Posted this date on
Bruce and Rays Forum by this writer: Following is a brief listing of motorcycle accidents followed by a questioning of our own culpability in the continuing road carnage that can lead to the death of any person who rides a Motorcycle. Including YOU or somebody YOU LOVE.
So the question becomes, how long will "WE" allow it to continue????????
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070813/LOCAL1803/708130397/-1/LOCAL17
Fatal truck-motorcycle crash has new detail IndyStar.com Metro & State Marion County East Marion County August 13, 2007 Police are continuing to investigate a fatal truck-motorcycle crash this month that left an Indianapolis man dead, but now say it was the truck, not the motorcycle, that was making a left-hand turn. Noble R. Bowden, 63, 11000 block of Deanna Drive, was killed in the Aug. 2 crash in the 6000 block of East Washington Street. Police now believe Travis B. Wolfe, 27, was driving a pickup truck west on Washington and attempting a left turn when he hit Bowden's eastbound Suzuki motorcycle. Witnesses told police the light had turned by the time Wolfe turned and Bowden had the right of way. Police also say Wolfe had a suspended license at the time of the crash. Police are asking for blood tests for Bowden after emergency responders smelled alcohol on his breath. Police tested Wolfe, who was found to be sober. No arrests have been made in the case.
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http://www.koco.com/news/13871430/detail.html
A car drifted left of center along a Carter County highway Friday and slammed into four motorcycles, killing three people and leaving two others in critical condition, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.
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Schehr was driving east when she entered Christ's lane, Kreitzman said. Christ tried to avoid the collision but Schehr's car swerved beyond the white fog line and struck the motorcycle , he said. Schehr was charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle, a Class D felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. She was released from jail after posting $2,500 cash bond. Her next court appearance, in Juneau, has been set for Aug. 2. DA Bauer istates in the 15 years that he has been the DA one person convicted of these charges with no prior record has ever received a prison sentence. He has indicated that he will ask for prison but believes that the defendant will ultimately get probation.
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http://www.gazette.com/articles/jeep_25517___article.html/colorado_motorcyclist.html
A 44-year-old man driving a motorcycle was killed after being hit by a Jeep exiting a driveway onto southbound 30th street around 1 a.m. this morning. The motorcyclist was northbound, traveling in the left lane when he was hit by the Jeep. The motorcyclist, whose name has not been released, tried to avoid being hit but was thrown off and came to rest under the front end of the Jeep, police say. The Jeep driver was taken into custody, police said.
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http://www.wkrg.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WKRG%2FMGArticle%2FKRG_BasicA
rticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352179142&path=!news!local LOCUST FORK, Ala. (AP) - A Patriot Guard rider was killed this morning in a motorcycle crash while on his way to honor a Locust Fork soldier killed in Iraq. State Trooper Curtis Summerville says 57-year-old Paul S. Robbins of
Prattville died at the scene when the motorcycle and truck collided. (CHARGES OR FAULT NOT MENTIONED)
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A motorcyclist from Locust Grove has died after crashing into another vehicle near Claremore.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says 58-year-old Ronald Foster was driving a 1982 Harley Davidson on a Rogers County road when a vehicle driven by a 16-year-old girl failed to yield at a stop sign. The highway patrol says Foster crashed into the passenger side of that vehicle around 7:40 p.m. Friday and died at the scene about five miles north of Claremore.
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http://knoxnews.com/news/2007/jul/24/motorcylist-dies-when-bike-struck-suv/
Motorcylist dies when bike struck by SUV News Sentinel staff Originally published 04:11 p.m., July 24, 2007 Updated 04:11 p.m., July 24, 2007 Frye was traveling north on U.S. 321 about 6:32 p.m. near Interstate 75 when a SUV drove into the 2003 Harley Davidson, Tinnel said. Frye was wearing a helmet. Tinnel said the driver of the 1998 Ford Expedition, Rodney Stark, 38, of Friendsville, told officers he never saw the motorcycle.
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http://www.pal-item.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070723/NEWS01/707230301/1008
2 die in U.S. 27 crash Sheriff's department says car crosses median, strikes married motorcyclists BY MICHELLE MANCHIR AND PAM THARP STAFF WRITERS
LIBERTY, Ind. -- A married couple from Pendleton riding a motorcycle were killed in a car-motorcycle accident Sunday. The wreck took place at about 5:30 p.m. on U.S. 27, about five miles north of town. The driver of the passenger car was taken to Reid Hospital. Dead at the scene were Stephen E. Doll, 64, and his wife, Cheryle D. Doll, 64, of Pendleton, Ind. The driver of the 1998 Honda that struck the Dolls' motorcycle was Karen S. Briggs, 35, of Liberty. Union County Deputy Alvin Day said no charges have been filed and the accident remains under investigation. Witnesses in vehicles following Briggs said she was driving normally until her car drifted across the centerline, Day said. Briggs told officers she doesn't know what happened,
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http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/2007/06/24/2007-0624_2_cops_could_duck_rap_in_bikers_death-2_print.html
Bobby Roman: A police car allegedly hit and killed Roman before leaving the scene.
Two Brooklyn cops who were involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident - and didn't stop to help the victim - may duck criminal charges, the Daily News has learned. The officers were chasing a speeding motorcyclist, Bobby Roman, in Bedford-Stuyvesant on July 9 when the Kawasaki clipped a vehicle it was trying to pass, according to a law enforcement official and court records. Roman, 26, was thrown from the bike into a building at Fulton St. and Spencer Place and killed - but the patrol car and the car that was clipped never stopped. Police never reported why the motorcyclist was being chased.
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http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=3583151&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1 Last Edited: Sunday, 24 Jun 2007, 6:30 PM EDT Memorial Ride held for fallen officer. SideBar Reported By: Charles Molineaux (Edited, for full story see the link above) JONESBORO, Ga. (FOX 5) – Relatives of a Clayton County policeman killed in a motorcycle accident said they were overwhelmed and proud after a large show of support for the fallen officer Sunday. Hundreds of people rumbled through Jonesboro in a memorial ride for Shawn Newlin. The accident that killed Newlin is still under investigation, but investigators said is looked as if the driver of the car involved in the accident, pulled out in front of Newlin without seeing him. The driver wasn't charged in the accident. it is still under investigation'.
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Subject: Letter to the editor (sent to Tallahassee Democrat)
I just heard about another motorcyclist being killed by a careless car driver. The driver, Jeremiah Kelly, was charged (misdemeanor charges of driving with a suspended license and a violation of right-of-way citation) in an accident that killed another human being. He just took his ticket and went home. A suspended license? Shouldn't he be in jail? He certainly should not have been driving. Why did he lose his drivers license? The motorcyclist did not have on a helmet. Did thedriver have on a seatbelt? Had the driver been drinking? This Killer needs to be off the streets and in prison with all the other murderers. I'm so tired of hearing about motorcyclists not wearing helmets (which is not against the law in Florida) being killed and the careless drivers going free after killing them. Especially drivers who should not be on the roads to begin with. Will the judge know that death was involved in the accident when Jeremiah Kelly goes to court or will he just pay the fine for the citation he was given and walk away? Jeremiah Kelly should be in jail. I think that law enforcement officials in this town need to review the way they look at an accident involving a killing by an irresponsible driver.
THIS IS A HOMICIDE, NOT JUST A RUN OF THE MILL ACCIDENT. FLORIDA STATUTE 782.071 Vehicular homicide.--"Vehicular homicide" is the killing of a human being, or the killing of a viable fetus by any injury to the mother, caused by the operation of a motor vehicle by another in a reckless manner likely to cause the death of, or great bodily harm to, another I'VE BEEN A MOTORCYCLE RIDER FOR MANY YEARS. THIS KIND OF INJUSTICE NEEDS TO CHANGE.
(name withheld)
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FROM CURRENT PAGE
Bruce and Rays forumMore Bikers, More Deaths GirlGeek Aug 12, 07 - 9:06 AM
Motorcycle crash deaths spike in Arizona Name: Garry Van Kirk
Date Posted: Aug 10, 07 - 9:47 AM
Fatal motorcycle accidents on rise across the nation Name: Garry Van Kirk
Date Posted: Aug 5, 07 - 8:13 PM
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ANYONE WHO READS THIS SITE IS AWARE THAT THE ABOVE IS JUST A SAMPLING OF WHAT GOES ON IN OUR WORLD:How long will we blame lack of Motorcycle Awareness , When the real issue is:
"LACK OF GIVE A DAMN"These Headlines hit the papers and the news across the country daily.
The Numbers of motorcycles on the Road increase yearly. Many who do not have one want one. And even if they don't want one they can't help see the splashy advertisements attempting to encourage them to get one. Or the numerous Insurance Company commercials vying for your dollar along with every charity known to man.
Even the American Automobile Association addresses Motorcycle issues (favorably or not, it is attention)
There are more runs, shows, rallies, events, bike nights that put the motorcycle in the public eye than ever before.
With the increase in motorcycles comes the increase in one oneupmanship of more lights, louder pipes, and longer wheelies in traffic, postively or negatively attracting attention/awareness.
There are TV shows exclusively aimed at motorcyclists. My God the Tuttles (OCC) were on "Martha Stewart".
Cellphone issues have been reported in Newspapers, local and national broadcast media.
For years all across the nation bikers rights advocates across the country at the local state and national levels have raised the issues of HELMETS (still) and they're efficacy in preventing deaths, the need for stiffer ROW penalties, and of late, cell phones and wireless communications threats.
Is there a legislator anywhere or a newspaper anywhere that has not received at least one letter from a bikers rights safety advocate? And how many of YOUR letters have been answered with a form letter if that?
I have personally talked to bikers who do not believe the science of cell phone use research. Despite my (and others) plea not to engage in contempt prior to investigation but read the science that is available. Here, heres a link you can check out. How many even bother? Why? They don't want to believe it? To believe it means you must take action and very few (an opinion only of course) wish to be inconvenienced by giving up there conveniences.
Not since the days of
"Hollister" has more attention been focused on motorcycles and their riders.
Have we ourselves become blinded by our own issues? Are we unwilling to face the truth about human nature?
I will play Devils advocate for the sake of argument and propose the the following contention.
PEOPLE aren't running over motorcyclists out lack of
AWARENESS. People are running over motorcyclists because
THEY CAN.Because the consequences of continuing their behavior are not severe enough to motivate them to change.
The proof will be in the pudding as we see increasing numbers of motorcyclist using cell phones and GPS device on their motorcycles.
The fight against DUI has gone on for how long. Yet how many people still do it and why? This is not Apples and oranges,
IT IS HUMAN NATURE. The defense of the alcoholic is most often, "I am not an alcoholic", "Those things happen to others IT (insert whatever "it' you choose) won't happen to me", "I can change my behavior anytime I wish", "I drive just fine (or better) with a 6 beers in me". Nine foot tall and bullet proof, young dumb and full of come.
The behavior will not change until one experiences consequences significant enough to motivate change and even then many will fight the change to their own death. The sad thing is, how many will they take to the grave with them, or permanently scar for life?
For those who rode 30 years ago I have a question? How many people tailgated your ass? There was a time when the general public feared the dude on the bike. No more, we have sufficiently improved our public image to the extent that we have become such nice people that it is perfectly o.k. to take us out with an SUV.
Because you Know what we will do in response........Cry to big brother.......please make them stop.Corrupting and prostituting ourselves in the process. And what do we get in return? Lip service and passage of feel good laws supported by those that are paid to speak for us. And of course, more of the same,
DEATH and MORE DEATH, GRIEF AND SORROW, until those that fight die off and the politico's ban motorcycles altogether.
We have seen the enemy and it is us. We have unwittingly become the assistants of the grim reaper by refusing to learn a very important history lesson. While Nero fiddled, Rome burned. OR not. Ride free...rc
Tallahassee's own Tina McElleny scores big check out the story in the Jacksonville paper here 
