A Southern California couple says they are lucky to be alive after a violent and fiery motorcycle crash in Long Beach earlier this month that left both of them hospitalized.
The crash occurred around 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 10 near the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Orange Avenue. Ramon Acosta told KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff that he and his wife, Michaele, were on their way to breakfast before meeting other motorcycle enthusiasts for a planned ride along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Before they reached their destination, a motorist allegedly made an illegal left turn directly in front of them. The motorcycle collided with the vehicle in a T-bone crash and immediately burst into flames.
The force of the impact threw Acosta onto the hood of the vehicle, carrying him away from the fire. His wife was ejected onto the roadway, narrowly avoiding the flames.
“If one of our pants got caught on the bike, we would have ended up engulfed in flames,” Acosta said.
Acosta suffered a broken arm and internal bleeding. His wife sustained more severe injuries and required a full hip replacement. Both are expected to recover.
Between them, the couple has nine children. Several of them said they were deeply shaken when they learned of the crash.
“When they told me he was in an accident, I tried to get here as fast as I could,” daughter Sara Acosta said. “No one wants to hear that their parent is in the hospital, especially since he’s always on his motorcycle.”
Another daughter, Aliyah Taylor, said both parents are now improving compared to when they were first admitted to the hospital.
“I just really hope that they can build back how things were,” she said.
It remains unclear whether anyone will face charges in the crash. Long Beach police said the cause of the collision is still under investigation.
According to a GoFundMe page organized for the couple, Michaele — who suffered the most serious injuries — is being discharged before her husband because she does not have health insurance to help cover more than $200,000 in medical bills. The family said neither of them can work at the moment, creating significant financial strain as medical expenses and everyday living costs continue to mount.
“It’s weird because when everything is going okay, you don’t realize how many people care about you,” Acosta said from his hospital bed. “Then when it goes bad, they all come out. For everybody that reached out, thank you.”