The Middle Creek Campground in Lake County, Calif.
Google Street ViewA Bay Area man died Sunday after a freak biking accident in the Mendocino National Forest.
Rex Brian Powell, 68, of San Rafael, was dirt biking with his son near the Middle Creek Campground when they encountered debris on the trail. According to the California Highway Patrol, the son braked to avoid the debris, causing Powell to also abruptly stop. Powell braked hard enough to be thrown from his 2022 Husqvarna motorcycle, landing in some nearby bushes where a broken branch impaled him. The Lake County News reported Powell was wearing “full protective gear” at the time.
The son first attempted to administer aid on the trail, and was eventually able to get Powell to the campground’s staging area where a bystander called 911. First responders arrived at 10:30 a.m., but the man died at the scene. Neither drugs nor alcohol are considered factors in the crash.
CHP Officer Piers Pritt told the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat that the men were on a trail where off-highway vehicles, like dirt bikes, are allowed. Middle Creek Campground, which is north of Clear Lake in Lake County, serves as a staging area for several trails in the area.
