Pretty sobering news

[MyCreation68]

Well for the great day I was having it sure turned crappy.
http://www.saskatoonhomepage.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11732&Itemid=374

Crash Kills One In Saskatoon
Saturday, 10 May 2008

A 20 year old man is dead after a motorcycle crash on Confederation Drive Friday evening.

The incident happend at 8:30 and police blocked traffic between 22nd Street and Laurier Drive while a reconstruction unit investigated.

The driver of the car was heading northbound and makingn a left turn.

The driver of the motorcycle was southbound and collided with the car as it negotiated the left turn.

The person in the other vehicle was taken to St. Pauls Hospital with minor injuries and the crash is still under investigation.

I went to highschool with this guy, same grade, some same classes. He was in the drama presentations and was a pretty popular guy with everyone. So far all we know is that the crash happened on the crotch rocket he got last week on his birthday when he was driving downtown to see some people. Unfortunately it happened at dusk which seems to be a bad time for people driving around bikes. I just figured I'd post this, I know some people on here ride motorcycles and most people on here have probably driven around motorbikes. It's just something everyone has to watch out for because it's the spring and personally were I live people don't watch in there cars for motorcycles and unfortunately stuff like this happens.

[rarefish]

I lost my brother in 1976, he was 31 with a new baby. He had never had a single ticket in his life and had 7 years safe driving with the Post Office. He was at a light on a 4 lane highway. It was his habbit to never take off at a light first. There was a large moving van style truck to his left. It took off and got a few feet  ahead of him blocking his view to the left. The truck saw the old guy coming thru the light and slammed on his brakes. Just as my brother cleared the truck he was hit broadside at 40+ MPH. The old man said he knew he hit something but didn't know what it was. He also said he never saw the light. Several years later my dad and I were workin for an old fellow that had several old cars covered with tarps in his back yard. When I asked what they were he broke down crying that he couldn't drive anymore because he had killed a young man with a new baby running a red light. He lived in the general area of my brothers accident. I didn't ask any more questions. Any way you look at it, wheather he hit my brother or not, there were 2 lives ruined.

I'm 52 and have several friends that ride and collect bikes. My brother in law was heading to Rolling Thunder on the Mall in DC. He was less than a 1/2 mile from home when a deer jumped off a bank and landed on his front fender. He got a broken knee and some road rash, his daughter was lucky and got only a little road rash. Two other friends put their bikes down and wound up losing a month or more work, but are OK now.

I grew up in the country and we all had dirt bikes. None of us used helmets. One guy a couple years younger than me broke his neck, he recovered,after many years. was in a chair for several years. Then he used a walker and dragged his feat along, and the last time I saw him he was able to walk sorta OK with a cane.

If you ride, please be carfull, and I pray for the saffety of all bikers, Joe.

[Hotwheelsjr]

Every time I convince myself I want a bike, one of my friends gets killed or maimed on one -- I'll never own one.  I have ATVs and they're the closest I'll get to owning a bike for the rest of my life.  I've seen too many lives ruined because of bikes.

Even my son's best friend for many years was killed on a bicycle, riding to school one morning about a year and a half ago.  SUV hit him -- claimed she never saw him -- un-insured illegal Mexican.  Took the life of a 13 year old on his way to school.  Hardest funeral I have ever had to attend.   Doesn't matter if it's motorized or not.  Too easy to die with no surrounding protection.

[MyCreation68]

I lost my brother in 1976, he was 31 with a new baby. He had never had a single ticket in his life and had 7 years safe driving with the Post Office. He was at a light on a 4 lane highway. It was his habbit to never take off at a light first. There was a large moving van style truck to his left. It took off and got a few feet  ahead of him blocking his view to the left. The truck saw the old guy coming thru the light and slammed on his brakes. Just as my brother cleared the truck he was hit broadside at 40+ MPH. The old man said he knew he hit something but didn't know what it was. He also said he never saw the light. Several years later my dad and I were workin for an old fellow that had several old cars covered with tarps in his back yard. When I asked what they were he broke down crying that he couldn't drive anymore because he had killed a young man with a new baby running a red light. He lived in the general area of my brothers accident. I didn't ask any more questions. Any way you look at it, wheather he hit my brother or not, there were 2 lives ruined.

I'm 52 and have several friends that ride and collect bikes. My brother in law was heading to Rolling Thunder on the Mall in DC. He was less than a 1/2 mile from home when a deer jumped off a bank and landed on his front fender. He got a broken knee and some road rash, his daughter was lucky and got only a little road rash. Two other friends put their bikes down and wound up losing a month or more work, but are OK now.

I grew up in the country and we all had dirt bikes. None of us used helmets. One guy a couple years younger than me broke his neck, he recovered,after many years. was in a chair for several years. Then he used a walker and dragged his feat along, and the last time I saw him he was able to walk sorta OK with a cane.

If you ride, please be carfull, and I pray for the saffety of all bikers, Joe.

thanks for the post joe. It's stunning when it happens. Personally It feels kinda numb thinking about it. I didn't know him well but it's something that kinda sticks with you especially seeing as I'm going to start riding a motorcycle really soon here. My first one ever and it's a pretty big deal to me. a teacher I had in highschool crashed his bike at highway speed and basically destroyed his hip and knee and nearly died when he was around my age on a motorcycle. A guy I work with was t boned on his bike and it destroyed his knee. I don't want to make light of what happened but it's just one of those things that happens.

EDIT: yeah it's a hard thing to look at hotwheelsjr. Unfortunately it's all to easy for people to claim they didn't see you. Owning a motorcycle has alot of responsibilities on everyone because of the dangers.

[doug 371]

that's too bad...it is always a little extra dangerous in the spring when everyone is a little too excited to be out and about

[chryco]

Tough news for sure .

[Pedalkisses]

That's sad.  Hope you have a better day today.

[67Dart383]

Almost brought a crotch rocket last week because it was a good deal! Now glad I didn't!  Thanks for the post!

[bOb shingler]

sorry about your friend. it'd be nice if everyone would see the commercial about the dipshit that didn't look good enough and pulled out in front of the motorcyclist.

[WildCat]

Sorry to hear about your friend

I have ridden a mini bike or motorcycle since I was about 6 years old. Had a guy that lived on the next street over get killed his the summer between his junior and senior year, he was riding his Honda 350 to work and was only about 1 mile from home. Was hit as a car cleared a hill at an estimated speed of 110 the car was airborn and sailed into his lane and hit him, snapped a telephone pole and came to rest in the field. The claim Mark never knew what hit him and he died instantly.

Even though this happened I still love to ride. I watch everything that moves and have been very fortunate. I am more nervous now than in my younger days about where I ride.

It is more times than not the other guy that causes the accident, but that doesn't make it any better when it happens, usually the ridder is the one that gets the worst of it.

One thing to think about is when your time is up no matter where you are or what you are doing it is your time. You cannot stop it, you have no control over it, just best be prepared for the judment day, have your ducks in a row and are at peace. I hope that day doesn't come in a horrible accident but I have no control over it and I will not stop what I love to protect mayself for something I have no control over.


22 years old, 70,000 miles and a joy to ride.

Guess I know more people killed in their cars than on bikes, should I stop driving?

[MyCreation68]

Almost brought a crotch rocket last week because it was a good deal! Now glad I didn't!  Thanks for the post!

I'm not saying don't ride. I'm just saying that be extremely careful. I wouldn't suggest a crotch rocket as your first. Buy something small in the 200-400 cc range(my first bike I'm riding is a 79 Honda Hawk CB400TII 395cc's and 5 speed manual gearbox. It's a great bike.) And definitly don't buy a crotch rocket as your first bike. Make sure you respect your machine most of all. So what if it's capable of 150mph are you capable and safe at that speed? If your really into riding a motorcycle take a safety course and buy something small thats right for you. The worst thing you can do is buy yourself a bike that doesn't fit your skill level and you yourself(height, weight, etc.etc.)  because it was a "good deal"

[WildCat]

If your really into riding a motorcycle take a safety course and buy something small thats right for you. The worst thing you can do is buy yourself a bike that doesn't fit your skill level and you yourself(height, weight, etc.etc.)  because it was a "good deal"

You are absolutely right, speed is cheap when it comes to motorcycles and too many 1st time riders get killed doing stupid stuff. Bought my wife a 650 Suzuki for a 1st time bike, sold it thought it was TOO FAST for her to ride. Ended up with a 400 Honda automatic.

the Suzuki Hub's run 220 MPH, have a friend who's runs 9.5 in 1/4, I see these in the paper for 7K used. Just like performance cars just cause you can afford it doesn't mean you can handle it

Riding classes are great, Just don't believe everthing they tell you (wife fell over like guy on laughin on tricycle 1st time out after she passed the test.) THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER WHEN RIDING and Tina Turn say's it best "RESPECT"  if you don't respect it it will HURT YOU.

Lot of old guys buy the big Harley's or Goldwings then drop them because more bike than they can handle, everyone should start out on a 250~400
again, Sorry to hear about your friend

[65 Hemi]

Sorry to hear about the guy you knew.  I've been riding since 1971, first bike was a Norton 750 Comando.  Started riding during one of the earlier gas crisis situations.  A guy my dad worked with rode all his life, and I got to talking to him one day about his bike and he threw me the keys and said go try it.  Was hooked from that time.  Second bike was a Kaw Z1 900, the Norton wasn't fast enough anymore.  I've lost count of the number of bikes I've owned over the years, and I've been fortunate enough to ride around the USA starting in Jersey, south to Florida, west to Calif, north, then east on I-80 back to Jersey.  Did that with a buddy from England.  Also fortunate enough to ride in Europe on 3 occasions.  Twice through the Alps, which is still to this day one of the most awesome things I've done in my life, and once to the Isle of Man bike races (total insanity!).   I really count my blessings not having any major accidents in all the miles I've ridden.  Been down a few times, sand on road on front tire, and once stopped in middle of town for school bus and rear ended from woman stopped behind me, but guy behind her didn't.  Living in Florida, you have to really watch the older folk here........but you have to watch yourself constantly when you ride, no doubt.