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Biker wrecks baffle safety officials
Four dead, at least seven badly injured over weekend; caution urged
By Camille Wheeler
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, June 7, 2004
Law enforcement officials -- unable to explain a dramatic rise in motorcycle wrecks with injuries during this year's Republic of Texas Biker Rally, including four in which people died -- are urging extra caution for all drivers.
At least seven other people were critically or seriously injured in motorcycle-related crashes in the Austin area over the weekend, officials said.
Warren Hassinger, spokesman for Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, said at least one of the riders killed was attending the rally.
The five-day rally ended Sunday after drawing about 40,000 motorcycle enthusiasts to the Travis County Exposition Center. Rally officials could not be reached for comment Sunday.
To his knowledge, Hassinger said, these are the first motorcycle wreck-related deaths during the rally's 10-year history in Austin.
Only one or two motorcycle wreck-related injuries were reported during last year's event, he said.
"Certainly, it doesn't appear to be weather-related," Hassinger said about the increase. "I don't know what the correlation is. Were the moons lined up wrong this year, or is it because of the high numbers?
"There's a huge number of motorcycle enthusiasts in this town on any given day," he said. "But based on the number of riders that I've seen for the last three days, it's obvious there's a bunch of people here from out of town. . . . You can almost draw a conclusion just the way the traffic has increased."
In the latest crash reported, a motorcycle rider was critically injured after colliding with a vehicle at 10:30 p.m. Saturday on the frontage road of southbound Interstate 35 at Woodland Drive. No more information was available Sunday, Austin Police Department officials said.
The intersection was closed until 5 a.m. Sunday.
The first death was reported Thursday on Decker Lane, when a motorcycle rider attending the rally collided with an 18-wheeler, Hassinger said.
The man, whose name has not been released, was turning into the Expo Center when he collided with the truck, Hassinger said.
The crash occurred at 2:40 p.m. Thursday. The man died at Brackenridge Hospital, Hassinger said.
Three deaths were reported early Saturday afternoon in western Travis County and Hays County.
Two motorcycle riders died after a wreck at 1:15 p.m. Saturday at McGregor Road and U.S. 290 in Hays County, said Tela Mange, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Billy Cole of Tatum and Kimberly Machovec of Longview were killed after their motorcycle collided with a car driven by Shawn Stradder, who was in critical condition at Brackenridge.
Mange said Cole and Machovec were not wearing helmets when they were thrown from the motorcycle and suffered massive head injuries. Stradder, who had stopped to turn onto McGregor Lane off eastbound 290, was pushed into oncoming traffic when another car hit hers from behind.
The motorcycle hit her passenger side and entered the car, Mange said. "It's the worst motorcycle wreck I've ever seen," she said.
The fourth fatal wreck occurred Saturday afternoon at Bee Creek Road and Texas 71 in Travis County. Eugene Commiso, who also was not wearing a helmet, was traveling at high speed when he failed to negotiate a curve and collided with a sport-utility vehicle, Mange said.
Four dead, at least seven badly injured over weekend; caution urged
By Camille Wheeler
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, June 7, 2004
Law enforcement officials -- unable to explain a dramatic rise in motorcycle wrecks with injuries during this year's Republic of Texas Biker Rally, including four in which people died -- are urging extra caution for all drivers.
At least seven other people were critically or seriously injured in motorcycle-related crashes in the Austin area over the weekend, officials said.
Warren Hassinger, spokesman for Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, said at least one of the riders killed was attending the rally.
The five-day rally ended Sunday after drawing about 40,000 motorcycle enthusiasts to the Travis County Exposition Center. Rally officials could not be reached for comment Sunday.
To his knowledge, Hassinger said, these are the first motorcycle wreck-related deaths during the rally's 10-year history in Austin.
Only one or two motorcycle wreck-related injuries were reported during last year's event, he said.
"Certainly, it doesn't appear to be weather-related," Hassinger said about the increase. "I don't know what the correlation is. Were the moons lined up wrong this year, or is it because of the high numbers?
"There's a huge number of motorcycle enthusiasts in this town on any given day," he said. "But based on the number of riders that I've seen for the last three days, it's obvious there's a bunch of people here from out of town. . . . You can almost draw a conclusion just the way the traffic has increased."
In the latest crash reported, a motorcycle rider was critically injured after colliding with a vehicle at 10:30 p.m. Saturday on the frontage road of southbound Interstate 35 at Woodland Drive. No more information was available Sunday, Austin Police Department officials said.
The intersection was closed until 5 a.m. Sunday.
The first death was reported Thursday on Decker Lane, when a motorcycle rider attending the rally collided with an 18-wheeler, Hassinger said.
The man, whose name has not been released, was turning into the Expo Center when he collided with the truck, Hassinger said.
The crash occurred at 2:40 p.m. Thursday. The man died at Brackenridge Hospital, Hassinger said.
Three deaths were reported early Saturday afternoon in western Travis County and Hays County.
Two motorcycle riders died after a wreck at 1:15 p.m. Saturday at McGregor Road and U.S. 290 in Hays County, said Tela Mange, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Billy Cole of Tatum and Kimberly Machovec of Longview were killed after their motorcycle collided with a car driven by Shawn Stradder, who was in critical condition at Brackenridge.
Mange said Cole and Machovec were not wearing helmets when they were thrown from the motorcycle and suffered massive head injuries. Stradder, who had stopped to turn onto McGregor Lane off eastbound 290, was pushed into oncoming traffic when another car hit hers from behind.
The motorcycle hit her passenger side and entered the car, Mange said. "It's the worst motorcycle wreck I've ever seen," she said.
The fourth fatal wreck occurred Saturday afternoon at Bee Creek Road and Texas 71 in Travis County. Eugene Commiso, who also was not wearing a helmet, was traveling at high speed when he failed to negotiate a curve and collided with a sport-utility vehicle, Mange said.
