Posted on 08/30/2008 7:04:18 AM PDT by BraveMan
MILWAUKEE - A motorcyclist was killed on Milwaukee’s east side after he was hit by a car.
It happened Friday afternoon near Humboldt and North.
Police said a 61-year-old woman from Milwaukee was driving her car southbound on Humboldt when she tried to turn right to go west on North Avenue, but instead of turning right, she went across all the lanes of traffic.
Police say the woman hit the curb on the other side of the road, and tried to correct herself. That is when she struck the motorcyclist.
Police said 55-year-old Michael Fleming of Michigan was riding in a group of four motorcycles, but he was alone on the bike. Paramedics took him to the hospital, where he later died.
The driver of the car is under arrest because police believe she was driving under the influence.
Police say the motorcyclists were doing nothing wrong.
Tony Coffaro, a Harley rider from Milwaukee, nearly got hit himself just moments before seeing Fleming lose his life.
"I had to lock up both my brakes, put the bike down on the side rail, and hang on just to not go over the top of the car. And then I came through the intersection and saw what I saw," Coffaro said.
Many other riders want to use this tragedy to remind drivers what they need to do to keep bikers safe:
"Keep a nice distance between the car and the driver. If you're going to change lanes, make sure no one is in your blind spot," Milwaukee Harley rider Aquine Jackson said.
"People in cars just have to stay the distance," Green Bay rider Gerry Van De Hei said.
But the biggest request of all is this: "If you are going to be drinking and driving, do not get behind the wheel. Do not get behind the handlebars," Coffaro said.
IMHO, a 61 year old woman driving drunk in the middle of the afternoon, killing a biker, should live her remaining years behind bars. There is no excuse for this . . .
Sad ping . . .
I like to think that I’m invisible when I ride. Take NOTHING for granted. People in cars can look right at you and not see you. In this case it seems that there was nothing the biker could have done. It must have been his time to go.
“IMHO, a 61 year old woman driving drunk in the middle of the afternoon, killing a biker, should live her remaining years behind bars. There is no excuse for this . . . “
Agreed.
“Please, please, drivers! Check your blind spots. Don’t follow any closer than three bikes’ distance. Don’t drive so agressively; you’ll get to your destination in plenty of time.”
You left out “wear a helmet”, which was also left out of this report, as were the injuries which killed the poor fellow - I do not think Wisconsin has a mandatory helmet law.
I agree with you, the woman should stay behind bars if she was indeed under the influence.....
I see way too many bikers hanging out in the blind spots of cars. Bikers are like boaters, people with no skill or common sense buy them then ride like they own the road. Bikers, if you cannot see the eyes of the driver of a car or truck they cannot see you.
This is a tragic scenario.
And you probably have the Constitiutional right to not wear a helmet but you are an idiot if you don’t.
Terrible. I’ve had a few near-misses as well this year. Let’s be extra cautious!
I wondered how many posts it woould take before blame the victim crept in. A helmet is poor protection against an out of control or deliberate rammming or crossing into path with no notice by a car. Our family just buried a beloved member who suffered this fate. yes he was wearing a helmet.
Hey, I don't feel safe in a full size truck. In a typical hours drive, I'll have to do, at least, three maneuvers from my fellow everybody-gets-a-license drivers, cell phone drivers, eating drivers, bottom of the bell curve, and on and on and on.
You get on a motorcycle and expect people to look out for you? That's wish fulfillment. Delusional.
I heard an emergency room doctor break motorcycle riders who had been involved in serious accidents into two groups, helmeted and non-helmeted.
Only he called the non-helmeted riders organ donors, and he call the helmeted riders quadriplegics.
I am appalled at this situation, and my heart goes out to the family and friends of the motorcyclist. I am a very experienced motorcyclist myself, who has been hit (head-on) by an irresponsible driver. Too often there is nothing the motorcyclist does or does wrong to contribute to the incident. (I will not use the word “accident” here. It does not apply.
If I had a dollar for everytime I was riding and another driver did not see (or look for) me, almost hit me and then got mad at me, I’d be a rich man.
If I had a dollar for every time I was driving and I did not see a motorcyclist — for any number of variables — I would be a rich woman. They are a different size and shape than a car, and they are often in a different place (mid-lanes) than I expect a car to be.
I am a careful driver and I DO watch out for motorcyclists. If I were on a motorcycle, I would assume that NO driver ever saw me.
This poor guy.
Usually if a helmet is not mentioned, the rider had one on.
One of my favorite hate visual things is first thing near dawn, a gray or black car driving to work with no lights on, on a gray or black road. I have also driven in pretty low light heavy rain and there is a pure gray car with no lights in the mist. But I expect this. As I said, there is a Bell Curve, and one out of two are in the bottom half. Expecting dumb, careless people to be smart careful people is crazy.
What do they call sociopaths who use a steering wheel as their weapon of choice?
prayers
“I wondered how many posts it woould take before blame the victim crept in. A helmet is poor protection against an out of control or deliberate rammming or crossing into path with no notice by a car. Our family just buried a beloved member who suffered this fate. yes he was wearing a helmet.”
Did I blame the victim? No I did not. I was responding to a post admonishing folks to be safe. A helmet is certainly worth mention if you are also mentioning safe following distance.
I’m sorry for your loss. however, I stand by my question. Was the guy in question wearing a helmet, and what were his injuries? That is a valid question, and no it is not blaming the victim.
That is the only way to ride. I assume other drivers are going to hit me if I don't avoid them.
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