Austin ROT Fatality

[shaman]

The wife and I drove to ROT today. Its a two hour ride from houston and I'm not tough enough or experienced enough to deal with it safely on the bike. The heat, fatigue, extreme traffic, congestion...so we drive. I have a better time. On the way back we stalled in traffic and I saw there had been an accident ahead. I wasn't prepared for what I saw. Some poor guy face down on the (boiling hot) pavment, no shirt, not helmet, blood pooled under his head and quite obviously deceased. His HD Heritage a total mess. I didn't witness the accident and there was obviously nothing to be done but wait for an official response and stay out of the way. There were lots of people standing around. I went by as quickly as I could, my wife started crying. I don't know the details but the Austin news reports that he lost control of the bike, after going over some RR tracks, and hit a fire truck. They also state that he was in a hurry trying to catch up with friends. I saw the truck in a ditch near by. This was a sad reminder that play on the MC is always serious business. A sad day in the midst of all the celebration. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

[Steelhorse]

Sorry to hear that Shaman. Hope his family and friends pull through it o.k..
First thing you need to do is get your wife on the bike and go for a short putt. After seeing something like that, both of you need to jump on the horse asap.

[lschultz]

Yes I saw that on the news yesterday when I got home from work. I think they had another accident too. Friday's in Austin traffic suck and with the ROT going on it just makes it worse.

[lschultz]

Just read on the news site that his wife was riding a bike behind him some distanct and saw the accident. Caused another rider to run off in the ditch but he did not get hurt. What a day. I can imagine how the other riders in the group felt.

http://www.kxan.com/global/story.asp?s=6600598

[SAFXDL]

Prayers out to his family.....Saw this happen a couple of times at last year's Lone Star Rally in Galveston.......damn shame.

[lschultz]

Smileing strange San Antonio fellow--which one is your son? Is the 43 your age or your IQ ? or am I missing something?

[Lethkial]

Originally Posted by lschultz

Smileing strange San Antonio fellow--which one is your son? Is the 43 your age or your IQ ? or am I missing something?

You are missing something, Larry.

You are destined to be 7.

[Ken R]

Just got in from a three day weekend. I rode with four other bikes and a chase vehicle to Austin for the ROT Rally. There's another thread going for photos of the lovely mini meet we had in Austin, but that's not what this one is about.

Friday afternoon we headed over to the expo center to check in, get our wrist bands and look up some folks we knew were camping out there. We were on Decker Lane, in the left lane, in very heavy traffic when I heard a commotion. I looked up to see debris of some sort flying across the right hand lane. I couldn't make out what the debris was, until I saw a bike spinning on the road to my left. Directly in front of me, in my lane, separated by two autos, a fire truck had locked it's brakes down and spun 180 degrees off the road to the right, almost tipping over on it's side before coming to a stop. The two autos in front of us were slamming on their brakes and we were all trying to stop to avoid hitting them. We all did manage to stop. I sat there in a daze, not understanding what had happened until a woman to my left started screaming.

It was surreal. It happened so quickly, but in slow motion. Screaming tires, black smoke, hundreds of bikes all around, heavy traffic, a spray of chrome bits and pieces strewn across the road, the spinning bike on the other side, and then sudden quiet as everyone came to a halt and shut their engines down.

We pieced together what happened. A couple, on separate bikes, were on Decker going the opposite direction when he apparently hit the railroad tracks at a high rate of speed, lost control and slid into oncoming traffic directly in the path of the firetruck. The firetruck locked it down but couldn't possibly avoid running over him. By the time Mike and Shelley got off their bike and got to him he was already gone with no hope of resuscitation. I didn't ask for details of the injuries and I never walked up there to see for myself.

I have never seen anything like that before and I hope never to again. In the blink of an eye a moments foolishness on a motorcycle resulted in such a tragic and senseless death. I honestly think this was more traumatic than my own accident.

[SAFXDL]

Originally Posted by lschultz

Smileing strange San Antonio fellow--which one is your son? Is the 43 your age or your IQ ? or am I missing something?

The one with the Purple Heart is my son...and yes you're missing something....