How can a great day turn out so wrong

[Joe]

Where should I start ..........I organized a ride with a bunch of the Tri State Trash guys(NY.NJ.PA) from Sacborg all fine guys who love to ride there was Brian(Cecil) Greg(Sleeper) Eric(Rev Z-Man) Greg(Dev Cat) Mike(Manhattan Mike) Andy(Andy)and myself (Slo-Joe).......These guys were coming from as far as Philly just for Breakfast and a ride with cyber friends..........We met at a little town on the Hudson River called Cold Spring and had a great breakfast talked bikes and got to know one another better in person. I had the pleasure of talking to Andy the night before by mistake dialing on his part he was a easy guy to talk to made you feel comfortable right off the bat..........well the next couple hours we were in a 7/10 -8/10 ride mode running rt.301 side roads and the group getting OJ chased for a couple miles when a cop spun around while I was leading..... said I was doing 67mph in a 35mph zone(no-way) he thought we were going to book so with a courteous card from a cop friend and being very respectful I was let go with a verbal warning .............of course Mike took pictures of the cop lecturing me (that's what friends suppose to do) and we took it easier until we were out of the area. We did the Bear Mt run and Harimon St Park and was heading to Jersey for a BBQ and Swim at Sleeper's place. Well we stopped at a Ice Cream stand just shy of Jersey and I remember Andy joking with one of employees he seemed to get along with everyone. Well I took the group into Jersey as far as I knew then Sleeper took over ......we were in cruise mode passing on long straights and at a reduced pace then earlier....................... Sleeper made a right off the main road I'm next .........then I realized there was no one behind me I slowed to a stop then turned around all of a sudden two cop cars with blazing lights and sirens come flying out of a side street I go back about a 1/4 mile and I can't believe what I saw rounding the turn..................bike parts everywhere and a rag doll of a body under a Ford Explorer people were taking out there car jacks to get the SUV off him while Eric and Mike were pulling him out.... this while I'm pulling up on my bike in shock almost didn't no how to use the kickstand. The EMT's and other professionals were there by now working frantically on him where he laid in the road all of us watched in disbelief as they tried to resuscitate him I started to cry and I'm crying now writing this. When they put the sheet over him it was over.................I have to stop now.
It was the longest loneliest ride I ever had to make home.

Need to get some sleep now....I couldn't last night

God's Speed Andy Spiegal..................we will ride again my friend.

[SCOTTinNJ]

Originally posted by Joe
God's Speed Andy Spiegal..................we will ride again my friend.

Best wishes to his family and friends as well. That is truly a sad story.

[Firebolter]

Joe,

Sorry to hear about what happened. I was telling repoe that you guys were getting together to ride as we were at the races. I talked to Carlos from Laguna Seca yesterday before it happened I guess, so so sorry to hear about it. I read about it last night on SACBORG.

I didn't know Andy, but from the post and comments made by everyone, he is a hell of a GUY.

Hope all is well with you guys and all I can say is sorry.

r/Bill

[RonC]

Sad, sad. I hope you and everyone find peace soon.

I also note that this accident seems to involve an SUV, or urban assault vehicle. Why do people drive these monsters? Surely, they do not really need them, do they? How many accidents involve these oversized vehicles driven by folks with little skill or judgement? How many times do we hear about smaller cars and bikes being crushed under them? And for what? So someone can feel invincible?

[roger albert]

Sorry to hear it Joe. I know it's a complete bummer for all affected.
Life takes a lot of unexpected and hard turns, seemingly with no good reason. Take care of yourself and give yourself whatever time you need to pull yourself together. No rush.

Be well. -- All of you!

Roger

[AndrewA]

Hang in there Joe.

godspeed to Andy.

[levert]

Take care Joe!
Prayers to family and friends.

2 people killed at the Sport Bike rally as well in Parry Sound, very bad weekend!

Mark and Michelle

[FDH]

RonC: Tell me, please, what the type of other vehicle had to do with this accident. How did the fact that the other vehicle happened to be a SUV cause or contribute to the accident? I'd like to read a detailed, factual analysis of this accident. Furnish me with a copy of the investigating officer's report. You must have read it to be able to come to the conclusions expressed in your reply. You must be an expert accident reconstructionist. Or are you just generalizing, without a factual basis, like other people generalize about motorcyclists?

[Migs]

Started reading saying to myself "I've been there many times". Didn't see where it was going. So sorry to hear. Be well.

[levert]

Seems like an easy corner and loss of concentration, all of us have done it once at least.
SUV not at fault.
It is very easy to have a momentary lapse in focus and judgement, riding hard really does burn you out mentally.Geesh I was a passenger this weekend and I'm tired.

I just hope everyone who knew Andy get over this huge loss,this sport can be so unforgiving.

[fultwst]

Hang in there Joe. My thoughts and prayers go out to Andy's love ones. I am sure it will help by talking about it with fellow riders. I think it is important to talk about these incidents to both heal and to become better prepared as riders. Sometimes people will feel guilty for having been on the ride at all. But that does no good to anyone. God bless......... ~Paul

[lemec]

That's terrible news. Please accept my condolences.

[FDH]

By limiting my reply to a discussion of an unwarranted generalization, I didn't mean to suggest I'm unfeeling. Of course I'm saddened by his death. My condolences to his friends and family.

[wswartzwel]

Joe,
I don't really know what to say. I read the accident account at Sacborg and was crying before I finished. Even though we don't know each other we have a commonality in the sport we enjoy. It is an extreme sport and Losses like these cause each of us to search our souls. Prayer is about all I can offer this situation, which I will do.

[shannonnunley]

Another fallen rider.... I am so sorry to hear of this once again.... I know of how long and lonely that ride home can be Joe.

My condolences to Andy, his friends, and his family... and of course to you Joe.

[iraklis]

my deepest condolenses to his family, friends, and loved ones -

having just lost my best friend (of 20 years -http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=170587) three weeks ago in an SUV accident in Laconia NH - i completely understand the feeling and extend my deepest regards. I hope everyone keeps his memories alive.

there are no words to describe this feeling.

regards,
eric

[Skippy]

I wish you a lot of strenght Joe and Andy's family.It's always realy hard realising that something like this can happen to all of us doing something we realy love.

[SparkyBlue]

Very sorry to hear about this. Truely a sad time. My sympathies to his family. These things are dangerous. We accept it knowing something bad can happen, but doesn't make it any easier to live with. Very sorry indeed.

[AndrewA]

Any info on a Memorial Fund?

[dannyleo]

I have been pronounced expectant post-motorcycle crash once. As a paramedic, I have seen more than my share of stupidity induced results, bad engineering, and just plain being in the wrong place at the wrong time results. In Special Forces, I went places and saw things that still make me have dreams from time to time. More than one guy went out to do a "fun" jump and didn't come home, heck, those aren't even combat, just for an extra $150 bucks! Oh well, life's a _____ and then you die. Maybe I'm just getting old and crotchity, but it's gotten to the point to where I just about don't care anymore. I ride for the pleasure and make sure and hug and kiss my kids when I see them and when I/they leave. I drive a huge 4WD truck and haven't had anything but SUV's for a long while. You know why, because I want to and because I can. SAME reason why I ride an R1100S and why you can ride whatever you want.

I actually enjoy seeing some of the carnage reported here. I've even reported some myself. Does it give me pleasure? No. But at least it gets out there in the open and then we all think about it and maybe, just maybe, we ride a little more careful on the street. 'Cause on the street, you don't control everything. I am not only as guilty as the next guy, I'll be the first to say that I'm probably MORE guilty. I have made mistakes and sometimes, other people have paid along with me. Now, I try a lot harder not to make those mistakes but I know that around every corner, there might be another guy/gal who hasn't learned that lesson yet and I might be paying part of his bill too.

Sorry for ranting. I'm just not that sorry anymore. Just in a state of acceptance that things are going to happen. Don't really want to hurt anybody's feelings on purpose, but YOU have to accept that this is life and things are going to happen; especially when you push it. You've got several choices, accept it and try to minimize the risk with better training, better riding places (track?), or just sit at home and remember what a great time you used to have when you rode. I can't count the number of old men who used to come up to me and my best friend in cafes and tell how they used to ride, till that 18 wheeler and their wife...blah, blah, blah.

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Some are fast and some are lucky, when things happen though, it's always better to be lucky than to be fast.