Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Saw a bad wreck last night

Mark and I decided to go on a date last night. As we were leaving the neighborhood we saw a sickening sight. Approaching the redlight at the end of our road we saw a whole bunch of cars stopped, and people standing and running...then we saw it...the bike...and the twenty something kid laying about 10 to 20 feet from it. Unresponsive.
The scenario is this...bike has green light and right-of-way. He's heading down 120 towards Rockmart, family in mini van is turning onto our road (left hand turn), doesn't take the time to see the bike, clips him...bike and rider fly up...helmet comes off mid flips in air and by the time the kid landed..no helmet, no shoe, no alertness. Of course we stop..it's just happened, cops aren't even there yet. Guy's wailing..I didn't see him I didn't see him...Oh my God I didn't see him. Doesn't matter..too late for the kid...found out from our friend an ER nurse who arrived at the scene at about the same time as EMTs who happens to work at the hospital..he died from his injuries.
Kinda hard to eat after that...very disheatening thing to see...two families destroyed...and could have been prevented by just looking twice.
Mark just found out this morning about the kid passing...now he's just sick and really reeling from seeing so much loss in the last couple of months.

Terrible thing to witness. Just another reminder that car drivers are not looking. We have to think for them.

Terrible thing to see or even hear of, I saw a really bad one when I was on the school bus as a kid. Head on between bike and pickup pulling a fertilizer wagon. Same result and remember it like it was yesterday.

OK..update: Friend and spouse of fellow Triumph owner talked to a local officer. He wasn't directly involved in wreck, but knew the officers there.
It was the bikes fault.
Aparantly...A: it was the bike making the left turn and trying to beat traffic..lost control in the turn going too fast and lay it down..that's when the van hit him.
B: The helmet was not properly fastened when he was hit. He had it on but not buckled which is why it came off so cleanly without any indication of forced removal on his neck or face. (It was a full faced helmet.)

No less tragic or life altering for his family or the man that hit him...He still has to live with that for the rest of his life.

These are horrible things to remember. I still remember one from 20 plus years ago as if it were yesterday. I was about 6 cars behind a small riding group. A car was coming from a merge lane on the right and "didn't see" a bunch of bikers. He plowed into the 2 bikers at the end. I saw both those fellas fly off the bikes and got hit by a car passing me and others on the left. I did stop, along with many others, to see what we could do. Those 2 guys were killed, the car the intially hit them was barely damaged, and the oncoming car and driver were badly banged up.

The guy that started the accident swears he did not see them.

To this day, I can see it in slow motion. This happened in NY on the Northway coming back from Lake George. May 30th, 1985.

Let's be careful out there!!

I've been calling everyone I know that rides telling them to be extra careful and pay extra attention.

Still tragic, but what it comes down to then, Is a young rider making a wreckless move.I'm guessing it was a sport bike?. We all see kids doing dumb stuff on those...saddly we loss one or to around here every year.

The one I saw was the bikes fault as well, guy came around a blind corner too fast and on the wrong side of the road. I still ride that road and that is a fun corner it is on a knoll and the high point of the knoll is also the apex of the corner and very easy to lose control on if you are going too fast.

Well, I almost saw the same thing or similar first hand. I was recently stopped at a red light waiting to turn left at a "T" intersection (while on my bonnie). Light turns green, and like usual, I wait, and look for traffic first. And, like usual, someone blows through a thouroghly red light from my left. If I had proceeded on the green signal, I would have been dead given the speed of the vehicle running the red light. Every one on my side of the intersection was blowing their horn. As was I, although our Bonnies meek little beep probably was not heard. I will say again. ALWAYS wait to proceed through a fresh green signal. It will save your life.

How hard could it be to cinch up the strap ? Not judgemental - it takes 1.5 - 2 seconds and would have averted this senseless tragedy . I feel sorry for the kid's parents , and the guy that hit him . 50 years from now he will still remember the sound . And the kid that's gone - the ultimate loss here .

Heart breaking for both families. It certainly makes you think when you are riding that life is so easily lost through one mistake.. Take care out there people.

I hate to hear these stories. I've almost developed a 6th sense about the other cars on the road. Helps me when I'm in a cage too. I sorta wish everyone would have to start out on a motorcycle before they could get a license to drive a car. I think it makes you more aware.

a local guy was killed this week-end in louisiana, left-hand turn into a drive-way by the suv. another rider was behind him, they both hit the suv, the rider that died slid in front of on-coming traffic, ran over. the survivor is in critical condition, at least he's alive. be careful,,,,be careful!!!!!!

So sad, I feel for Kimmy and Mark having to witness the aftermath, it's a waste of a life and will likely ruin the other driver forever. The ultimate definition of tragedy. Be careful out there mates...

If it was indeed the bikers fault, as it seems it was, with any luck the the car driver has a good support system that can re-enforce the fact it wasn't his fault and help him get past it.

OK...so here in Paulding we have a little website called Paulding.com that is basically the knowall of the county...news..school stuff...obits..stuff like that..(basically a bunch of busybodies chatting it up...like us)
I was able to find out more about this young man.

His name is Joel and he is (was) 26. He leaves behind a 2 yo child and he had just bought the bike the day before the accident. Aparantly, less than a month ago..his dad passed as well. Too much loss for 1 family.

Should'nt you be in bed Kimmy, it's frikkin 12:45 am on a school night!!!!

All drivers scare me. The skills just aren't there!

The only reason I got my first bike as a kid was because a co-worker of my mother's told her that people who start driving on bikes make better overall drivers. She relented and I was on two wheels!

I've found that statement to be true.

I propose that beginning drivers only be allowed on 2 wheels (say 250 cc or less). No cages until 18. I think the roads would be safer.

Why is it that when some dope on a bike does something stupid and gets himself killed the conversation always turns into the evils of cars...Maybe that sounds cold but I think that (it's always the cars fault attitude)is dangerous... I'll bet the percentage of morons is pretty close no matter if you ride a bike or drive a car