Fourth Motorcyclist Dies in Accident at Bike Week

AP ^ | Mar. 7, 2004

[nuconvert]

Fourth Motorcyclist Dies in Accident at Bike Week

Mar 6, 2004

The Associated Press

DELTONA, Fla. (AP) - A motorcyclist was killed Saturday when he ran off the road and struck a tree, bringing the death toll at Bike Week to four. Hector Torres, 28, of Deltona, was the only person involved in the accident, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Torres was thrown from the motorcycle after missing a curve and striking a tree. He was wearing a novelty helmet, not a safety helmet, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported.

He was the fourth motorcyclist to die in Volusia County during bike week, which began Feb. 27 and ends Sunday.

Meanwhile, two motorcyclists in Marion County died in separate accidents in two days.

Scott A. Ferko was riding a 2001 Yamaha R1 on Saturday when an 1998 Oldsmobile LS turned in front of him, troopers said. Ferko collided with the right side of the car and flipped at least twice before hitting a trailer that was carrying boulders behind a truck. The truck was driving behind the Oldsmobile.

The front half of his motorcycle landed on the shoulder, a few yards away from the back half in the middle of the road, the Ocala Star-Banner reported.

Ferko was pronounced dead at Munroe Regional Medical Center. No one else was injured.

On Friday, Shaun Lowe, 22, of Leesburg, was driving his Yamaha motorcycle on U.S. 441 near Lady Lake when a Chevrolet Corsica pulled out in front of him, troopers said. He was pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Both Ferko and Lowe were wearing helmets, troopers said.

[nuconvert]

Sheeesh
Maybe they ought to change the name to "Death on a Bike Week"

[xrp]

Maybe we can get Congress to outlaw motorcycles.

[steplock]

One was killed by his own actions ---

THREE died from automobile driver causes!!!

Ban autos!

suv'S kill!

[nuconvert]

"The front half of his motorcycle landed on the shoulder, a few yards away from the back half in the middle of the road"

Never good when this happens.........

[bobo1]

I put about 10,000 miles a year on a motorcycle. I stay away from cities, and high traffic areas. I grew up in Phoenix, Az., and you couldn't pay me to ride one there.

Motorcycles are flat out dangerous; sometimes, because they have more gears than the rider has brains; sometimes because an eighteen year old wants something faster than a Ferrari but can't pay the price, so for a tenth of the cost, he can outrun any car made; usually it is because a person in a car isn't paying attention and doesn't see 'em. But I love 'em anyway. That's why I live in the sticks.

Blessings, Bobo

[oyez]

He was wearing a novelty helmet, not a safety helmet

When a scooter hits a mature oak tree. The helmet doesn't even enter the equation. The helmet is wearing the rider at that point.

[nuconvert]

Do you know that BoBo was a famous gorilla?
And there's a BoBo THE DETECTIVE CHIMP?

[JoeSixPack1]

...xxxx xxxx, 28, of Deltona, was the only person involved in the accident, ..

He was in his home town of Deltona (just west of Daytona). But LEO's never pass up a usable bikeweek statistic.

[Caipirabob]

Motorcycles are fine with proper training and experience. Sad thing is, most people out there who have accidents on their own have neither. Other situations are caused by cars moreso than by motorcycles. In SoFlo, in this area at least, I believe it's a death wish to ride a motorcycle. Not because of the inherant risk of being exposed on a small moving vehicle, but because of the driving skills of the transient and geriatric portion of the population down here. Bad idea to ride a bike in this neck of the woods.

[nuconvert]

Got him on a technicality.....all were in Volusia County

[Seruzawa]

Considering the thousands of bikers in Daytona a death statistic of 4 is probably no higher than the death statistic for a similar sample in, say, SoCal.

There are two major factors in bike accidents. One is the expected idiots riding 160HP bikes that will do 170+ wiping themselves out.

The other is a recent flood of middleaged buffoons buying Harleys. These guys have no experience and don't have the fast reactions of youth any more.

The one's who are going to bite it do so within the first year. After that the chances of a wreck drop geometrically.

[pt17]

Maybe we can get Congress to outlaw motorcycles

While we're at it, since approximately 5,000 pedestrians are killed in the U.S. each year, let's get Congress to also outlaw feet.

[tacticalogic]

"Casual" riders account for the bulk of the accidents. IMHO, motorcycling is something best done with a passion, or not at all.

[Puppage]

Maybe we can get Congress to outlaw motorcycles

Or, get them to change the name to donorcycles?</sarcasm

[Not A Snowbird]

The other is a recent flood of middleaged buffoons buying Harleys. These guys have no experience and don't have the fast reactions of youth any more.

Well, I'll cop to being middle-aged but not to being a buffoon. I think that what us 40-somethings lack in reaction time we more than make up for in wisdom and a sinere appreciation for our mortality. Except, of course, for the occasional Darwin award nominee who has developed neither.

[Rik0Shay]

When you ride a bike you have to ride like you are invisible to all other drivers.

[blam]

"The other is a recent flood of middleaged buffoons buying Harleys. These guys have no experience and don't have the fast reactions of youth any more."

Check the age of the people in this article who died. I don't see anyone over thirty.

[Seruzawa]

Point taken. I've locally seen a fair number of aging boomers buy Harley's and almost immediately wreck themselves. Most don't by far. There's always the clowns without a lick of sense.