Topic: Interstate 29 deaths of four motorcyclists

[westondc]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100811/NEWS01/708119880/-1#probe-into-i-29-crash-will-take-weeks

Very sad story here. We've had too many accidents here in nebraska and iowa this year. Please ride safe everyone!

[IndyFour]

That is a sad and tragic story indeed.  So many lives affected by the negligence of one.

In similar news...  There was a group of motorcyclists here in Indy who were struck by a Sheriff's deputy last week.  He was traveling at a high rate of speed with his lights on and hit them from behind, killing one and putting a couple of others in the hospital.  At first, the media made it sound like the bikers had not moved to the right like they were supposed to and he could not avoid hitting them......now the truth has come out that the officer was in fact driving with his lights on and at a high rate of speed....but he also had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit while on duty.  What a mess.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100811/NEWS02/100811007/Cop-cited-in-accident-turns-himself-in

[vanillagorilla]

I hope they throw that cop in jail for the rest of his miserable life!

[MCRider]

That is a sad and tragic story indeed.  So many lives affected by the negligence of one.

In similar news...  There was a group of motorcyclists here in Indy who were struck by a Sheriff's deputy last week.  He was traveling at a high rate of speed with his lights on and hit them from behind, killing one and putting a couple of others in the hospital.  At first, the media made it sound like the bikers had not moved to the right like they were supposed to and he could not avoid hitting them......now the truth has come out that the officer was in fact driving with his lights on and at a high rate of speed....but he also had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit while on duty.  What a mess.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100811/NEWS02/100811007/Cop-cited-in-accident-turns-himself-in

Also it seems if I have the story right and I may not as they are still investigating, but the motorcyclists were sitting at a stop light. It turns green but with the approaching EV from the rear and being in an intersection the appropriate thing to do is to stay still which is why they were just sitting there.

If so, I don't know what they or I could have done different.
The officer seems to have a history of hitting things with his car. At least that what channel 13 said they would talk about tonight.

[MCRider]

I just read the Nebraska story. Really sad. As the cops said, not much they could have done otherwise, helmets or no.

I always cringe in construction zones.

Do all you can, then trust to the fates.      

[westondc]

It seems that in both these cases there wasn't much the riders could do to avoid it. you might be the safest rider on the road but accidents like this can happen. scary to think that we have to worry about drunk cops on the road too!

[MCRider]

Channel 13 reports the officer received the Medal of Valor recently for killing a heavily armed bank robber in a shoot out with police.

Resulting mental instability is hinted.

[drnap10]

I always ride like I am invisible and never drink before riding but sometimes every precaution still isn't enough.  How drunk was this officer in Indy when this happened? If his BAC was 0.19 2 hours after the incident!
As for the Iowa crash, the kid is only 21 but what would any of you think would be an equivalent legal action in comparison to the accident?

[medic09]

As for the Iowa crash, the kid is only 21 but what would any of you think would be an equivalent legal action in comparison to the accident?

He is old enough to vote, get elected, drink, and go to war.  That makes him old enough to answer fully for his actions.  He is also old enough to have repeatedly driven drunk or without a license.  Four innocent men are dead.  What else is truly relevant here?  MAYBE there will be reason to discuss exigencies AFTER he has been fully removed from civil society and exhibits a thorough change in his character.  For NOW, he needs to answer for killing four people needlessly.

[74cb750]

Drinking on the job is never a good thing. Hope he has the book thrown at him.

[donny]

they think, "alcohol may have been a factor".

a guy actually told me he felt sorry for the driver....??

[MCRider]

they think, "alcohol may have been a factor".

a guy actually told me he felt sorry for the driver....??

Whether the Nebraska or Indiana story alcohol involved, bikers had no where to go, and the penalities for killing 1 or a dozen while DUI is nothing, even if they throw the book at both of them.

[bluezboy]

  I may never put my bike on any interstate because I don't trust anyone else coming at me that damn fast. you can bet that the guy will back on the road in no time, our drink driving laws are a #@**ing joke!

[Steel Dragon Performance]

Boys, be safe look out for what other people may do , take's the fun out of riding sometimes , but it will help keep us alive.

[dusterdude]

i will tell you the interstate is a whole lot safer than in the city.

[754]

I try to drive defensively..
 After having been run over/into a few times..

 One day driving Sis's Passat with my wife beside me & a buddy behind her.. we topped a small rise, and had to stop for a line backed way up,  behind a car being pulled out the ditch from a fresh accident.
 I scanned the surroundings, realized the next person coming behind me could easily hit me if they were not paying attention..

 Vulnerable...

 I repositioned the car to the far left of the lane against the centerline on the 2 lane road.. no oncoming traffic, as it was blocked by the towing. There was a fairly large outboard motored boat towed by a van agead of us, that was the reason I moved over.. The prop now lined up with the passenger fender, rather than my eyes.

 I watched the mirror, said there a car coming..,, a bit too fast.. .. My buddy momentarily thought , I was joking, but saw my eyes change in the rearview mirror as the car bore down on us..

 As we got hit, there was an explosion of glass and a lot of noise, and I was instantly flat on my back, the front seats sheared off their pivot and flattened out. I sat up realized we were rolling and stepped on the brakes and stopped the car.

 We did hit the outboard or boat with the right corner of the car, but it was a glacing minor blow.. better than having an outboard in the drivers seat...

 Cop said, I did everything right.. lucky for us..


 Be carefull out there, and use your '"back eyes" when stopped...  
 Some days you make your own luck...

[Kframe]

That's a terribly sad story. 

I got mad too, reading the story, it had all sorts of stuff about "Slick" and how he has been such a great guy (  ) but there was almost nothing about the lives of the riders that were killed, other than that 3 were active in the American Legion. 
How about a few paragraphs about THEIR families, widows, grandkids, careers, interests, etc.

It almost seems like that news article is pitying the a$$hole that made the decision to drink and kill.  Yeah, he was valedictorian, FFA, athlete, etc, I don't give a crap, he's the one that chose to throw it all away, so let's not honor his past please Mr.Journalist.
 
-K

[IndyFour]

An update on the Indianapolis story....it's all over the news last night and this morning that the blood/alcohol test given to the officer who caused the fatal accident here in town a few weeks ago is inadmissible in court.  Apparently this is because of where the test was given and by whom it was given....protocol was not followed, therefore the judge has thrown it out as evidence and charges have been dropped.  Unbelievable! 

[mgbgt89]

There is a protest tonight at the circle. I'll be there. I've never been so mad about something in my life.

[MCRider]

The FBI is supposed to come in and take over the investigation. They should've been first.

[Grnrngr]

Seems crazy that the blood draw is inadmissable...there was a cop there watching while it was done, there was no break in the "chain of custody", doesn't take a rocket scientist to do a blood draw and if a cop is watching, it's unlikely an "uncertified" phlebotomist could or would have maybe tampered with, or somehow tainted the sample. Seems unlikely that would happen even if there wasn't a cop there watching. Absolutely outrageous. My prayers go out to the victims. Should be SOP for a breathalizer to be done IMMEDIATELY on any person who causes an accident, regardless of who they are employed by. And the cop asked the cyclists "didn't you hear the siren?" I was taught if you're in motion, you pull over to the right, if you're stopped at a light, you DO NOT move, even if you're not "blocked in".

[zzpete]

That is a sad and tragic story indeed.  So many lives affected by the negligence of one.

In similar news...  There was a group of motorcyclists here in Indy who were struck by a Sheriff's deputy last week.  He was traveling at a high rate of speed with his lights on and hit them from behind, killing one and putting a couple of others in the hospital.  At first, the media made it sound like the bikers had not moved to the right like they were supposed to and he could not avoid hitting them......now the truth has come out that the officer was in fact driving with his lights on and at a high rate of speed....but he also had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit while on duty.  What a mess.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100811/NEWS02/100811007/Cop-cited-in-accident-turns-himself-in

Bisard's blood alcohol content tested at 0.19 in a blood draw taken two hours after the incident. Freakin IDIOT was blitzed! Sounds like they're trying to "FIX" it for their buddy. Those guys should fry too!

[westondc]

just saw an update on this sad story in the news:

Nebraska Man Gets 50 Years in Iowa Crash That Killed 4
A Nebraska man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for a drunken crash that killed four motorcyclists in western Iowa.

The sentence for 22-year-old Andrew Schlichtemeier, of Murray, Neb., was in keeping with a plea deal he accepted last month in Harrison County District Court. He pleaded guilty to four counts of vehicular homicide.

Iowa authorities say Schlichtemeier drunkenly swerved into oncoming traffic on Aug. 9 near Little Sioux. Prosecutors say Schlichtemeier had a blood-alcohol level more than four times the state's legal limit of 0.08 percent.

The victims were returning from the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D. They were Dennis Chaney and Dale Aspedon, both of Glenwood, Steven Benscoter of Pacific Junction and Jay Bock of Omaha, Neb.


http://www.1011now.com/news/headlines/Neb_Man_Gets_50_Years_in_Iowa_Crash_That_Killed_4_118587394.html

[Gordon]

just saw an update on this sad story in the news:

Nebraska Man Gets 50 Years in Iowa Crash That Killed 4
A Nebraska man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for a drunken crash that killed four motorcyclists in western Iowa.

The sentence for 22-year-old Andrew Schlichtemeier, of Murray, Neb., was in keeping with a plea deal he accepted last month in Harrison County District Court. He pleaded guilty to four counts of vehicular homicide.

Iowa authorities say Schlichtemeier drunkenly swerved into oncoming traffic on Aug. 9 near Little Sioux. Prosecutors say Schlichtemeier had a blood-alcohol level more than four times the state's legal limit of 0.08 percent.

The victims were returning from the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D. They were Dennis Chaney and Dale Aspedon, both of Glenwood, Steven Benscoter of Pacific Junction and Jay Bock of Omaha, Neb.


http://www.1011now.com/news/headlines/Neb_Man_Gets_50_Years_in_Iowa_Crash_That_Killed_4_118587394.html

A lot of lives ruined or permanently scarred by one person's bad decision.  Not just the lives of the victims and the drunk driver, but all of the relatives, children, grandchildren, loved ones and friends of all involved.  It's sad when you come across one of those clouds without a silver lining.   

[Damfino]

It's not enough time....I'm sure with good time credit, he'll be out in twenty-five years

We've had quite a few accidents around my area since the weather has been getting warmer. One of them - that just occured in the last week - was at an intersection where a female rider was killed only two years ago. Weird thing is, the girl worked at the Wabash Valley Harley dealer and the guy who was just killed was the former service manager for the Wabash Valley Honda/Kawasaki Motorsports dealer. I see way too many people coast through that stop sign, in too much of a hurry to come to a complete stop and make certain the road is clear.