This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A motorcyclist was expected to recover after he plunged about 100 feet down the side of Big Cottonwood Canyon on Sunday.
Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal said the 42-year-old was headed eastbound about noon up Big Cottonwood Canyon Road when his motorcycle encountered some loose gravel coming out of the S-curve. Hoyal said the rider lost control, went onto the shoulder and then plunged down the side of the canyon.
Both man and motorcycle fell about 100 feet, Hoyal said. The motorcycle got stuck in a tree, he said.
When emergency crews arrived, Hoyal said, the biker was climbing up the slope. He suffered some cuts to his legs and was transported to a hospital. Authorities said the man was wearing a helmet that likely saved him from serious head injuries.
Hoyal said there was no guardrail where the man lost control.
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