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.
“Usually if a helmet is not mentioned, the rider had one on.”
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=789102
“Police said the man was not wearing a helmet.”
So, the only question is if he died from head injuries.
Again, it’s the car drivers fault, but this guy did lack basic safety equipment that may or may not have made a difference in this instance.
OK, I give up, what do they call sociopaths who use a steering wheel as their weapon of choice?
Yikes!!
You're obviously lucky to be alive. What happened?
Off point but a good forum to mention this:
Whenever I drive my car, I try to give the maximum room to motorcycles for their safety, I’ve ridden motorcyles and understand the dangers, but here’s my rub.
I’m an avid bicyclist who rides the country roads in Michigan. I ride on the right side of the road and/or the shoulder of the road. I would say that a majority of the car drivers I encounter are courteous, allowing as much distance as possible when passing.
Unfortunately, I can’t say that for the motorcyclists that I encounter while on my bike. It’s the exact opposite and many in that same group are either obnoxious or dangerous, zooming closely by.
My point, please show the same regard for others using the road that you expect to be shown.
“this guy did lack basic safety equipment that may or may not have made a difference in this instance.”
blame the victim
“I assume other drivers are going to hit me if I don’t avoid them.”
Exactly. I have had bikers come up hard on me an be all pissed off I did not see them. Well I did not see them. If you ride a bike you are taking a risk that you will not be seen. It is your choice to ride.
By now you would think they would get the message. I sold my bike two decades ago when I figured living was better than biking. People expect cars on the road, not bikes. A minor accident in a car is fatal on a bike. I just had a friend here get killed by a motorcycle that hit him on a Bicycle.
It is dangerous out there. If you assume the risk you assume the risk. That said drunk drivers belong in jail but a lot of good that does you when you are dead.
“blame the victim”
??? Riding a bike is risky. If you get on one you either know people will not see you and you could get hit and if you get hit without a helmet you are more likely to die than not. I’m not saying the drunk driver is in the right but riding a bike in traffic is a calculated risk. If you do not know this and ride you are dense. If you ride anyhow you are flipping a coin.
I have absolutely no problem with people doing risky or dangerous stuff but when your number comes up you can hardly be surprised.
“blame the victim”
The victim only gets blame if he died of headwounds that would have been prevented by wearing a helmet. If he chose not to wear a helmet and dies of headwounds, he deserves some of the blame, does he not?
Is it not relevant that he didn’t have a helmet, and that the posted report didn’t report that?
It certainly is relevant to me. I’m guessing that it will be relevant to the woman who was under the influence and caused the whole deal - since it’s potentially involuntary manslaughter on the line.
I retract my agreement that she should be put away for the rest of her life, instead, I’m content to leave it to due process to sort it out.
Yeah, it's this attitude that caused me to have the organ donor notation removed from my drivers license when I had to renew it last week. The lady at the DMV looked at me funny when I insisted that it be changed.
Most people participate in some form of risky behavior, whether it is smoking, drinking, being a couch potato, or enjoying far too many greasy cheeseburgers.
Wonder if Doctor Busybody considers all of them organ donors too?
I agree. And if you are going 80 on the freeway and watching for many variables, a motorcycle out of the blue/ in a different space than expected, might be one more thing than you are able to deal with quickly. My husband had a motorcycle for years and loved it, so don’t get me wrong. Just that I am often surprised by them.
Experiences vary, but the times I wore a helmet I could not see nor hear as well, and head movement was limited, but I have an old neck injury which is aggravated by the extra weight as well. YMMV.
Everyone has to weigh the risk of riding without one against the relative advantages of situational awareness and the extra fractions of a second to react to unforseen threats--and every other vehicle out there is a threat.
“Everyone has to weigh the risk of riding without one against the relative advantages of situational awareness and the extra fractions of a second to react to unforseen threats—and every other vehicle out there is a threat.”
Exactly, however, in this particular situation, should the woman who caused the accident be charged with vehicular manslaughter if the victims injuries could have been limited through the use of a helmet?
I’m sure the lawyers will slug this one out, but it’s an interesting facet of the helmet law debate.
Had the woman not hit him, he would have suffered no injury. Period.
Millions of people ride every day without ill effect--or a helmet. With or without a helmet, regardless of circumstance or attire, getting run over by a car proves fatal to people.
Her vehicle hitting him was the cause of death, the responsibility to prevent those injuries lies with her as the operator thereof, and she is especially liable if she operated under the influence--placing everyone on the highway at risk.
Yes. Charge her.
RIP.
Me too.
I never wear a helmet, although for comfort reasons.
I wear that patch on my jacket.
To those who seem to think that the fact that the man was not wearing a helmet mitigates the drunken womans responsibility, please consider that a helmet only offers protection up to about 25 mph. after that point, depending on the weight of the motorcyclist, if you hit your head, you’re toast. I do a great deal of highway riding. I am usually riding between 60 and 75 mph. If some idiot on a cell phone with a few too many beers decides he has more right to the lane I’m traveling in, I had better be skillful enough to drive out of the situation or I’m dead.
I’ve been hit before and lost partial use of my right hand as the result of a woman in a minivan who claims she was blinded by the sun while traveling southwest at 10 AM. She bought me a house. It doesn’t begin to compensate me for nearly loosing the hand all together nor the pain I go through when I twist my throttle or use my front brake. I live with that and she lives with a second mortgage. For me, I’d rather have the monthly payment than the pain.
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