisconsin, 90% of the time, the driver in the left lane going 60 mph is an Illinois driver. Even though there are signs that read "Slower traffic keep right," they don't follow those rules. They drive however they want to. And it's annoying. It's not difficult: right lane-traveling lane; left lane-passing lane. Maybe they need a driver's ed refresher course.

ok, so the big accident last friday that was caused by an IL driver stopping in the middle of the interstate to let ducks cross the road does nothing to help the reputation of IL drivers, does it?

I am so sick of people blaming IL. drivers! It's drivers from ALL states. It is ignorant, rude drivers who think their trip is more important than anyone's. I find IL. drivers to be a lot faster but, they seem to know how to handle on/off ramp etiquette much better. I prefer driving in IL. more than WI. due to the drivers (not the state).

beeferer Did I read the same story? Where does it say that one driver was from IL?

The ROOT CAUSE is this.........The DRIVERS..... NOT the road / interstate. The fix is shut it down and keep drivers off the interstate.

It's a catch-22 thing. If we ban Illinois motorists, we lose revenue.

What is your suggestion to fix the problem?

Something needs to be done about the stretch of interstate between the state line and Madison. Almost everyday I hear of an accident somewhere on that part of the highway. How many people have to die before something is done?