PITTSBURGH -- There are questions about whether Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has a valid Pennsylvania motorcycle license and whether his temporary permit expired in March, broadcast reports said Tuesday. He does have a valid automobile driver's license.

Pittsburgh police said Roethlisberger wasn't wearing a helmet when his bike hit a car traveling in the opposite direction. He was thrown from his bike on impact. He suffered multiple facial fractures, including a broken jaw, a broken nasal cavity, head lacerations, injured knees and lost many teeth in the collision.

WPXI-TV reported that Roethlisberger did not have a valid motorcycle license at the time of his accident on Monday and that he did not have a motorcycle learner's permit. WTAE-TV said his motorcycle learner's permit is expired. According to The Associated Press, Roethlisberger's temporary permit expired in March.

Motorcycle operators in Pennsylvania can only ride legally without a helmet if they have two years of riding experience or if they have completed an approved motorcycle safety course. The Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles declined to comment on the report. Nobody has been cited in the crash and police have not released information about the crash.

Doctors said the multiple facial fractures were successfully repaired during more than 7.5 hours of surgery. The lead surgeon said doctors didn't discover any other serious injuries.

The Portland Press Herald in Maine identified the driver of the 1996 Chrysler New Yorker in the crash as 62-year-old Martha Fleishman. Her husband, Martin Fleishman, said his wife was not hurt.

He said he and his wife wish Roethlisberger "a speedy and complete recovery."

The Fleishmans live in Farmington, Maine, during the summer. They spend the rest of the year in the Pittsburgh area.

It's not yet known if the accident will affect Roethlisberger's chances of playing for the Steelers this season.

Roethlisberger has said he likes to ride without a helmet, a habit that led to a stern lecture from Steelers coach Bill Cowher. Cowher warned his prized quarterback about the dangers of riding a motorcycle after Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. tore up knee ligaments in a bike accident, causing him to miss an entire season.

The 24-year-old Roethlisberger helped guide the Steelers to the Super Bowl championship last season in only his second year of NFL action. He completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 2,385 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season, his second in the league.

Causes

The causes of many motorcycle crashes can be attributed to:

• Lack of basic riding skills
• Failure to appreciate the inherent operating characteristics
• Failure to appreciate the limitations of the motorcycle
• Failure to use special precautions while riding
• Failure to use defensive driving techniques
• Lack of specific braking and cornering skills
• Failure to follow speed limit