Olympia motorcyclist ‘held on for dear life’ in crazy crash captured on helmet cam

Jan. 23--An Olympia motorcyclist who rode on top of a car's trunk after a freeway crash in Tumwater has shared helmet camera footage that shows a first-person view of his brush with death.

The crash occurred about 2:45 p.m. Jan. 16 on Interstate 5. Seth Dieckman, 35, had just merged onto the freeway at Trosper Road aboard his Suzuki Katana 600. The video shows an Acura zooming up from behind and passing by dangerously close.

Dieckman gave the Acura driver the middle finger and attempted to catch up. The car suddenly slammed on its brakes. The impact sent Dieckman flying off the motorcycle and onto the car's trunk.

The Acura then took off down the freeway for about a quarter of a mile. The driver didn't stop until he heard Dieckman pounding on the window, according to an accident report, which noted that both drivers had been traveling at a high rate of speed.

"I grabbed a hold of that spoiler and held on for dear life," Dieckman said. "The adrenaline was pumping so hard."

The driver of the Acura, Auburn resident Jason A. Thomas, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of DUI and for driving with a suspended license. The Olympian left a message seeking comment from Thomas. A woman identifying herself as Thomas' mother confirmed that he does not have auto insurance.

Although he was transported via ambulance to Providence St. Peter Hospital, Dieckman escaped with hardly any injuries other than just being "sore all over."

Despite the compelling evidence of Dieckman's footage, a spokesperson from the Washington State Patrol told The Olympian last week that Dieckman was at fault. No charges or citations have been filed yet.

So far, Dieckman said he has had trouble finding an attorney to take his case because the Acura driver lacks auto insurance.

Dieckman, who works as a courier, also said he owes about $1,000 on a motorcycle that was once his main source of transportation -- but is now racking up fees in an impound lot.

As for the allegation that he is at fault?

"I think that's B.S.," Dieckman said. "In a span of 10-15 seconds, I was almost killed three times."

A semi-truck driver recorded dashcam footage of the crash that has since gone viral on social media.

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