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ROAD NEWS
ONE INJURED IN MOTORCYCLE CRASH
Written by
DAMIAN GILETTO
The News Journal
8:15 am May 10, 2012
One person was injured in a multi-vehicle crash involving
a motorcycle this morning in Camden, an
official said.
Emergency crews were called out to the area of Front St. and
Railroad Ave. at about 7 a.m. today said Chief Tom Rigsby,
of the Camden-Wyoming Volunteer Fire Company.
The collision happened when a car turned into
the path of a motorcycle, Rigsby said.
The rider on the motorcycle was taken to Kent General
Hospital for non-life threatening injuries, Rigsby said.
MAN KILLED AFTER MOTORCYCLE COLLIDES WITH BUZZARD
Filed Under
Local
7:51 am May 8, 2012
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Prince George’s County police say a man was
killed in a motorcycle crash that was partly caused
by a collision with a buzzard.
Cpl. Clinton Copeland said the incident occurred about 3 p.m. Sunday
on Brown Station Road, near Brooke Lane, in Upper Marlboro.
Copeland says the man struck a “low flying buzzard”
after passing a vehicle on the right shoulder.
He says the impact caused the man to lose control of his
motorcycle, and run into a curb, fire hydrant and
utility pole.
Copeland says the man, 31-year-old David Christopher
Norris, was pronounced dead at a hospital.
He says investigators believe that speeding, in addition
to the collision with the buzzard, caused the crash.
MOTORCYCLIST DIES AFTER CRASH NEAR NEW CASTLE
Written by
The News Journal
2:30 pm April 17, 2012
A motorcyclist has died after colliding with
an SUV this morning near New Castle.
Delaware State Police say Steven P. Bowdle, 20, of Delaware City
died of his injuries after the accident at about 8:30 a.m. on Del. 273.
Police say Christopher R. Guy, 41, of Newark, was driving
his 2003 BMW X5 on Del. 273 eastbound when he
attempted to make a left turn on Edinburgh Drive.
As he was turning, his SUV was struck by Bowdle's 1985
Honda motorcycle driving westbound on Del. 273.
Bowdle, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown
from his motorcycle and landed in the road.
He was transported to Christiana Hospital in critical condition and later died.
Guy was treated at the scene by EMS for non life-threatening injuries
and transported to Christiana Hospital by a privately owned vehicle.
Westbound Del. 273 was closed for about 2 hours
as the crash was investigated and cleared.
MOTORCYCLE, CAR CRASH CLOSES
PART OF I-95 SOUTH IN WILMINGTON
Written by
ROBIN BROWN
The News Journal
10:01 pm April 13, 2012
Southbound I-95 is closed in Wilmington, with police on
the scene of a crash involving a motorcycle and car.
“One subject has serious injuries,” Delaware
State Police Master Cpl. Jeffrey Hale said.
The crash was reported at 8:04 p.m. just south of
Frawley Stadium, emergency dispatch officials said.
Authorities were urging motorists to avoid the area
by using alternate routes.
Police, still on the scene, had only preliminary information
and have not yet released details of how the crash occurred.
They expect to release more information when it
becomes available.
New Castle County Emergency Medical Services responded to
the scene, along with Five Points and Minquadale fire companies,
which sent both firefighting vehicles and ambulances,
according to the New Castle County fire board.
Paramedics treated the unidentified motorcycle driver, who appeared
to be in his 30s, at the scene and en route to Christiana Hospital in
a Five Points ambulance, Paramedic Cpl. Peter T.
Small said tonight.
He was admitted to the hospital in critical condition with
head, leg and possible internal injuries, Small
said.
A Minquadale ambulance took another crash victim
to the same hospital, according to the fire board.
That person was less seriously hurt, Small said, but no
information was available immediately about the
nature and severity of that person’s injuries.
Initial radio reports from the scene said one
victim was entrapped in the wreckage.
The motorcyclist was said to have been caught
briefly underneath the car after the collision.
No other information about the incident is available at this time.
Southbound I-95 is expected to remain closed for an
unspecified time as police conduct their investigation
of the collision and wreckage is cleared.
MOTORCYCLE HELMETS BECOME OPTIONAL
IN MICHIGAN AFTER SNYDER SIGNS LAW
By Paul Egan
Detroit Free Press Lansing Bureau
April 13, 2012
LANSING – Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into
law a bill making motorcycle helmets optional.
“While many motorcyclists will continue to wear helmets, those who choose
not to deserve the latitude to make their own informed judgments,”
Snyder, a Republican, said in a news release today.
Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, twice vetoed similar legislation.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair, had
strong support from motorcycle enthusiasts but was opposed
by those who said it would increase insurance costs.
Snyder’s office said he signed the bill Thursday.
Although the law was passed with immediate effect, it sets out certain
conditions
that must be in place before someone can legally
ride without a helmet.
It lets motorcyclists who are at least 21 years old choose whether to wear
a helmet if they carry at least $20,000 in additional medical insurance.
They also must have passed a motorcycle safety course or have
had their motorcycle endorsement for at least two
years.
The law makes Michigan the 31st state to make helmets optional.
Snyder’s office said Michigan will join the Great Lakes states of
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota and
Pennsylvania.
In a news release, the Michigan chapter of
American Bikers Aiming Toward Education (ABATE),
which pushed for the change, said millions of tourism dollars
left the state each year because of a law “which
was a holdover from bygone days.”
Jim Rhoades, the group’s legislative director, said the key to
motorcycle safety and accident prevention “lies in rider education,
car driver awareness and license endorsement.”
Jerry Curiak, 66, a retired Ford Motor Co. mechanic who lives in
Johannesburg in Otsego County, said he might take his Harley-
Davidson Ultra Classic for a helmetless ride later
today.
“Up here near Gaylord, I’ll ride 300 miles in a
day and see maybe two cars,” Curiak said.
“It’s not like I’m dodging bullets all the time.”
He said helmets – required in Michigan since 1970 –
make riding a less pleasant experience.
They are heavy and restrict vision and hearing, he
said.
In a report to the Legislature, Senate Fiscal Agency analyst Matthew
Grabowski said: “If the passage of the bill leads to more head injuries,
Medicaid costs for the state could potentially increase.”
GAS-FREE MOTORCYCLES ARE NEW HOPE
FOR A NEW ECKENHOFF BUSINESS
Diane Mastrull, Inquirer Staff Writer
Email Diane Mastrull dmastrull@phillynews.com
Posted: April 9, 2012 3:00 am
There was a time when Ted and Glenn Eckenhoff would have cared about Tuesday's
announcement by General Motors Co. that its U.S. sales of cars and small
crossovers with good gas mileage had increased 12
percent in March.
Not anymore.
During a 90-minute interview that day, the father-son business team that spent decades
selling GM cars in Cherry Hill didn't once mention
the auto giant's promising month.
Two-wheelers are the focus of their significantly diminished business world now.
And their hopes for a strong comeback are especially tied to an oddity in the
typically vroom-vroom industry of motorcycles:
a virtually silent electric version.
Eckenhoff Motorcycles of Cherry Hill is the first dealership in the Philadelphia
region
- indeed the only one in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware - chosen
to carry California-based Zero Motorcycles' line of gas-free bikes.
They can exceed 100 miles on a single charge and
reach speeds of up to 88 m.p.h.
"We have something really neat, and it fits the world right now," said
Ted Eckenhoff, referring to the green movement and its push, endorsed by
the White House, for more energy-independent ways of
living.
Not that you're likely to see the former chairman of Virtua Health's board of
trustees
and former founding member of Sterling Banks Inc.
straddling a Zero too often.
"I rode motorcycles when I was younger, but my body doesn't seem to
want to do that anymore," the 75-year-old Burlington County resident said.
"I have a little trouble getting my legs over."
A still-active farmer who grows soybeans and feed corn on his 280-acre
property in Southampton Township, Eckenhoff's preferred modes of travel
these days are a 1994 GMC pickup and a 2006 Audi A6.
But it was motorcycles that helped lure the elder Eckenhoff out of dealership
retirement in
2010 to go into business with son Glenn on Church Road, across from the Cherry Hill Mall.
Besides the motorcycle subsidiary, Eckenhoff Automotive
involves the sale of used cars and repair services.
The going has not been easy.
"We reopened and thought we'd at least be able to pay the taxes," which are
about $10,000
a month, Eckenhoff said. Instead, he has had to rely
on some farming income for support.
"You sit there every day and decide which bills you're going to
pay," he said. "It's been the most difficult time in
my life."
It's a drastic change from when Eckenhoff Buick, which Ted Eckenhoff ran from
1982
until he retired in 2002, was No. 1 in sales on the East Coast and No. 2 in the country.
The dealership operated from the site that now boasts
a showroom of motorcycles and riding apparel.
Outside, a sprawling lot once was filled with new
cars is now largely empty.
GM cars were providing income for the Eckenhoff family long before then.
In 1966, Ted and his father, Alvin, would buy the former Scott Smith
Cadillac in Philadelphia and operate it as Center City Cadillac.
Four years later, Alvin Eckenhoff was killed when the private plane he
was piloting iced up and crashed nose first into a field in Maryland.
By 1979, neighborhood conditions had deteriorated and dealerships
had sprung up in more appealing areas, so Ted Eckenhoff closed the
business and sold the 230,000-square-foot building
to GM.
He concentrated on running an export business he had started about 1975.
In 1982, he was offered the chance to get back into the car business,
buying a Buick franchise in Moorestown from a friend's brother, which
he moved in 1999 to his current business site in
Cherry Hill.
He turned it over to sons Glenn and Scott when he retired.
Scott Eckenhoff would ultimately buy out his brother.
About 2004, GM required Scott Eckenhoff to sell the franchise
to another dealer as part of a massive realignment program.
Scott would go on to operate a GM dealership in
Jenkintown.
But he was left holding a $2.5 million mortgage on a dealership property in
Cherry Hill
that included a showroom and 22 service bays - and no product, his father said.
Ted Eckenhoff would come in as a guarantor on that mortgage as part of
a deal that involved Liberty Bell Bank taking over the loan from TD Bank.
TD had assumed it in its acquisition of Commerce Bank
but didn't want it because it involved a vacant
building.
And then opportunity struck: DeSimone Motorcycles in Mount Laurel closed,
and Ted and Glenn Eckenhoff took a leap to attempt to fill the void created.
Eckenhoff Automotive and Eckenhoff Motorcycles opened in March 2010 with six employees,
including a couple of DeSimone refugees and Glenn's
wife, Heidi, who takes care of the books.
Currently, 90 percent of the revenue is from repairs, Glenn Eckenhoff said,
but he's hoping the Zero Motorcycles line - which debuted in 2006 in
California as a dirt bike and have been in stock at Eckenhoff
only about two weeks - will lure customers interested in
experiencing something different and willing to buy.
The first Zero sale was expected to be finalized this weekend.
Ranging in price from $7,650 to $13,990, the Zero, whose national sales volume
the company
would not disclose, requires no oil or shifting - just a power cord no different from a computer's.
No earplugs are needed either, which might not be considered a
plus by all motorcycle enthusiasts, Ted Eckenhoff
offered.
"I don't see it as a market for people who like Harley-Davidsons," he said.
"First of all, it doesn't make any noise."
Harley devotee Maryann Carney, 57, of Pennsauken, got a chance to test-ride
a Zero when she stopped off recently at Eckenhoffs on business as a recruiter
for Women in the Wind, Jersey Girls chapter, a
motorcycle group.
She declared her experience "a fun ride, an easy ride.
It would be a great bike for someone who wants to learn or, who
doesn't want to get into something that's really big
and heavy."
But she's not trading in her 2007 Harley-Davidson Super Glide.
"Oh my gosh, I love the look of it, the feel of it," said
Carney, a project manager for a development firm.
And she likes the noise, for security reasons, she said:
"People can hear me coming."
Contact Diane Mastrull at 215-854-2466,
dmastrull@phillynews.com or follow @mastrud on Twitter.
MOTORCYCLISTS RIDE FROM PHILLY
TO DOVER IN SUPPORT OF TRAYVON
Written by
CORI ANNE NATOLI
The News Journal
Filed Under
Local
2:06 am April 9, 2012
The unlikely sounds of Harleys humming and street bikes revving raced
through the Easter morning air, as bikers in hoodies hit the highways in
memory of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed teen slain in
Florida.
George Zimmerman has told authorities he was defending himself from
the teen in the dark, hooded sweatshirt, according
to previous reports.
On a morning marked by the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus,
bikers from Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey made their own sacrifice by
riding from Philadelphia to Dover in a tribute to
17-year-old Martin.
The teen was gunned down Feb. 26, by Zimmerman, 28, a neighborhood-watch
volunteer.
The case has sparked a national outcry because there
have been no arrests made following the shooting.
“Trayvon is my son and we are united as one.
We are Trayvon,” said Herbert “Brick” Burch, during
a stop in Wilmington.
“We are rallying around this cause because the violence has to stop.
If it can happen [in Florida], it can happen anywhere.
That’s why there’s rides across the nation today for
Trayvon.”
Burch was one of several hundred bikers who
chose to spend Easter morning rallying for Martin.
Rides were organized throughout the country by Motorcyclists Who Care, including
the one that began at 9 a.m. in Philadelphia and
ended at noon in Dover.
“We are here to show support,” said a choked-up Deacon
Frank Sattersfield, 61, of Dover, who also took the ride.
“It’s a real hard time and a bad situation. ...This
is a good cause.”
To Pat Redmond, who helped organize the event, the ride was a rolling exhibition
of care and concern for the family, as well as
an outcry against youth violence.
“Trayvon was a child.
He had no choice,” she said.
“The bike community is sharing unity and showing that we care for one another.
We are showing love for one another, and one love and one
community equals two wheels to stop the violence."
Some wore leather jackets.
Some wore helmets.
Some went without.
But all wore a hoodie and a seemingly heavy heart for the teen whose life ended
abruptly not long after a stop at 7-Eleven for a can
of ice tea and a bag of candy.
“I have a child, so I’m here to represent all of the parents,”
said fellow rider Tyron Staples of Philadelphia.
“It’s hard to hear a child dies before a parent. It breaks
my heart that he didn’t know what happened to him.”
Just as Jeff Matthews, 49, of Dover, was ready to climb on his Harley-Davidson
to
follow the procession to Dover, he said he hopes the Martin family will think of the
supportive memorial ride as they cope with their
first Easter Sunday without their son.
“I think this is something they will remember,” Matthews said.
Contact Cori Anne Natoli at 324-2855 or
cnatoli@delawareonline.com
2 INJURED WHEN MOTORCYCLE
COLLIDES WITH CAR IN OAK ORCHARD
Written by
The News Journal
Filed Under
Local
Christiana Hospital
9:24 a.m. April 8, 2012
Two people were injured, one critically, when a motorcycle collided
with a car in Oak Orchard late Saturday night, state
police said.
The accident happened about 11:45 p.m. at Oak Orchard and Chief roads.
Michael J. Vincent, 35, of Millsboro, was driving a 2003 Harley
Davidson motorcycle south on Oak Orchard Road (Del. 5), with
his wife and passenger, 29-year-old Julia R. Vincent
of Millsboro.
Emma K. Glasscock, 23, of Lewes, was eastbound on Chief Road
and stopped at the stop sign for Oak Orchard Road,
police said.
As she turned to go north, Glasscock pulled out in front of the motorcycle
and struck it nearly head-on, Master Cpl. Gary
Fournier said.
Both Vincents were ejected from the bike.
Both were flown to Christiana Hospital.
Julia Vincent was in critical condition, Fournier said.
He said Michael Vincent’s injuries were not believed
to be life-threatening.
Glasscock was not injured, Fournier said.
MOTORCYCLE CRASH ON DEL. 2 KILLS NEWARK WOMAN
Written by
The News Journal
Filed Under
Local
Crime & Courts
Christiana Hospital
4:56pm April 7, 2012
POST/VIEW COMMENTS HERE
A Newark woman died following a motorcycle crash on Kirkwood Highway
(Del. 2) at
Woodhaven Drive, Milltown, that also left a second person injured.
Delaware State Police said Joanne Barber, 67, of Newark, was a passenger on a
2008
Harley Davidson operated by William F. Barber, 67, also of Newark shortly
before 10 a.m.
Georganna E. Pragg, 75, of Wilmington, was driving a 2002 Buick Century
north on Woodhaven Drive and was trying to turn east onto Del. 2.
Pragg failed to see the motorcycle, causing the motorcycle
to strike the car on the back driver’s side,
police said.
Joanne Barber was ejected from the motorcycle and landed in the road.
She was admitted to Christiana Hospital in critical condition, and state
police reported
shortly after 7 p.m. that she had died of her injuries.
William Barber stayed with the motorcycle after impact, police said.
He was
transported to Christiana Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Pragg was not injured.
The road was closed for more than an hour following the crash.
The investigation is continuing, state police said.
*Video following the pictures
POLICE ID 2 KILLED IN BEAR MOTORCYCLE CRASH
Updated 6:46 a.m. April 6, 2012
Written by
The News Journal
Filed Under
Local
Christiana Hospital
Delaware State Police have released the name of the driver and
passenger in
Wednesday night's double-fatal motorcycle crash in Bear.
Police say Marvin B. Albert, 45, and 29-year-old Kaitlin E. Brown,
both of Bear, died after their 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle
hit a car on Del. 72
(Wrangle Hill Road) at about 9:35 p.m.
Ty Whitaker, 20, of Claymont, was driving a 1999 Honda Accord
northbound as he attempted to turn left onto Porter Road.
The right front of his car was struck by the
motorcycle, ejecting both from the bike.
They were both
declared dead at the scene, police said.
Paramedic Cpl. Peter T. Small said the driver and passenger
on the motorcycle
suffered “serious body-wide injuries.”
Small said Whitaker was taken to Christiana Hospital
by ambulance, but did
not suffer serious injuries.
The investigation into the crash by the Delaware State
Police Crash
Reconstruction Unit is continuing.
*R.O.W.V. pics below
MOTORCYCLIST DIES
AFTER HITTING HOUSE IN DOVER
A 34-year-old Milford man who crashed into the side of a
Dover home on his
motorcycle has died from his injuries.
Donnell Hill, 33, died after an incident Monday night where he
collided with another
motorcycle after eluding police, officials said.
Dover police say at about 9 p.m. officers tried to stop four
motorcycles in the
area of the post office on Loockerman Street.
One of the motorcycles stopped at the red light at Loockerman
Street and U.S. 13, but the three other motorcycles
did not stop,
allegedly trying to elude officers.
Two of the motorcyclists ran the red light and sped
off eastbound on East
Loockerman Street.
Police said officers did not pursue the vehicles.
Moments later, residents in the 800 block of E. Loockerman
St. called police to
report a collision involving two motorcycles.
Hill's motorcycle crashed into the side of a home.
The other driver ran from the scene through the rear yard and has
not been arrested, and the occupants of the home were not injured.
STATE LAUNCHES
MOTORCYCLE-SAFETY CAMPAIGN
The Delaware State Police have launched a
campaign to raise awareness about motorcycle safety.
Respect your Ride
began last week and continues into September.
The Delaware Office of Highway Safety says the campaign includes six
two-week waves of enforcement and awareness, which includes patrols by
several state agencies on high-crash roadways who will cite violators,
particularly speeding
and impaired motorcyclists.
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State police tend to a motorcycle accident near Newark in June.
There were 18 motorcycle fatalities in 2011 compared with eight in 2010.
State police say the number of injury crashes
involving a motorcycle has steadily increased recently.
There were 18
motorcycle fatalities in 2011 compared with eight in 2010.
To expand awareness, Office of Highway Safety will be encouraging
motorists through billboards, bumper sticks, radio messages
and Internet ads to
look twice and share the road.
The ads also will remind motorcyclists that there are instructional
courses available for
beginners and advanced riders.
On April 28, there will be a Motorcycle Awareness Day, which
includes a parade and
bike show, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Dover.
The parade route will run from William Henry Middle School to Legislative
Hall, where there will be vendors, displays, judging and presentation of awards.
The event is open to
the public.
Find out more about the campaign at www.MotorcyclesafetyDE.org
OHS ANNOUNCES START OF
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY
CAMPAIGN
Dover – Motorcycle crashes have been on the rise nationally for the past ten years.
And in the last five, while fatal crashes involving a motorcyclist in Delaware
have gone up and down, injury crashes have steadily increased.
That is why the Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) has
launched a new Motorcycle Safety campaign titled Respect Your Ride.
This campaign, aimed at motorcyclists, directs riders to
www.MotorcyclesafetyDE.org, where they can find information about
the proper tools and
training to make them the safest rider they can be.
The Respect Your Ride campaign, which began March 23rd, includes six
2-week waves of enforcement and awareness activities that will be
conducted into April, June, July, August, and September.
Throughout the campaign, Bethany Beach Police, Dewey Beach Police, Delaware
State Police, Dover Police, Felton Police, Georgetown Police, Harrington Police,
Laurel Police, Milford Police, Newark Police, New Castle County Police,
Rehoboth Beach Police and Ocean View Police will conduct patrols on high
crash roadways and will cite violators of the state’s motorcycle safety laws.
They will be paying
particular attention to speeding and impaired motorcyclists.
Public awareness efforts are also aimed at
reaching the drivers of passenger vehicles.
Motorists will be encouraged to look twice and share the road with motorcyclists
through billboards, bumper stickers, radio messaging and internet ads.
The billboards are being placed statewide in high crash areas.
As the weather warms up, motorists should be vigilant about
motorcyclists,
which are easy to miss in a vehicle’s blind spot.
Radio and internet advertisements will remind motorcycle operators that rider
training courses are available for beginner and advanced riders throughout the state.
Additionally safety brochures, bumper stickers, and incentive items are
being distributed by
OHS’s partners, including motorcycle rider groups.
OHS is proud to partner with these groups through its membership on the State’s
Motorcycle
Rider Education Advisory Committee, co-chaired by Sen. Bruce Ennis and Rep. Danny Short.
Other members include DMV, the Dover Air Force Base, local
motorcycle businesses, and members of motorcycle rider groups.
The committee’s Motorcycle Awareness Day (Event, Parade and Bike Show)
will be Sat April 28th from 9:30 – 2 p.m. and will include a parade in Dover
from William Henry Middle School to Legislative Hall where there will be
vendors, displays, judging and presentation of awards.
The event is open to the public.
Additional facts about motorcycle crashes in Delaware:
There were 18 motorcycle fatalities in 2011 compared to 8 in 2010.
Primary causes of these fatal crashes: speeding and loss of control of
motorcycle
4 of the motorcycle operators were under the influence of alcohol…6 were wearing
helmets.
7 of the 18 motorcycle deaths occurred in June last year.
There were 282 injured in motorcycle crashes in 2010 which accounted for 4% of
all injuries from vehicle crashes.
Average age of person killed 46
In 2011 – most motorcycles involved in fatal crashes were touring bikes
Crashes occurred in Milford, Dover, Rt 113 Georgetown, Rt. 13 Bridgeville, Rt
273, Rt. 13 Smyrna, Rt 896 Newark, Rt. 4 Stanton, I-95, I-495, and Philadelphia
Pike area.
MOTORCYCLIST CRITICALLY INJURED IN
CRASH WITH TRACTOR-TRAILER
Written by Robin Brown
The News Journal
Filed Under
Local, Crime & Courts, Christiana Hospital
March 23, 2012
A Wilmington man was critically injured tonight
when his motorcycle
hit a turning truck, police say.
The crash happened at 5:11 p.m. on Terminal Avenue, just south of
Wilmington city
limits, said Master Cpl. Jeffrey Hale, state police spokesman.
Alexander McKnight, 48, of Wilmington, was headed west on Terminal Avenue,
approaching the intersection with the I-495 interchange, when his motorcycle
hit the side of a tractor-trailer that was attempting a left turn onto eastbound
Terminal Avenue
from southbound I-495’s off-ramp, Hale said.
McKnight, who was wearing a helmet when he crashed, was removed
by New Castle County Emergency Medical Services, which took
him to Christiana
Hospital for treatment of serious injuries, Hale said.
The truck driver, identified only as Kelfala Kamara of Lansdowne, Pa., was not
hurt, he said.
Terminal Avenue was closed for about three hours as the wreckage
was cleared and
investigators examined the scene, Hale said.
The crash remains under investigation, he added.
Contact Robin Brown at 324-2856 or
rbrown@delawareonline.com
NEXT MONTH'S MOTORCYCLE
SAFETY DAY TO BE BIGGEST YET
by Airman 1st Class
Samuel Taylor
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
March 6, 2012
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. - Over the past 10 years, the
Air Force has lost hundreds of service members - parents,
children, siblings and spouses - to an indiscriminate killer.
These lives were not lost on convoy operations or
in firefights overseas, but on the streets of America.
Too many deaths were completely preventable,
yet all of them are never reversible.
At Dover Air Force Base, Del., a group of service members
has taken a stand to protect their brothers and sisters in
uniform from a
persistent foe - motorcycle accidents.
Their weapon - education, and a culture of riders that promotes it.
Their classroom - Dover AFB's 7th Annual Motorcycle Safety Day
taking place from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. April 13, 2012, where approximately
500 service members, civilians, and local and international venders are expected to attend.
The day's events will include test rides, riding
competitions, safety demonstrations and a cookout.
According to Master Sgt. John Willard, chief motorcycle safety course
instructor at
Dover AFB, this year's Motorcycle Safety Day is truly unique.
"This year's event looks to be the biggest and best this
base has ever seen, with more attendees, demonstrations, and
activities than any previous [Motorcycle Safety Day]," said Willard.
"However, underneath everything at the event,
there is a core of riders who understand the whole goal of this
day - keeping our
brothers and sisters safe on the road."
Motorcycle Safety Day evolved from an Air Mobility Command
requirement to host an annual safety briefing on motorcycle safety.
Team Dover seized upon the chance to accomplish that requirement while hosting
a celebration of the motorcyclist culture on base and within the local community.
Seven years later, Motorcycle Safety Day has matured into a base-wide event
showcasing the effort
that helps Team Dover "keep the shiny side up."
For the past four years, Willard has been one of the many dedicated
two-wheelers at Dover AFB who turn that goal into a reality.
During that timeframe, Dover AFB was crowned Air Mobility
Command's best motor cycle safety program four consecutive
years, and produced two of AMC's rider coaches of the year.
During fiscal year 2011, there were zero class A and B motorcycle accidents and
more than a 35 percent reduction of total costs related to motorcycle mishaps.
These results are the payoff of dedicated volunteers who
allow Dover AFB to be one of the few non-contracted
motorcycle safety
programs in the Department of Defense.
The services we offer here are aimed at cultivating
the best tool to keep a rider safe - their mind.
A smart rider knows that it's natural to want to roll back on the throttle, yet
does so at a safe venue, like a race track, instead of on the street, said Willard.
It's not an orange
safety vest that prevents disaster, it's an educated rider.
While hundreds of riders are already committed to next month's Motorcycle Safety
Day,
Willard's vision is to invite more riders throughout the DoD to share the event.
With more participants receiving world-class education on motorcycle safety, more
families, offices and squadrons may feel confident that the riders among them will
arrive safely to their destinations, every time; all they have to do is attend.
NEW MOTORCYCLE OUTPOST ATTRACTS
BIKERS FOR PARTS AND BANTER
~ VIDEO AFTER STORY ~
WEST FALLOWFIELD -- The height of the biking season may be a few months off,
but at the new Motorcycle Outpost in Cochranville
things were hopping this weekend.
The store, opened in November and situated just north of the
Cochranville Post Office on Route 41 and a couple hundred
yards north of Route 10, is the product of biker Gail Szandrowski.
She said she looked around and realized that the
area “was just screaming for a motorcycle store.”
Motorcycle Outpost doesn’t sell bikes, used or new.
Instead, it sells and rents tools and parts for the bikes people already have.
Additionally, Szandrowski has access to distributors of all kinds of
biking gear, and if she doesn’t have something, she
can order it.
Szandrowski, 44, who has spent the last 20 years working at motorcycle
stores, Hannum’s in Chadds Ford and Media as well as the Dawg House
in Thorndale, said her store is just about equal distance of 20 miles from
several other Harley Davidson stores in all directions.
By setting up her store in Cochranville, she attracts clientele from
the greater Chester and Lancaster counties as well
as Delaware.
Bikers stop at the Outpost for a variety of reasons.
Some like to stop by and grab a cup of coffee or
hot chocolate to accompany their banter with other riders.
Others drop in to get parts for bikes they are
reassembling.
Last weekend, veteran bikers Tom and Marge Jones
were in the store to order special parts for Marge’s bike.
Marge said she sustained a back injury in the past and can no longer handle her
900-pound bike as it is, so she was ordering a “Voyager Kit” a sort of training wheels
arrangement to apply to her bike that
would accommodate her current weaknesses.
Tom Jones, clad in the typical biker’s black, was content to talk with other
customers about bikes they’ve owned in the
past and trips they’ve taken.
Larry Var of Wilmington and Bob, who did not want to share his last name,
were eager to talk about the trips they have taken
and how far they’ve gone.
Both talked of going to rallies and having traveled to some of the most famous
motorcycle destinations like Sturgis, S.D., and bike
week at Daytona, Fla.
Bob said the best part of Sturgis is just being with the other bikers and riding
out there.
He added that he’s been as far as Billings, Mont.,
on his bike.
Szandrowski took her customers to her back room and showed
them a consignment area where she stores swap items.
As soon as she opened, people were buying things that
other people had brought in and bringing in their own stuff.
It became so overwhelming that the consignment is on
hold for awhile, she said.
While the tools and products are a popular element, another
attraction at the outpost is West Chester native
Szandrowski herself.
Var said she is welcoming and always ready to
hear about people projects, gear and trips.
And even on a chilly winter day, they bundle up and ride
their bikes to spend some time at this
Cochranville shop.
Tom Jones added, “Gail knows more about parts than anyone else.”
Bob said he admires Gail because she has ridden an “iron butt” that
is a trip where the riders attempt to go 1,000 miles in 24 hours.
She made it from Cochraville to South Dakota in a
little over a day, she said.
For her part, Szandrowski, who herself rides a Harley
Electra Glide, didn’t take starting a business
lightly.
She looked around, saw a niche market that needed to be fed, and did her
homework.
“You do a whole lot of planning,” she said.
To that end, she took a year and a half of business courses
at Widener University and designed a business plan.
She had a gala opening in the fall and his been working welcoming customers ever
since.
What does the future hold for this shop, which appears to be enjoying early
success?
She is aiming to get in helmets, goggles and leathers soon, although she
already has a well-stocked shelf of goggles, gloves and do-wraps already.
Soon, she said, she would like to hire an employee
other than herself.
Szandrowski said she is thrilled to have groups visit
her new venture and see what she has to offer.
The store is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,
Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9
a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit www.mcoutpost.com or call
610-593-5939.
COUNCILMAN DIES AFTER MOTORCYCLE CRASH
ELSMERE'S EDWARD OLGA, 40, WAS IN ACCIDENT IN MARYLAND
Written byTERRI SANGINITI
The News Journal
February 22, 2012
A freshman town councilman from Elsmere died Monday of injuries that
he suffered in a motorcycle crash in Elkton, Md., over the weekend.
Councilman Edward Olga, 40, who was elected in April and spent
the last 11 months serving the town's 6th Council District, died in
Christiana Hospital, Elsmere Town Manager John Giles said.
According to Maryland State Police, the crash was reported at 10:31 p.m. Saturday
as Olga was driving his motorcycle east on U.S. 40, west of Delancy Road.
Olga lost control of the motorcycle and hit the rear of a 2006
Dodge Charger traveling in front of him, a trooper said.
Upon impact, the motorcycle's tire came off and the bike
fell on its right side, throwing Olga from the vehicle.
He slid across the highway near the right turn lane to the Elkton
Walmart, where a Lincoln Town Car in the lane waiting to turn, hit him.
Giles said the crash occurred as Olga was returning to Delaware from a
fundraiser in Maryland for the motorcycle group to which he belonged.
Some of the club's members, who were riding along with him, and
passersby helped lift the Town Car off Olga to free him, Giles said.
One member of the club was the driver of the 2006 Dodge Charger, who disputed
the police version of the crash, saying that his vehicle wasn't hit by the motorcycle.
New Jersey resident Chris Jones, who said he and Olga belonged to the group
Diamond Disciples, said the tire was still on Olga's bike when he saw it after the crash
"I heard the brakes, saw him go down, but I thought he deflected down," Jones said.
"He is one of the most skilled riders that I know.
He rides in full body armor and a full-face helmet."
Jones said he jumped out of his vehicle and ran from Olga's
bike over to the Lincoln Town Car to help free his friend.
"It took a lot of us -- about 10 to 12 people -- to get
the car off him and put it on its side," Jones said.
"Customers from Walmart and people stopping
on the street ran over real fast to help.
He actually woke up and tried to talk.
One of my brothers was there and he started squeezing his hand."
Elkton paramedics took Olga to Union Hospital.
He was later transferred to Christiana Hospital.
Olga is survived by his wife and three children, Giles said.
He was the son-in-law of Elsmere Town Councilman
John Jaremchuk, of the 1st Council District.
"We've never had a sitting member of Council die in office," said Giles.
"He was a short-term council member, but he seemed
dedicated to the position and wanted to make a difference.
We will grieve with his family."
A public viewing was held Thursday from 5 p.m.
to 8 p.m. at the Krienen-Griffith Funeral Home.
A Mass of Christian Burial took place at 11 a.m. Friday
at Corpus Christi Catholic Church at 905 New Road in Elsmere.
DEFENDANT IN BANGOR CRASH
THAT KILLED MOTORCYCLISTS:
'MY LIFE IS OVER'
By Riley Yates, Of The Morning Call
February 17, 2012
In a Bangor police holding cell after a wreck that killed two motorcyclists, a distraught
John P. Heaney III got a phone call from his wife,
an officer testified Friday.
" 'It's true. Two men are dead. My life is over,' " Heaney said into his
cell phone, according to East Bangor Patrolman Michael Flaherty. "
'You might as well file for divorce and get over me.
Do what you have to do.' "
Heaney, a retired Plainfield, N.J., police officer, is charged with homicide
by vehicle while drunk and related crimes for a fiery accident last summer
on Route 512 in which he is accused of hitting a group of motorcyclists
with his pickup truck after drinking at a restaurant
and a private club.
Killed July 1 were Michael Zadoyko, 47, and Keith Michaelson, 52, both of New
Jersey.
They and the five other bikers were members of the New
Jersey-based Last Chance Motorcycle Club, a support group
for riders overcoming drug and alcohol addiction.
The men were on their way to a wake; only one
escaped injury.
"He said, 'I killed two people today.
I'm going away for a long time,' "
Flaherty recalled Heaney later telling him.
" 'My family is better off without me.' "
"Just the way, he was talking, it was very sad," Flaherty said.
The testimony before Northampton County Court Judge Paula Roscioli
came because defense attorney Dennis Charles is seeking to have Heaney's
statements to police suppressed, arguing they
violated his constitutional rights.
Police allege Heaney's northbound truck had crossed completely
into the southbound lane when it hit the motorcyclists.
Heaney refused to submit to a blood-alcohol test, but police said he
had four vodka tonics at a private Bangor club, and three beers at
a restaurant in East Stroudsburg earlier in the day.
East Bangor Police Chief Robert Mulligan said there was "a lot of chaos"
at the scene of the crash, with some of the motorcycles on
fire and "a few bodies that were laying about."
Heaney approached him, Mulligan recalled, and said he
was the driver of the pickup and a retired police
officer.
Mulligan asked what happened and Heaney said,
"I think I veered a little bit and they hit me head
on."
"He then corrected himself and said, 'They
veered into me, I think,' " Mulligan said.
Heaney, 49, of Lopatcong Township, N.J., is scheduled for trial in May.
Charles and Assistant District Attorney William Blake will submit briefs on the
law before Roscioli rules on whether the statements can be used by prosecutors.
POLICE NEWS
February 2, 2012
MOTORCYCLE CRASH: A 27-year-old man suffered leg, chest and possible
head injuries after crashing his motorcycle Wednesday afternoon near Christiana.
Cpl. Peter Small of New Castle County paramedics said the accident
happened about 5:10 p.m. along Christiana Mall Road near Del. 1.
The motorcycle rider fell 30 feet down an overpass next to Del. 1.
He was taken to Christiana Hospital in stable condition.
CHROME CAPITAL'S TESTRIDE GETS MID-ATLANTIC
MOTORCYCLE RIDERS OUT OF SHOWROOMS AND
ONTO THEIR BIKES FASTER THAN EVER
New 2 and 3-year leasing program now available at Rommel
Harley-Davidson
Dealerships in New Castle and Smyrna, DE, and Annapolis, MD.
NEW CASTLE, DE
January 19, 2012
(Motor Sports Newswire)
Chrome Capital, a Naples, FL-based finance company, has signed dealership
agreements with Rommel Harley-Davidson, formerly Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson
and Harley-Davidson of Annapolis, to support their New Castle, Smyrna, and Annapolis
Harley-Davidson dealerships with Chrome’s TestRide™, an innovative leasing program
designed to put more riders on more Harley-Davidson® motorcycles.
Chrome’s TestRide™ means customers can ride a Harley®
motorcycle for two or three years with no further obligation.
When the TestRide™ period comes to an end,
the customer has options, not obligations.
Chrome’s lease affords the customer all end-of-lease options
available through a standard vehicle lease: purchase the bike,
renew the lease, or return the bike to the dealer.
“TestRide™ is a revolutionary step forward to help
Harley dealers generate additional revenue each month.
Chrome’s lease pricing is spot on, and provides an exciting
opportunity for our customers to realize their dream of
riding a Harley® motorcycle today,” says Brad
Hopkins, Rommel Harley-Davidson’s President.
“Having an alternative to traditional financing is a real competitive advantage for our
dealerships,” says Aaron Joyner, General Sales Manager of Rommel Harley-Davidson.
“The TestRide™ lease product addresses many of our customers’ preference of
trading/upgrading every three years, while alleviating any loan obligations at
year three found with the traditional finance products.”
Mr. Joyner continues, “In my book, the big winners are the newest riders.
All new H-D Rider’s Edge® graduates are presented the TestRideTM lease.
It’s the perfect way to ride a Harley® motorcycle without a long-term commitment
on their first bike.” Rider’s Edge® is Harley-Davidson’s training class for novice riders.
Chrome Capital’s dealer relationships currently stretch from New Jersey to
Florida, and the company aims to sign on the top 200 U.S. Harley-Davidson
dealerships by the end of 2012. Chrome Capital is led by a seasoned management
team including Peter E. Wasmer, CEO; Stephen J Swain, CFO; and Brian
Cramer, Vice President of Dealer Development and Marketing.
Media Contact: Peter
Wasmer, President.
239.213.9922
peter.wasmer@chromecapital.com
www.chromecapital.com
18 WAYS TO DESTROY ABATE AND PUT
YOUR FREEDOMS INTO JEOPARDY
1. Don't attend meetings, but if you do, arrive late.
2. Be sure you leave before the meeting is over.
3. Never have anything to say at the meetings; wait until you get outside.
4. When at meetings, vote to do everything, then go home and do nothing.
5. The next day find fault with your officers and fellow members.
6. Take no part in your organizations affairs.
7. Be sure to sit in the back so you can talk things over with other members...no body will notice.
8. Get all the organization will give, but give nothing.
9. Talk co-operation but never co-operate.
10. Never ask anyone to join the organization.
11. Threaten to resign at every opportunity; tell others that they are standing for far to much.
12. If asked to help, always say you haven't got the time.
13. Never read anything pertaining to the organization.
14. Never accept an office; its much easier to criticize than to do things.
15. If appointed to a committee, never give any time to it; let the chairman do it all
16. Don't do anything more than you have to, and when others willing and unselfishly use their ability to help the cause, howl loudly because the organization is run by a clique.
17. Drink too much cheap beer at the meeting to remember what happened.
18. Don't join ABATE or keep your membership current.
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