"We are still very early into the investigation," said Lt. Kevin King, who noted that due to a lack of eyewitnesses, the police will need to rely on the evidence they gathered at the scene for answers.
Despite the efforts of residents who arrived on the scene after the fact, Michael Dutcher, 47, died Saturday evening after he was thrown from his motorcycle while driving northbound on West Country Club Drive shortly after 6 p.m. His wife, Laura, also thrown from the motorcycle, appeared to suffer severe trauma to her leg. She was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center, where she was listed in fair condition on Wednesday.
"I was the second car on the scene," said Rodney Griffith. "I removed his (Dutcher's) helmet - I was a medic in the army - so I had the training trying to clear his airway."
Griffith said he knew right away that Dutcher most likely would not survive the crash. "He clearly had massive trauma to his chest," Griffith said.
County Coroner officials said later that Dutcher died at the scene due to blunt force chest and head injuries.
Rodney Vigil was the first to arrive on the scene. He said that he saw Dutcher's wife first and tried to help her.
While Brentwood Police would not confirm the specifics of the accident, several people speculated that it was a result of speeding.
"He passed me on Balfour (Road) doing about 100 (mph) plus," said Griffith. "He passed me and I didn't see him, then I came on to West Country Club and he was already laying in the street."
Shadow Lakes Golf Pro Don Valdez also believes that speed was involved. He said, "As they came down Balfour, they were screaming. And when they turned (onto West Country Club) they gunned it."
According to evidence at the scene, it appears that Dutcher might have lost control of his bike when trying to maneuver the first wide turn of the Shadow Lakes main thoroughfare.
Skid marks left on the median by Dutcher's Suzuki GSX 1300R show that he hit the center divide's curb shortly after passing the intersection of Ashford Place and upon entering the turn.
It appears that Dutcher's motorcycle skidded along the center divide curb for about 10 feet. The curb is unmarked for about 50 feet, then tire marks resume for more than 100 feet before reaching the spot where the bike crashed through the bushes in the median. Both victims were thrown more than 25 feet.
Scott Williams, who lives across the street from where the accident occurred, said he was in the back of his house when he heard the commotion. "I heard it - scraping - crashing - crumbling."
Williams said when he opened his front door he saw the downed motorcycle and a woman lying in the street. He said he ran back inside to call 911 for help.
Neighbors from as far as a block away heard the accident as well. Bonnie Merrill, who lives on Lakeview Drive, said she knew something was wrong when she heard a woman scream. "It wasn't like someone playing in a pool (and having fun)," she said. "It was a desperate scream." A few minutes later, Merrill said, she heard the sirens.
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