BURLEY - A Burley man riding a motorcycle was injured Friday when he crashed into a petroleum transport truck he was trying to pass east of Burley.

Cassia County Undersheriff George Warrell said Michael Hoopes, 32, was riding his black 1998 Honda motorcycle westbound on Idaho Highway 81 at 421 East between Declo and Burley when he crashed at 8:54 a.m. into the rear-main wheels of a fuel transport truck that was turning into Tesoro Petroleum.

Hoopes was transported to Cassia Regional Medical Center, but his condition is unknown.

The truck, a 2002 Peterbilt owned by Bowen Petroleum and driven by Steven Randall of Burley, was pulling a trailer.

Carol Cole, who lives across the street from where the collision occurred, said she was on her computer when the crash occurred.

"I heard it," said Cole. "I thought the pup had fallen off the truck then I heard the motorcycle rider yelling."

The Cole family provided blankets for Hoopes until medical crews arrived.

Cole, who has lived across from Tesoro for eight years, said the truck drivers who pull in and out of the facility always drive carefully but the motorists who drive on the 55 mph highway are not always careful when passing the trucks.

"We also have kids out here all the time on motorcycles and it's just not safe," Cole said.

Warrell said the truck had pulled out of the east end of the fueling station and was re-entering the western entrance when Hoopes tried to pass it and crashed.

Warrell said Hoopes told officers he saw the blinker flashing on the truck but thought the driver had not turned it off after pulling out of the facility. When Hoopes went to pass the vehicle he crashed into the truck's rear-main tires, wedging the motorcycle underneath.