BATH TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- Police said they're amazed a 63-year-old man, who was pulled off a moving motorcycle by a low-hanging wire, survived and only suffered minor injuries.
The crash happened around 7:45 a.m. Wednesday in Bath Township, south of Cleveland.
"Initially when we received the call, we feared the worst -- possibly decapitation," Chief Mike McNeely said. "He suffered bruising from around his neck, but he was able to walk away from the accident amazingly."
The victim was traveling westbound, and police said the sun and shadows made it even more difficult to see the black line dangling close to the roadway.
During a 911 call, the man said it felt like "a rope burn" when he was pulled off the motorcycle. The speed limit on the road is 45 mph.
"I'm riding a motorcycle, and there's a low wire like cable television that cut me right in the neck," he told the operator. "And it pulled me off."
When the operator asked if he was alright, the man responded, "Kind of, I think."
"Everybody was amazed at the scene that somebody would survive this type of crash," McNeely said.
Police said the line was attached to a FirstEnergy pole, but the wire -- which is likely used for phone or cable -- is owned by Frontier Communications.
Frontier Communications did not respond to a request for comment as of Thursday evening.
McNeely believes the line came down shortly before the motorcyclist drove by: No other drivers reported it during a time when the road is heavily traveled.
