Way Too Soon!
I have been thinking about the local teenager(Nick Haney) who died in a motorcycle accident on Sunday. I can’t help but mourn for him and his family who will miss him dearly. Perhaps I am moved by this accident because I saw it, or perhaps it’s because I have 2 boys of a similar age. I guess the reason doesn’t matter. What does matter is a young man has left us too soon! And that makes me very sad.
Its hard to swallow, no doubt… I met a guy on the road one day and within 20 minutes he was dead. It still haunts me when I ride on that stretch of road. We all think we are immune.. but we just are not.
Here is what I wrote about me experience:
Route T is a wicked road one you have to have a healthy dose of respect for. I have probably ridden Route T to and from Washington almost every week since I got my scooter.
Coming back east on T, I headed into a small town called Labadie. I wanted to stop and get some water and go to the bathroom. As I rode up to the little general store there was 3 crotch rockets out front. One of the guys said to me, sorry they are closed today. I said bummer and then he started asking me about my scooter.
He said what is the fastest you have been on that? I said, umm about 92. He said bull shit… I said no really… I said you are welcome to hop on it and see for yourself. He said Nahh, would be bad for my reputation to be seen on a scooter. He said what way are you headed on T? I said into West County, he said well follow us and show me what that scooter can do. I said I will pass; I wanted to ride out to the Labadie Coal Plant… an electric making coal plant.
I started her up and off I went. The coal plant and I have a strange relationship… I find it awesomely attractive. There is something about that huge plant that just makes me tick inside when I see it. It’s just huge and powerful.
I head back on to T and started my ride home. After you leave Labadie there is this area that is switch backs with heavy elevations changes. Even curves within elevation changes. I always slow at the top of the most steep curve as there is always a lot of gravel on the road. As I hit Grand Army Road Road near the gravel, I slowed and as I start to go down a hill, I see at the top of the next hill all these emergency vehicles and people waving their arms. I slow and one guy says go back and use that dirt/gravel road over the there (he points off to the north.) I said, ok cool, thanks. As I hit this dirt/gravel road my entire attention is on the road, I HATE GRAVEL.
I see all these people standing ahead on the dirt/gravel road and I slow and say to one of the ladies, a bad wreck, huh? She says yeah a motorcycle accident. She says there is the guys bike over there (about 100 feet off the embankment from the HWY T) my stomach drops as I see the mangled bike, it was the guy’s bike I had just spoke to at Labadie’s bike. I turn off the scooter and start to walk up to HWY T, the lady says to me, honey you don’t want to go up there. Well I did, under a sheet was the guy I had just meet. Man I felt horrible…still do.
When I came back down the hill, I was shaken up. One of the other ladies commented that someone said they were just going to fast for the road. He layed the bike down on the curve and a pickup ran over him and the bike. Bike was mangled.. dude was dead… really nice guy…he had awesome blue eyes and a wicked smile. That’s all I know about him.
Like I said HWY T is a wicked road, I will not be able to ride though that section without thinking of this guy.
Sorry you had to deal with that. I just hope that something I write or something I post will help keep someone safe.
The last two days has seen as many young deaths here. It is hard to think about. I have 3 young boys, each one has their future bikes picked out. And what you said on a previous post is true, too many riders don’t know what they are doing.
I came over from Adventures in Chrome. Enjoy your blog, thanks.
(Following the Yellow Brick Road)
It does shake you up for a long time. I rode through an accident scene last year a couple of blocks from my house before the paramedics got there. Unfortunately, I got to see the worst of it. I used the clout that I have in town and my political connections to get the speed limit reduced and pressured the county to install better traffic controls at that intersection. It won’t help the man who died that day (who was my friend’s brother) but hopefully I helped save a future life. I still have to go through that intersection every morning.
Phelan- Thanks for your insight and thanks for stopping by.
Dean It is awesome you could use your influence to help safe many future lives!