{"id":94153,"date":"2026-05-12T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/napa-highway-12-lane-splitting-motorcycle-fatal-may-12-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T23:47:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T23:47:59","slug":"napa-highway-12-lane-splitting-motorcycle-fatal-may-12-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/es\/napa-highway-12-lane-splitting-motorcycle-fatal-may-12-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Motorcycle Passenger Killed in Lane-Splitting Crash on Highway 12 in Napa County"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- =========================\n     LOCAL ACCIDENT NEWS ARTICLE - SCRANTON LAW FIRM\n     NEW DRAFT: Napa Highway 12 lane-splitting motorcycle fatal (May 12, 2026)\n     ========================= -->\n\n<!--\nMETA TITLE:\nNapa Hwy 12 Lane-Splitting Crash Kills Passenger (May 12)\n\nMETA DESCRIPTION:\nA lane-splitting motorcycle crash on Highway 12 in Napa County on May 12 killed Sacramento passenger Brittany Rankins, 36, and seriously injured the rider.\n\nSUGGESTED SLUG:\nnapa-highway-12-lane-splitting-motorcycle-fatal-may-12-2026\n-->\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"NewsArticle\",\n      \"headline\": \"Motorcycle Passenger Killed in Lane-Splitting Crash on Highway 12 in Napa County (May 12, 2026)\",\n      \"description\": \"A 36-year-old Sacramento woman, Brittany Racquel Rankins, was killed at about 1:52 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, when a lane-splitting motorcycle on eastbound Highway 12 in Napa County struck a black Honda sedan. Rankins was ejected into the adjacent lane and was then struck by a passing vehicle. The motorcycle driver was airlifted with major injuries.\",\n      \"datePublished\": \"2026-05-12T12:00:00-07:00\",\n      \"dateModified\": \"2026-05-12T12:00:00-07:00\",\n      \"author\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Scranton Law Firm\",\n        \"@id\": \"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/#organization\"\n      },\n      \"publisher\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Scranton Law Firm\",\n        \"logo\": {\n          \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n          \"url\": \"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Scranton_Law_Firm_Logo.svg\"\n        },\n        \"@id\": \"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/#organization\"\n      },\n      \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n        \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n        \"@id\": \"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/napa-highway-12-lane-splitting-motorcycle-fatal-may-12-2026\/\"\n      },\n      \"keywords\": [\n        \"Napa County motorcycle accident\",\n        \"Highway 12 crash\",\n        \"Lane splitting California\",\n        \"Vehicle Code 21658.1\",\n        \"Brittany Racquel Rankins\",\n        \"Motorcycle passenger fatality\",\n        \"Sacramento motorcycle victim\",\n        \"Wrongful death California\"\n      ],\n      \"about\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Place\",\n          \"name\": \"Eastbound Highway 12, east of Kelly Road near the Highway 29 intersection, Napa County, CA\"\n        }\n      ]\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n      \"itemListElement\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n          \"position\": 1,\n          \"name\": \"Home\",\n          \"item\": \"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n          \"position\": 2,\n          \"name\": \"Local Accident News\",\n          \"item\": \"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/local-accident-news\/\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n          \"position\": 3,\n          \"name\": \"Motorcycle Passenger Killed in Lane-Splitting Crash on Highway 12 in Napa County, May 12, 2026\"\n        }\n      ]\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n      \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"Is lane-splitting legal in California?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Yes. Vehicle Code section 21658.1 expressly authorizes lane-splitting, defining it as driving a two-wheeled motorcycle between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same direction of travel. California is the only state to explicitly authorize the practice. The California Highway Patrol has issued educational guidelines that recommend moderating the speed differential, exercising caution near larger vehicles, and avoiding lane-splitting in heavy commercial traffic or in turning lanes.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"Does lane-splitting automatically make the motorcycle rider at fault if there is a crash?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"No. Lane-splitting is legal, and engaging in a legal activity does not establish fault. Liability turns on the totality of the facts, including the speed differential, lane positioning, the actions of surrounding drivers, sight lines, and any available evasive opportunities. California uses pure comparative fault, so even where the motorcyclist bears some share of fault, recovery is reduced proportionally rather than barred.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"Can a passenger ever be found at fault in a motorcycle crash?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Only rarely. A passenger generally has no control over the operation of the motorcycle and is not engaged in any negligent conduct merely by riding. Comparative-fault arguments against passengers tend to focus on helmet use or specific behavior that interfered with the rider, and even then they rarely shift significant fault from the operating drivers.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"Who can be sued when an ejected motorcycle passenger is struck by a second vehicle?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"The second driver can be named alongside the motorcycle driver and any other surrounding driver whose conduct may have contributed to the crash. California pure comparative fault allows a plaintiff to recover from each defendant in proportion to that defendant's share of fault, even a defendant found only minimally responsible. Counsel typically names every potentially responsible driver and insurer early, then lets discovery and trial assign the percentages.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What is the deadline to file a wrongful death lawsuit in California?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"California generally allows two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit, per Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. Different deadlines can apply when a public entity is involved (such as Caltrans), which can shorten the window to as little as six months for an administrative claim under the Government Claims Act. 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Rankins was ejected into the adjacent lane and then struck by a passing vehicle. The motorcycle's driver suffered major injuries and was airlifted to Queen of the Valley Hospital.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n  <div class=\"slf-facts-map-grid\">\n    <div class=\"slf-quick-facts-card\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-header\"><h2>Incident Summary<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-body\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Type<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Lane-splitting motorcycle crash with secondary impact on the ejected passenger<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Location<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Eastbound Highway 12, east of Kelly Road near the Highway 29 intersection, Napa County<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Date<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Tuesday, May 12, 2026<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Time<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Approximately 1:52 p.m.<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Vehicles<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Motorcycle (driver and passenger), black Honda sedan, plus a passing vehicle that struck the ejected passenger<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Fatality<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value fatal\">Brittany Racquel Rankins, 36, of Sacramento (passenger)<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Cause (per CHP)<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Investigation ongoing; lane-splitting motorcycle struck Honda, passenger ejected<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Agency<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">California Highway Patrol (Napa); Napa County coroner<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Charges<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">None reported<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Source Strength<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Strong (CHP plus multiple regional outlets)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n    <div class=\"slf-map-card\"><div class=\"slf-map-header\"><h3>Crash Area<\/h3><\/div><div class=\"slf-map-embed\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps?q=Highway+12+Kelly+Road+Napa+County+CA&#038;output=embed\" loading=\"lazy\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" title=\"Map for Eastbound Highway 12 near Kelly Road, Napa County, CA\"><\/iframe><\/div><div class=\"slf-map-footer\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/search\/Highway+12+Kelly+Road+Napa+County+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Open in Google Maps<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n  <\/div>\n  <article class=\"slf-news-content\"><div class=\"slf-news-content-wrap\">\n\n<h2>What CHP and Local Reporting Say Happened<\/h2>\n<p>According to the California Highway Patrol's Napa office and reporting from the Press Democrat, KRON4, CBS Bay Area, KTVU, and Maison Law, a motorcycle carrying a driver and a passenger was traveling east on Highway 12 in Napa County at approximately 1:52 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The motorcycle was lane-splitting between the two eastbound lanes, east of Kelly Road and near the Highway 29 intersection, when it struck a black Honda sedan in the surrounding traffic.<\/p>\n<p>CHP investigators told reporters that the impact ejected the passenger, identified as Brittany Racquel Rankins, 36, of Sacramento, into the adjacent lane. A passing vehicle then struck Rankins. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the motorcycle suffered major injuries and was airlifted to Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa. The drivers of the Honda sedan and the second vehicle were not reported injured.<\/p>\n<p>CHP closed sections of Highway 12 for several hours so that the multi-disciplinary accident investigation team could document the scene, reconstruct the trajectory of the motorcycle, and time the secondary impact. At the time of source reporting, no criminal charges had been filed, and CHP did not state whether speed, the motorcycle's lateral position, or any action by the Honda driver was a contributing factor. The investigation remained open.<\/p>\n<p>Local outlets, including the Press Democrat and the Napa Valley Register, noted that Highway 12 is a busy connector between Napa Valley, Sonoma, and the I-80 corridor, with mixed commuter, tourist, and commercial traffic. The corridor has had a string of fatal crashes over the past several years, prompting Caltrans safety reviews of the Kelly Road and Highway 29 interchanges.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Why Lane-Splitting Cases Are Legally Unique in California<\/h2>\n<p>California is the only state in the country that explicitly authorizes lane-splitting on its highways. The practice was formally codified in 2016 when the Legislature passed Vehicle Code section 21658.1, which defines lane-splitting as \"driving a motorcycle, that has two wheels in contact with the ground, between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane.\" The statute does not declare lane-splitting per se safe or per se unsafe. Instead, it tasks the California Highway Patrol with developing educational guidelines for riders and drivers.<\/p>\n<p>CHP's published guidance emphasizes a handful of core practices. Motorcyclists should moderate the speed differential between the bike and the surrounding traffic. They should exercise added caution near larger vehicles, especially in heavy commercial traffic. They should avoid lane-splitting in turning lanes or in conditions where surrounding drivers may not anticipate a motorcycle threading between lanes.<\/p>\n<p>None of those guidelines establish bright-line fault rules. They give both plaintiffs and defendants a vocabulary for arguing what was reasonable under the facts. In a civil case stemming from a lane-splitting crash, attorneys on both sides will sift through the CHP guidance, the published reconstruction, and the surrounding driver behavior to make their respective cases on negligence and comparative fault.<\/p>\n\n<h2>The Legal Picture: Riders, Drivers, and the Second Impact<\/h2>\n<p>This crash sits at the intersection of three legally distinct questions. First, what happened between the lane-splitting motorcycle and the Honda. Second, what happened with the secondary impact, when the ejected passenger was struck by a passing vehicle. Third, how those two events combine under California's comparative fault doctrine.<\/p>\n<p>The motorcycle's driver is one obvious defendant in a civil case. A lane-splitting rider has a duty to operate the motorcycle reasonably, and CHP's published guidance on speed differentials and surrounding-vehicle awareness is the kind of evidence both sides reach for. The Honda driver may also share liability, depending on whether the Honda drifted laterally, changed lanes without checking, or otherwise failed to anticipate a lane-splitting motorcycle. The second driver, whose vehicle struck Rankins after she was ejected, raises separate questions of awareness, speed, following distance, and reaction time.<\/p>\n<p>California uses a pure comparative fault system, established by the state Supreme Court in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. Under pure comparative fault, a plaintiff can recover from each defendant in proportion to that defendant's share of fault, even if the defendant is found only ten percent responsible. In a multi-vehicle motorcycle fatality with a second impact, counsel typically names every potentially responsible driver and their insurers, then lets discovery and trial sort out the percentages.<\/p>\n<p>A passenger like Rankins generally carries no operational fault. She was not steering the motorcycle, controlling speed, or choosing whether to lane-split. Comparative-fault arguments against passengers occasionally focus on issues like helmet use, but those rarely shift meaningful fault away from the operating drivers in a case like this one.<\/p>\n\n<h2>What Families of Motorcycle Passengers Should Know<\/h2>\n<p>A motorcycle passenger wrongful death case follows California's general wrongful-death framework under Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60. The surviving spouse, registered domestic partner, children, and (in certain circumstances) parents or dependents of the decedent may pursue a wrongful-death action. Recoverable damages include lost financial support, lost household services, lost love and companionship, lost comfort, care, society, attention, moral support, and guidance, and reasonable funeral and burial expenses.<\/p>\n<p>Insurance mapping is a high-stakes early step in any motorcycle passenger case. The motorcycle's own liability policy is the most obvious starting point, but it is rarely the only available coverage. The Honda driver carries liability coverage. The second vehicle's driver carries liability coverage. The household auto policy on which Rankins was a named insured or a resident relative may include uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM and UIM) benefits that reach across vehicles and across crashes. Counsel should map every available policy on day one to avoid leaving coverage on the table.<\/p>\n<p>Families dealing with a motorcycle passenger fatality often work with a <a href=\"\/motorcycle-accident-lawyer\/\">motorcycle accident lawyer<\/a> and a <a href=\"\/wrongful-death-lawyer\/\">wrongful death lawyer<\/a> to coordinate the layered claims, and may also consult a <a href=\"\/car-accident-lawyer\/\">car accident lawyer<\/a> when the secondary impact involves a passenger car rather than another motorcycle.<\/p>\n\n<h2>What Investigators and Civil Attorneys Look For Next<\/h2>\n<p>In the days and weeks after a multi-vehicle motorcycle fatality, CHP's official report continues to develop. The Napa office's multi-disciplinary accident investigation team typically pulls together witness statements, scene measurements, photographs, vehicle inspections, and any available video. CHP may also pursue toxicology on the motorcycle driver and the surrounding-vehicle drivers if any indication of impairment surfaces during the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>On the civil side, evidence preservation is the early priority. Counsel for the family will often send formal litigation hold letters to the registered owners of the motorcycle, the Honda, and the second vehicle, putting each on notice that destroying dashcam footage, telematics data, repair records, or insurance correspondence can carry legal consequences. In a lane-splitting case, the surrounding traffic conditions matter, so counsel will also pursue Caltrans traffic count data, any CCTV from nearby businesses, and crowdsourced video from drivers who passed through the corridor near the time of the crash.<\/p>\n<p>From there, the case can move into reconstruction. Accident reconstruction experts work from the physical evidence on the roadway, the vehicles' resting positions, the damage patterns, and any available video to model the speeds, the lane positions, and the timing of the secondary impact. Those reconstructions often become the centerpiece of how a civil case is presented to a jury.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"slf-stats-grid\">\n<div class=\"slf-stat-card\"><div class=\"slf-stat-number\">~24x<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-label\">higher fatality rate per mile traveled for motorcyclists compared to passenger car occupants, according to federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System data.<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-source\">Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"slf-stat-card\"><div class=\"slf-stat-number\">2016<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-label\">is the year California enacted Vehicle Code section 21658.1, the only state statute in the country that expressly authorizes lane-splitting.<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-source\">Source: California Vehicle Code section 21658.1<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"slf-stat-card\"><div class=\"slf-stat-number\">Pure<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-label\">comparative fault is the doctrine California uses. A plaintiff can recover proportionally from each defendant, even one found only minimally at fault.<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-source\">Source: Li v. Yellow Cab Co.<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"slf-stat-card\"><div class=\"slf-stat-number\">2 years<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-label\">is the general California statute of limitations for a wrongful death lawsuit, with shorter windows when a public agency is involved.<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-source\">Source: California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"slf-legal-options\">\n<div class=\"slf-legal-option\"><div class=\"slf-legal-option-header\"><h3>Source Note<\/h3><\/div><div class=\"slf-legal-option-body\"><p>This article is based on publicly accessible reporting reviewed on May 12, 2026, and the days following. Facts are limited to what CHP Napa and local press released and should be updated if investigators identify the surrounding drivers, release additional reconstruction findings, or file charges.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"slf-legal-option\"><div class=\"slf-legal-option-header\"><h3>Why Lane-Splitting Cases Demand Specialized Counsel<\/h3><\/div><div class=\"slf-legal-option-body\"><p>Lane-splitting cases turn on facts that other crash types do not. The CHP educational guidelines, the speed differential, the surrounding traffic flow, and the predictability of the surrounding drivers' movements all feed into the negligence analysis. Counsel familiar with California's motorcycle case law and CHP's published guidance is positioned to develop these facts thoroughly.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/article>\n  <section class=\"slf-news-faq\"><div class=\"slf-news-faq-wrap\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n  <div class=\"slf-faq-item\"><div class=\"slf-faq-question\">Is lane-splitting legal in California?<\/div><div class=\"slf-faq-answer\">Yes. Vehicle Code section 21658.1 expressly authorizes lane-splitting, defining it as driving a two-wheeled motorcycle between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same direction of travel. California is the only state to explicitly authorize the practice. The California Highway Patrol has issued educational guidelines that recommend moderating the speed differential, exercising caution near larger vehicles, and avoiding lane-splitting in heavy commercial traffic or in turning lanes.<\/div><\/div>\n  <div class=\"slf-faq-item\"><div class=\"slf-faq-question\">Does lane-splitting automatically make the motorcycle rider at fault if there is a crash?<\/div><div class=\"slf-faq-answer\">No. Lane-splitting is legal, and engaging in a legal activity does not establish fault. Liability turns on the totality of the facts, including the speed differential, lane positioning, the actions of surrounding drivers, sight lines, and any available evasive opportunities. California uses pure comparative fault, so even where the motorcyclist bears some share of fault, recovery is reduced proportionally rather than barred.<\/div><\/div>\n  <div class=\"slf-faq-item\"><div class=\"slf-faq-question\">Can a passenger ever be found at fault in a motorcycle crash?<\/div><div class=\"slf-faq-answer\">Only rarely. A passenger generally has no control over the operation of the motorcycle and is not engaged in any negligent conduct merely by riding. Comparative-fault arguments against passengers tend to focus on helmet use or specific behavior that interfered with the rider, and even then they rarely shift significant fault from the operating drivers.<\/div><\/div>\n  <div class=\"slf-faq-item\"><div class=\"slf-faq-question\">Who can be sued when an ejected motorcycle passenger is struck by a second vehicle?<\/div><div class=\"slf-faq-answer\">The second driver can be named alongside the motorcycle driver and any other surrounding driver whose conduct may have contributed to the crash. California pure comparative fault allows a plaintiff to recover from each defendant in proportion to that defendant's share of fault, even a defendant found only minimally responsible. Counsel typically names every potentially responsible driver and insurer early, then lets discovery and trial assign the percentages.<\/div><\/div>\n  <div class=\"slf-faq-item\"><div class=\"slf-faq-question\">What is the deadline to file a wrongful death lawsuit in California?<\/div><div class=\"slf-faq-answer\">California generally allows two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit, per Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. Different deadlines can apply when a public entity is involved (such as Caltrans), which can shorten the window to as little as six months for an administrative claim under the Government Claims Act. Acting early protects every option and preserves time-sensitive evidence.<\/div><\/div>\n  <\/div><\/section>\n  <section class=\"slf-news-related\"><div class=\"slf-news-related-wrap\"><h2>Related Resources<\/h2><div class=\"slf-related-grid\">\n  <a class=\"slf-related-card\" href=\"\/motorcycle-accident-lawyer\/\"><div class=\"slf-related-label practice\">Practice Area<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-title\">Motorcycle Accident Lawyer<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-desc\">See how California motorcycle crash claims differ from ordinary car cases, including lane-splitting matters.<\/div><\/a>\n  <a class=\"slf-related-card\" href=\"\/wrongful-death-lawyer\/\"><div class=\"slf-related-label practice\">Practice Area<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-title\">Wrongful Death Lawyer<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-desc\">Learn who can file, what damages are recoverable, and how California wrongful death claims unfold.<\/div><\/a>\n  <a class=\"slf-related-card\" href=\"\/car-accident-lawyer\/\"><div class=\"slf-related-label practice\">Practice Area<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-title\">Car Accident Lawyer<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-desc\">Understand what evidence matters most after a multi-vehicle freeway collision.<\/div><\/a>\n  <a class=\"slf-related-card\" href=\"\/contact\/\"><div class=\"slf-related-label resource\">Resource<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-title\">Free Case Consultation<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-desc\">Talk through your options with a member of our team, with no fee or pressure to hire.<\/div><\/a>\n  <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n  <section class=\"slf-news-cta\"><div class=\"slf-news-cta-wrap\"><h2>Lost a Loved One in a California Motorcycle Crash?<\/h2><p class=\"slf-news-cta-sub\">Lane-splitting cases require deep familiarity with Vehicle Code section 21658.1, CHP guidelines, and the comparative-fault rules that govern California motorcycle litigation.<\/p><div class=\"slf-news-cta-phone\"><a href=\"tel:+18007070707\">800-707-0707<\/a><\/div><a class=\"slf-news-cta-btn\" href=\"\/contact\/\">Request a Free Consultation<\/a><p class=\"slf-news-cta-trust\">No fluff, no guesswork. Just a serious look at what happened and what options may exist.<\/p><\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A 36-year-old Sacramento woman, Brittany Racquel Rankins, was killed in a lane-splitting motorcycle crash on eastbound Highway 12 in Napa County on May 12, 2026. The motorcycle struck a black Honda sedan, Rankins was ejected, and a passing vehicle then struck her.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-accidents"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.7.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A 36-year-old Sacramento woman, Brittany Racquel Rankins, was killed in a lane-splitting motorcycle crash on eastbound Highway 12 in Napa County on May 12, 2026. 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