Drunk biker in Veterans Day parade injures 11

[taosports]

I'm in Detroit covering the SF 49ers-Detroit Lions game and heard about this tragic event last night on the news.

Biker rides into crowd at parade, injuring 11

BY STEVE NEAVLING
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

November 13, 2006

A Veterans Day parade in Eastpointe turned calamitous Sunday when a motorcyclist in the procession barreled into the crowd and injured 11 spectators, some seriously.

Police arrested the driver, a 56-year-old Clinton Township man, who they say was drunk. He faces drunken-driving charges today. Police withheld his name pending arraignment.

The man was riding with a pack of 50 to 100 motorcyclists at the end of the parade route at 2:25 p.m. when his Harley-Davidson lurched into a crowd of 50 people cheering and waiving flags, knocking them over, said Eastpointe Police Chief Michael Lauretti, who witnessed the crash.

A Cub Scout leader pushed some children out of the way before he was injured.

The 11 injured spectators -- six adults and five children ages 10 to 17 -- were taken to hospitals. None of the injuries appeared life threatening, though several people suffered broken bones and internal injuries, Lauretti said. One woman was knocked unconscious.

"It's not what you expect in a parade," Lauretti said. "The motorcyclists are very civic- and community-oriented, but this guy apparently had too much to drink."

Police said it's unclear why the man drove into the crowd, but said he opened the throttle and veered off the road.

Contact STEVE NEAVLING at 586-469-4935 or [email protected].

Copyright © 2006 Detroit Free Press Inc.

[The Velvet Monkey]

What an incredible douche.

Hope the injuried parties are okay--I feel especially bad for the kids.

[Deans BMW]

Ahh, another prime example of the typical HD rider.

[JCsman]

We had a local policeman gunned down a few weeks ago in Montgomery. A "poker run" was set up as a fundraiser. It was a good cause so I attended. The card stops were:
Bogie's, the bar at a local golf course,
The VFW, equipped with a bar,
The Blue Iquana, a bar,
The "It'll Do, a bar, and
A resterant/bar for the finish.

At each site I was astounded to see riders drinking. Some had more than one drink at more than one site.

I completed the ride, but kept myself far removed from the various packs of riders. Of course, after that the party began with more drinks flowing. I went home.

I find it incomprehensible that someone would down numerous drinks then ride (especially in a crowd of bikes). Sheesh.

[wncbmw]

What poor judgement to ride and drink. I have been to two poker runs (the first and last - same event) and it was as Bill described. Drinking at every stop. Never again.

The main road through my community leads to a nice twisty road and to a biker hangout called Margarittaville. My ex-volunteer fireman son says there a lot more calls for bike crashes coming back from there than on the way. Wonder why?

[yjleesvrr]

Ahh, another prime example of the typical HD rider.

Well, OK. I'm not the typical Harley rider, so I guess I won't be offended...

Seriously though, what a stupid thing to do. Next time I run into a pack of riders heading out of a bar, I'll be sure to distance myself from them.

[wncbmw]

Yong - I don't think you are a typical anything! And I mean that in the most complimentary way!

[yjleesvrr]

Well thanks Vann. I am hopefully a typical BMW rider though. Long miles, lots of smiles. No booze except after a ride.

[mad1150]

Hey, don't know if you've heard of these yet, but I've seen fliers for "Ice Cream Runs". 5 stops at different Ice Cream Shops, I think my wife and I are going on one in Indiana next June. Can you still ride a cycle safely after 5 Hot Fudge Sundae's???

I also did my first poker run this year, found myself in a pack of people drinking 3-4 beers per stop, after the 3rd stop, the pack of 30 cycles or so was going 80-90 on 4-lane devided highway (Not Good - I stayed at the back) Also went on one sponsored by J-P cycle, that one wasn't too bad, there was even a couple RT's there. But it was still dicey riding with 80 cycles in a pack. Not very enjoyable riding, too much traffic and too many HDs = lots a noise. It was for a good cause though.

[wncbmw]

Can you still ride a cycle safely after 5 Hot Fudge Sundae's???

The dangerous part would be stepping on the scales the next day!

Although all these rides are for good causes, I usually just donate money to the cause and skip the ride! Especially the Toy for Tots rides. People tend to bring toys that look good on the bike (stuffed animals are popular) instead of what is needed. I have found that they like checks better than toys kids don't want!

[rdsmith3]

The HD dealer near me has a few special events during the summer. I have never been to one, but they advertise that there is a Jack Daniels tent, so I assume they are serving alcohol at the function. They promote an event for people to ride their bikes to, with bands playing, etc. and they serve alcohol at the dealership. I guess that is what is expected by the patrons.

It is just a tragedy waiting to happen.

[GypsyRR]

Biker rides into crowd at parade, injuring 11

when a motorcyclist in the procession barreled into the crowd and injured 11 spectators, some seriously.

I think I've mentioned this before, but this sort of thing is the reason I ended up with my motorcycle.

My sister and her husband bought two brand new Honda Cruisers and THEN took the motorcycle safety class. During the class, my sister ran into the instructor and a couple of other people on three different occasions. Of course, she was going at those very low speeds and no one was injured, but nevertheless, the instructor asked her to leave, stating that motorcycle riding wasn't for everybody. She was so embarrassed about it she didn't tell anyone. Then about 2 months later (1 year ago today, in fact) she called me and told me the story and then said, "Would you come get this bike out of my garage. I'm sick of looking at it and I think you could ride it." So I did. THEN I took the course. I graduated at the top of class even. I got my license and rode the Shadow for about 2 months. Then I took the Honda Shadow and traded it for my '05 RR.

Luckily she did not injure people, like this drunk did. And fortunately, the instructor had enough sense to not pass her. But maybe, this drunk's brother/sister will profit from his ass-clown mistake and get his Harley now.

[Harry]

This is exactly why I never have and never will ride in large groups...

My safety is not going to depend on a pack of drunken, once-a-week riders in soup-bowl helmets and pretty leather chaps with fringe.

Substance over style everytime.