Tragic, non FJR accident

[El Toro]

Recently retired husband and wife, 62 years old, fullfilling their dream of a ride from Tennessee up into Canada. Believed to be returning home on their Harley with trailer south of Belfast Maine on route 1 when a pick up truck driven by a local veered into their lane, striking them head on. The force was so great that the pick up truck actually lost a wheel. On the remaining three wheels, the cager drove another three miles before being stopped by police. "A medical condition" is reported as the possible excuse. Woman driving the pick up has not yet been charged with anything.... not even hit and run.

The helmets were stowed with the luggage. Both lost their right legs. Pillion has serious head and pelvic injuries. Both still in the ICU in Bangor where they were life-flighted. Both still in critical, but stable condition. Accident was last week.

Victims were travelling with friends who were able to maneuver to miss being struck by the car. Two minutes before the accident the police had a phone call reporting an erratic driver out on route 1.

Here's a link. The victims were part owners of a local Harley attracting restaurant here in Cookeville called The Hawg Barn.

https://waldo.villagesoup.com/Government/st...?storyID=122646

 

[Jetmaker737]

WTF?... Why is it that when these cagers kill and maim riders there's no charges?

 

[Low Level FJR Pilot]

Our prayers should go out for the Gentry's. This is tragic.

 

[JRO]

WTF?... Why is it that when these cagers kill and maim riders there's no charges?

I dunno... Riding is an 'at your own risk' activity? Or maybe because 'they had no buisness being on a motorcycle', anyway? 'Rider error' - they were in front of the car/truck/steamroller?

There are many reasons. Riding a motorcycle automatically makes you a second-class citizen. You might not like that, but it's just the way it is. "It was just a bike".... "Damn motorcycle"... "Squashed him and his shiny little bike"... Never heard things like that? Never thought them, yourself? Sorry - that's the territory you're in, if you choose to ride a bike.

On the other hand, it works both ways. I've seen bikes cause accidents, and get away with it. I've known of pedestrians, who did same. My mother had a cousin, who was killed by an armadillo making an illegal crossing on Oklahoma State Highway #1. The armadillo never recieved so much as a citation. I'll be the sonofabitch didn't even get a higher insurance rate out of the deal.

In this particular case, who knows? The authorities are probably honest in their investigation of the accident. I've known of a few times when that wasn't the case, but generally not. What happened was a tragic accident. There are many, every day. The only thing to do, is try to minimize your chances of being involved in one, and not dwell on others'. It's pretty hard to determine fault, from a news story.

 

[ctfjr]

WTF?... Why is it that when these cagers kill and maim riders there's no charges?

I dunno... Riding is an 'at your own risk' activity? Or maybe because 'they had no buisness being on a motorcycle', anyway? 'Rider error' - they were in front of the car/truck/steamroller?

There are many reasons. Riding a motorcycle automatically makes you a second-class citizen. You might not like that, but it's just the way it is. "It was just a bike".... "Damn motorcycle"... "Squashed him and his shiny little bike"... Never heard things like that? Never thought them, yourself? Sorry - that's the territory you're in, if you choose to ride a bike.

On the other hand, it works both ways. I've seen bikes cause accidents, and get away with it. I've known of pedestrians, who did same. My mother had a cousin, who was killed by an armadillo making an illegal crossing on Oklahoma State Highway #1. The armadillo never recieved so much as a citation. I'll be the sonofabitch didn't even get a higher insurance rate out of the deal.

In this particular case, who knows? The authorities are probably honest in their investigation of the accident. I've known of a few times when that wasn't the case, but generally not. What happened was a tragic accident. There are many, every day. The only thing to do, is try to minimize your chances of being involved in one, and not dwell on others'. It's pretty hard to determine fault, from a news story.

What an interesting reply ?

Two motorcyclists are seriously injured - through no fault of their own, Did you read the fukin article? And this is the best you can come up with? What a load of pontificating ********!

Our prayers & well wishes should go out to these people.

 

[Jetmaker737]

As we all know people just aren't trained to "see" motorcycles. If this is ever going to change it will require stiff penalties. Pedestrians are protected by stiff laws and that's why we all keep a sharp eye out for them. If you hit one it's almost always going to be your fault no matter the circumstances. We need similar rules for motorcyclists. If gas prices stay high there's just going to be more an more riders. There already seems to be an explosion of those scooter-type things all over the roads. We're all at risk as long as the cops fall all over themselves making excuses for people that harm riders.

 

[Jagermeister]

Recently retired husband and wife, 62 years old, fullfilling their dream of a ride from Tennessee up into Canada. Believed to be returning home on their Harley with trailer south of Belfast Maine on route 1 when a pick up truck driven by a local veered into their lane, striking them head on. The force was so great that the pick up truck actually lost a wheel. On the remaining three wheels, the cager drove another three miles before being stopped by police. "A medical condition" is reported as the possible excuse. Woman driving the pick up has not yet been charged with anything.... not even hit and run.
[SIZE=14pt]The helmets were stowed with the luggage. [/SIZE] Both lost their right legs. Pillion has serious head and pelvic injuries. Both still in the ICU in Bangor where they were life-flighted. Both still in critical, but stable condition. Accident was last week.

Victims were travelling with friends who were able to maneuver to miss being struck by the car. Two minutes before the accident the police had a phone call reporting an erratic driver out on route 1.

Here's a link. The victims were part owners of a local Harley attracting restaurant here in Cookeville called The Hawg Barn.

https://waldo.villagesoup.com/Government/st...?storyID=122646

Not that helmets would have saved their legs, but still.....

 

[ngarider]

Bad **** can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. You rolls the dice and you takes your chances.

Hope they pull through.

 

[El Toro]

Bad **** can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. You rolls the dice and you takes your chances.
Hope they pull through.

Yeah, they were clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time. ATGATT wouldn't have done much for them, except possibly on the head injuries. If you get run over by a pick up truck.... literally.... chances are that armor or kevlar aren't going to do much.

This evening on the History channel they ran an episode of Modern Marvels called Crashes. The episode included a fairly good segment on motorcycle crashes, and showed a lot of pictures taken on a test set up where the bike was "ridden" at 30 mph into a car travelling a 90 degrees at 15 mph. It was interesting to see how the bike folded up and the crash test dummy rider's pelvis, upper body, and head all hit the car. They showed how they were able to take the decelleration data from the actual test and then rerun the simulation with the bike on a sled, getting more dummy info without having to totally destroy another bike. The experiments were being done in the Phoenix area. The final part of this segment showed the deployment of the Goldwing's air bag, and also showed air bag vests that you could wear on other bikes. The Goldwing's air bag appeared to offer some protection for the pelvic area and upper body. The air bag vest appeared to offer some protection for the upper body and neck. I'm safety oriented, but I'm not too interested in either of these options myself.

They showed a lot of traffic accident footage, and they commented that many bike accidents occur when a car just doesn't see them and takes their space away.

Pay attention out there.... and stay nimble.

 

[JRO]

What an interesting reply ?
Two motorcyclists are seriously injured - through no fault of their own, Did you read the fukin article? And this is the best you can come up with? What a load of pontificating ********!

Our prayers & well wishes should go out to these people.

Yes, I read the article. In the one I read, it was clear that charges haven't been filed, and may not be filed, and the investigation is ongoing. I don't know why the driver hit the motorcycle, and although it's horrible, I'll leave it to the local authorities to determine what happened, and if there is any culpability.

Sorry. I sympathize, but it's not possible to bleed over every accident report that comes along. They're interesting, but how much time did you spend on your knees praying for these folks, after reading the article?

In any event:

WTF?... Why is it that when these cagers kill and maim riders there's no charges?

I don't think automobilists generally get away with criminal accidents against motorcyclists, when such is the case. Certainly, it has happened, and the reverse is also true.

As we all know people just aren't trained to "see" motorcycles. If this is ever going to change it will require stiff penalties. Pedestrians are protected by stiff laws and that's why we all keep a sharp eye out for them. If you hit one it's almost always going to be your fault no matter the circumstances. We need similar rules for motorcyclists. If gas prices stay high there's just going to be more an more riders. There already seems to be an explosion of those scooter-type things all over the roads. We're all at risk as long as the cops fall all over themselves making excuses for people that harm riders.

As long as motorcycles are smaller than cars, people are going to miss seeing them, at critical moments. You can make people a little more aware of sharing the roads with motorcycles, but visibility is always going to be a problem. All kinds of vehicles we share the road with have accidents with each other, and I don't think motorcycles should be protected by laws, any different than what cars and trucks have. Giving motorcycles some kind of quasi-pedestrian protective status, would not be something I would want to see happen. What's next? Different driving laws economy vehicles, performance vehicles, luxury vehicles, SUV's, riding mowers, trikes - joggers? Should scooters be protected from motorcycles? Tractor-trailers and schoolbuses already are required to function under different rules. Where would it stop?

There's always an exception, but I'm not convinced cops make excuses for drivers who run over motorcycles.

 

[Rob]

Ok so I have read this post and given it some thought. I own a trucking company and have been driving trucks for 15+ years. I have managed to never be in a accident. That is NOT the norm. I have a CDL, You have a DL with a M endorsement. I think when you engage in a activity where you are driving and you know that there are other vehicle that are bigger than you you may want to keep a eye out for those. Am I saying it is right if this person gets away with it? Maybe, Maybe its not getting away with it if the lady was having a stroke. Now if she stopped taking her medication then it IS her fault. But looking at the pictures that are listed, it looks like they almost got out of the way. Maybe if the rider had reacted a little faster it wouldn't have happened or maybe they would still dumped but out in the nice soft grassy area instead. Maybe the truck came at them so fast they never saw it at all. The Cops have not spoken to the riders to find out have they? If we want to flip this around every time a car swerves into a oncoming trucks lane they always say the truck killed that person. We seem to always blame the bigger vehicle. Hell trains Jump off the tracks and chase poor little ladies down on a daily basis. Always blame the bigger vehicle. If you choose to get on a scooter and take it onto the freeway you are really taking a chance.

As a rider I hate to see or hear about these things. As a driver I keep a eye out at all times for every one to make sure I don't get hit.

All I am saying is it is sad but you can't jump to conclusions.

On another note I read that more State and City Cops are going to be using Bikes to help cut the high price they are spending on Fuel. Maybe they will start pulling more aggressive drivers/riders over if they too are on bikes.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Jetmaker737]

but visibility is always going to be a problem.

Not if people open their F-ing eyes. And one way to encourage that is if they know they'll pay for not doing so. If they're at fault in an accident, make them pay. That's all I'm saying.

The "where does it stop" argument is spurious.

 

[Rob]

Doesn't matter if 2 cars hit each other. The one at fault will pay. If they are negligent they can go to jail but accidents happen.

 

[El Toro]

Maybe the truck came at them so fast they never saw it at all. The Cops have not spoken to the riders to find out have they?

It was a pick up, not a big rig.

They were on a Harley, two up, lots of gear, and towing a trailer, so the idea that they weren't set up to react quickly is certainly valid.

Today on I-40 when I was eastbound out of Nashville a guy in a VW coming in from the on-ramp, demonstrated his masterful merging skills by merging through all lanes of traffic into the far left lane where I was tooling along with traffic at 80 mph. He was not watching for me. If I had not been watching for him, he would have hit me. I was on a large bike, and I'm a large guy. Usually I get seen... but not always.

They say the woman might have had some issues with diabetes.

They have not talked to the victims because they can't, not because of laziness or other problems. I don't know where they stand today, but last I checked, they were still critical, but stable. When they are out of the ICU, the police will probably interview them.

I'm headed up that way later this week on my way to a regatta in mid coast Maine, and then on to Atlantic Canada. I hope I can learn more then.

All accidents are tragic. This one struck me because of the age of the victims, and their hope for their future in retirement. Stuff can change pretty quickly for any of us. It sure changed for them.

 

[timalan]

I had a friend who was hit head on by a guy who swerved into his lane causing a head on crash. The Guy had a heart attack, died, Then crossed the center line and hit my friend. they determined the guy was already dead when he crossed the center line and insurance said that the issurance policy ended when the man died. They tried not to pay for the really broken up body of my friend but eventually lost in court. Sometimes, You really can't be held responsible for your actions.... Like after you died. "Accidents" really do happen. I am just sayin....

And my son is a Diabetic.... I stress everyday that he needs to be resposible with his disease... Because he could kill someone else. diabetes can really Screw with your Brain and awareness. Most Diabetic issues with driving can be avoided by Actively controlling your disease. But one miscalculation can Kill. You and others.

Poor kid since he was seven been stabin his fingers 7-10 times a day... started with 4 daily injections and now on the pump. Calculating every little thing you eat and every small amount of extra exercise. He gettins f*&kin tired of doin it all. And sometimes he says the hell with it.

Last week when he left work at Midnight, he checked his blood sugar before driving home.... He was a little Low on glucose level.... He treated like he should.... and walked to the car. The glucose fell faster than his treatment helped and Seconds before he hopped in the car to drive home, he went out cold and fell flat on his back. Bruised the entire thing. Cracked his head on the pavement. then the sugar tablets he ate kicked in and woke him up and He threw up all over the parking lot. He got someone to drive him home while he drank a mountain dew and he couldn't think straight for hours. 11 years of struggling with diabetes this is the first time He has lost conciousness. If it had been one minute later he'd been driving on route 66 across two sets of train tracks and might have died or killed someone else.

Time and Chance will happen to everyone.... Hope you see all the bikers and cages before you whip out in traffic... every single time. No one does.

Scares the **** out of me.

 

[Rob]

Like I said I am by no means defending the person in the Pickup but I am not condemning them either. I wear the Joe Rocket gloves because it hurts my hands when I have to knock on the window of the cager who entering my lane. I have done it many times. I am also large and the FJR is not a moped. I wear a Yellow helmet for the love of God. But they still come in on me.

 

[El Toro]

they determined the guy was already dead when he crossed the center line and insurance said that the issurance policy ended when the man died. They tried not to pay for the really broken up body of my friend but eventually lost in court. Sometimes, You really can't be held responsible for your actions.... Like after you died. "Accidents" really do happen. I am just sayin....

That's why they call them accidents. You really can't plan for them, except in some generic sense, like keeping your affairs in order.

The story about the insurance company not wanting to pay because the guy died is symptomatic of a bigger set of responsibility issues that extend through our culture. I find the story to be sadly believable, and I'm glad your friend's family won in this case.

And my son is a Diabetic.... I stress everyday that he needs to be resposible with his disease... Because he could kill someone else. diabetes can really Screw with your Brain and awareness. Most Diabetic issues with driving can be avoided by Actively controlling your disease. But one miscalculation can Kill. You and others.

I work with engineering students. I've been particularly close to one young man who had strong engine building skills with formal training by a major marque. He was also older and more mature than typical college students. I hired him as a lab assistant for the internal combustion engines lab. He worked for me for two years, and was a leader in our engine experimentation activities over that period. In any event, he had the type of diabetes that would normally show up in childhood, but it didn't afflict him until he was a young adult mid 20's).

He was extremely disciplined about his food intake, exercise, and blood levels. For one period of time I remember he wore a computer that fed a stream of data to a data logger for his physician. It is very complicated, and watching him made me accutely aware of just how challenging it would be to live with diabetes.

Scares the **** out of me.

AMEN.

 

[timalan]

I can't even begin to tell you what watching a diabetic Son does to a parent.

Even at age 7 he didn't need help with taking care of himself...

He had to have control of the needles to Make it "OK"

But all the counting of carbohydrates and figuring insulin amounts has made him Just a bit OCD

But only about somethings. And the whole "letting him operate a motor vehicle" Scary!

But also I have encouraged him to do all that he can do. That is why He has the SV and CB350. Live life while you have life. You never know when someone might come across that yellow line and take it from you. Or you might pass out in a parking lot, crack your head and that can take life also.

Live it full and live it hard.

see last of sig line.... I believe in that!

I tell them kids,

"good or bad, its all part of the walk, take it in stride, or TRIP and Fall.

 

[Spook]

Three accidents in one day on the road past my house. Two Forrest rats and one old man turning left in front of a bike passing too many cars