killed by a drunk at 8 am Sunday morning

[NoHeat]

A motorcyclist in my home town was killed Sunday while coming home from the BMWMOA rally in Wisconsin. It was 8 am.

 

It's very sad for his family and friends, of course.

 

The reason I'm posting this here is that I'm struck by how he was killed by a drunk at a time you would least expect it. I think about reducing risks when I ride, including choosing when I ride. But reducing risks isn't the same as eliminating them.

 

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Motorcyclist killed in head-on crash in Dodge County

 

The Reporter Staff

 

TOWN of RUBICON — A 40-year-old Iowa man on his way to a motorcycle rally in Washington County Sunday morning died in a head-on crash in Dodge County.

 

The crash occurred around 8 a.m. Sunday when a 27-year-old Hartford woman driving west on Highway 60 near Lilly Road in the town of Rubicon crossed the centerline and collided with the motorcycle, said Dodge County Chief Deputy Blaine Lauersdorf.

 

The impact threw the 40-year-old Iowa City, Iowa, man from his motorcycle. The medical examiner pronounced the man dead at the scene, Lauersdorf said.

 

The man’s name will be released at noon today.

 

Both vehicles ended up on the north side of Highway 60 and the woman’s car started on fire, Lauersdorf said. She was not injured in the crash.

 

The woman was arrested on a charge of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle and is being held at the Dodge County Jail, Lauersdorf said.

 

She is expected to make her initial court appearance today or tomorrow, he said.

[Ben_Ricci]

A few years ago a rider in the Gettysburg, Pa. area was killed by a drunk at 6:30 a.m. as the rider was leaving his house on his way to participate in Rolling Thunder. He had just pulled out of his driveway and was headed up the road when a drunk teenager lost control of his car on a curve at highspeed.

 

A few months ago a rider from our local club lost a leg in a collision with a drunk driver at 2:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. Everyone seemed surprised. I was riding in the same general area that day and I remarked to myself I had to be heads up because it was Friday afternoon and I was certain some of the vehicles I was sharing the road with would certainly have impaired drivers. We can never let our guard down and despite our best efforts, we can be victims to this senselessness at any time of the day or night.

 

I sympathize with this rider's and all other families facing a tragey like this.

 

It's VERY sad.

[motorman587]

I arrested a drunk driver in school zone many years ago. An active school zone. Kids, lights flashing with school crossing guards.

 

Being a LEO and sure others will back me, you would not believe how may drunks are there. I work in a college town and Friday and Saturday night. Holly cow. You would be amazed.

[BrianT]

You'd be surprized, but I've seen this a few times. The person was either so drunk from the night before that they were still coming down and not yet below the legal limit in the morning or just stayed up all night drinking and was finally on their way home.

[JayW]

I wonder if he was a member of this forum?

[Jake]

I wonder if he was a member of this forum?

His name is Daniel D. Christ - story here.

 

Can't tell if he was a member. Godspeed my brother.

[Timmer]

Interesting - they identify the victim in the newspaper article, but not the driver who killed him.

[glockster]

..........Godspeed my brother.

 

+1

[duckbubbles]

She was not injured in the crash.

I sincerely believe that her injuries should include an anonymous .44 slug between the eyes.

I have no regrets saying that.

 

Frank

[keithb]

I came upon a similar accident 6 months ago on Ortega Hwy. here in Orange County. It was 10am Sunday morning and the driver had been drinking, crossed the centerline in a corner, and hit the rider head on. He did not have a chance. Turns out my wife knew his girlfriend from work. Nothing hits home more than seeing a brother under a sheet.

[PRC]

I agree with you John,

 

In my almost 20 years of service, I have found DUI's at all hours of the day. People think that after a night of parties and bars, they can sleep it off in a few hours - not the case. Something for ALL of us to think about: the accepted average rate of elimination is .015% per hour after peak BAC is obtained. So, if you have a really great time and get up to a .18 while sleeping at around 0400, you'll be legal to drive at 1000 - SIX hours later. This why I try not to ride or drive before 12 noon !

[RPG]

so sorry to hear of this. Expect the perp to get off.

 

About a year ago Skip Gage was killed about a mile from where I work in Novi, MI. Although I didn't know him, several Harley riders I work with did. He was a former Detroit Police Motor cop, founder of the Wart Hogs M/C and was currently selling bikes at Motor City Harley.

 

As he was sitting on his Black Electra-Glide at a traffic light around 8pm, a woman slammed into him. She then proceeded to try and remove her vehicle off Skip and this is what many belive contributed to his death.

 

She was eventually charged with Vehicular manslaughter and just yesterday was acquitted of all charges. I wasn't at the trial but I heard through the grapevine that Juror #12 just couldn't find it in his heart to send a woman to jail.

 

Again, there is no justice.

 

Rick G

[casticus]

+1 I used to dodge em on my way home at 0200 HRS every night....Crazy dangerous.

[T__]

so sorry to hear of this. Expect the perp to get off.

 

About a year ago Skip Gage was killed about a mile from where I work in Novi, MI. Although I didn't know him, several Harley riders I work with did. He was a former Detroit Police Motor cop, founder of the Wart Hogs M/C and was currently selling bikes at Motor City Harley.

 

As he was sitting on his Black Electra-Glide at a traffic light around 8pm, a woman slammed into him. She then proceeded to try and remove her vehicle off Skip and this is what many belive contributed to his death.

 

She was eventually charged with Vehicular manslaughter and just yesterday was acquitted of all charges. I wasn't at the trial but I heard through the grapevine that Juror #12 just couldn't find it in his heart to send a woman to jail.

 

Again, there is no justice.

 

Rick G

 

 

Rick, I knew Skip.. Not a close friend but an acquaintance that I would talk with on a regular basis.. That is a very tragic occurrence with his loss.. I didn’t realize his KILLER was acquitted.. That is a travesty of justice & a dirty shame.. We can only hope she gets her just rewards when the time comes..

 

Twisty

[icom]

I wonder if he was a member of this forum?

 

I was informed last night the President of the Pure Stodge BMW Club from Iowa City was killed instantly in a head on collision 20 minutes after he departed the Wisconsin Rally site on Sunday morning.A 29 year old drunken female in a pickup truck crossed the centerline and collided with his motorcycle at 8am as he was headed home from the rally.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Down where I live, the bars not in the city proper but under county rules can close as late as 5AM. Drunks on the way to breakfast, drunks at the Awful House, drunks at Lennies, drunks on their way to work. I also get to watch them firing up an assortment of smoking equipment in their cars on the way to work. I'm no prude or even all that straight myself but, c'mon people, this is no way to duck and hide from life's little or big problems. I won't even talk about the folks on various mood altering medications. I can't believe Prozac contributes to sharp reflexes, good fine motor control and rapid decision making nor Valium and all the rest.

 

The problem ain't just booze, it is just the easiest to detect.

[Lawman]

As a side note not all D.U.I's who kill do so with a vehicle..I once arrested a man around 5:00 a.m. that was driving all over the roadway and could barely stand when I got him out of the car. When I told him he was being arrested for D.W.I. he told me that would not be possible due to the fact that he was a surgeon and he had a scheduled surgery at 8:00 a.m. that morning..I checked on his story and found it to be true...

[AZKomet]

Well, call me a liar but at one point in time I had 3 drunks in my back seat and came across two others in one night!!!!!!!! So it is not uncommon to see a drunk at any given time of the day. A drunk is a drunk.....hours are a formality. I once had a women who was driving the wrong way on the freeway for 30 miles before I got her stopped. She had 3 young children in the back seat....when asked where she was going she told me Tempe. Funny she was 40 miles west of Tempe heading west when she should have been going east. Guess the wrong side of the road confused her. Drunks kill about 16,000 people a year. Nearly half of the 40,000 killed in all MVC's.

[hANNAbONE]

i aLSO posted this in Random Topics...this is a shame...

[Wyn]

What a crime against humanity. Just think of the family and friends devestated by it. Then insult to injury the perp gets off!! Now they can go do it to someone else!!

 

Goes to show, you never now when you'll step into eternity.

[litigator]

One of my first major cases was representing the 3 children of a couple who were killed by a drunk, on their way to Church to sing in the choir, on Easter morning. Their kids were to follow a little later, since they did not have to be at choir practice, or all 5 would probably have died. The drunk died, too.

 

A few years later, I read that the drunk's brother got on the interstate, going the wrong way, drunk, and killed two more people. He lived.

[Eschelon1]

I rode past the area of the accident Sunday morning after leaving the rally. Police & fire had that section of the road blocked off and a detour set up. It was a straight, undivided two lane highway, sunny and dry.

 

I served most of my adult life in the military I have seen my share of death. I doesn't effect me too much, it's a fact of life. Some of us go before our time.

 

With one exception, when I hear of the death of a fellow motorcyclist killed by an idiot, it effects me to the core similar (Metaphorically) to "A disturbance in the force".

 

This shit needs to stop....