A motorcyclist was hospitalized after a crash Saturday on North MoPac Expressway that witnesses said left the rider pinned beneath a vehicle. Video shared online appeared to show two motorcycles traveling between lanes of traffic moments before the collision.
Austin police responded at 11:53 a.m. July 11 to the 5500 block of northbound MoPac Expressway near Far West Boulevard. Officers said a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle collided, and multiple 911 callers reported the rider was struck and then run over.
The rider was conscious and breathing before Austin-Travis County EMS transported them to a local hospital, police said. APD did not release the rider’s condition or identify anyone involved. No charges had been filed as of Thursday.
A post shared to the Austin subreddit shortly after the crash included a 19-second video that appeared to show two motorcycles traveling between lanes before the collision. The person who posted the video, who said they witnessed the crash, wrote that the rider appeared badly injured but was alive when taken to the hospital.
The witness also wrote that they used a pickup truck to block traffic behind the rider as other motorists attempted to drive around the crash scene. In an update, the poster said the motorcyclist appeared to have road rash and was moving their limbs before EMS arrived. Those details have not been independently confirmed by police.
APD called lane splitting “an extremely dangerous maneuver,” saying riders can misjudge the space between vehicles or encounter drivers changing lanes without seeing or anticipating a motorcycle.
“These unexpected interactions can quickly result in a collision, often with severe or fatal consequences for the motorcyclist, ” a spokesperson for the police department said. “The Austin Police Department encourages all motorcyclists and drivers to operate safely, remain aware of their surroundings, and follow Texas traffic laws to help prevent crashes and protect everyone on the roadway.”
No. Texas law prohibits motorcyclists from riding between lanes of traffic moving in the same direction or passing another vehicle while remaining in the same lane.
The prohibition is outlined in Section 545.0605 of the Texas Transportation Code, which took effect in September 2023. The law allows up to two motorcycles to ride side by side in a single lane but prohibits riding between lanes. Police officers performing official duties are exempt.
Lane splitting generally refers to a motorcyclist riding between moving lanes of traffic. Riders sometimes use “lane filtering” to describe moving between stopped or slow vehicles, such as approaching the front of a line at a red light. Texas law does not provide an exception for filtering: Motorcyclists may not operate between lanes of traffic moving in the same direction.
Although some riders distinguish “lane filtering” — moving between stopped or slow-moving vehicles — from lane splitting, Texas law does not create an exception for filtering. Motorcyclists must remain within a single lane of travel.
Motorcyclists remain among the most vulnerable road users in Texas. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, nearly 9,000 motorcycle crashes occurred statewide in 2025, killing 557 riders and seriously injuring 2,468 others. Motorcycle fatalities accounted for 15% of all traffic deaths in Texas that year.
Police urged both drivers and riders to remain alert, check mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes, and follow Texas traffic laws.