The Tail of The Dragon takes a life

pwd72s · 08-04-2011, 09:27 AM

Crash on â€˜Dragonâ€™ claims biker after motorcycle collides with tractor-trailer

Seahawk · 08-04-2011, 09:59 AM

I've driven the Dragon three times and there won't be a forth unless it is at dawn on a weekday.

There is no way a flatbed should ever be on that road...there are steep curves with apexes less than the length of that thing.

pwd72s · 08-04-2011, 10:02 AM

I guess Oregon has more sense...read the sign here.

cashflyer · 08-04-2011, 10:06 AM

These are the signs that are posted on the dragon:

It's been long past time for an outright ban on trucks on that road.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seahawk

There is no way a flatbed should ever be on that road...there are steep curves with apexes less than the length of that thing.

+1

Many more photos, and details here:
Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, motorcycle and sport car lane tourism serving Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, Cherohala Skyway, Moonshiner28, and Devils Triangle.

pwd72s · 08-04-2011, 10:10 AM

Those pics say a LOT...

Hard-Deck · 08-04-2011, 11:07 AM

Son-of-a-b!tch! So sorry to hear that a fellow biker got killed this way.

I'll soon be in Columbus, OH as the Army has PCS'd my family there. I was planning a bike trip to ride the Tail. Maybe I should rethink? Are there any just-as-cool places to ride while I'm in Columbus?

Mericet · Mericet's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snapper33

Son-of-a-b!tch! So sorry to hear that a fellow biker got killed this way.

I'll soon be in Columbus, OH as the Army has PCS'd my family there. I was planning a bike trip to ride the Tail. Maybe I should rethink? Are there any just-as-cool places to ride while I'm in Columbus?

Head south to the Hocking Hills region. The local PCA chapter normally takes a drive down there once a year.

smokintr6 · 08-04-2011, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snapper33

Son-of-a-b!tch! So sorry to hear that a fellow biker got killed this way.

I'll soon be in Columbus, OH as the Army has PCS'd my family there. I was planning a bike trip to ride the Tail. Maybe I should rethink? Are there any just-as-cool places to ride while I'm in Columbus?

LOTS of great roads in Ohio. Start by looking into the State route 555 (the triple nickle) that runs south out of Zanesville. Also in the spring watch for car clubs advertising the Eric Jones memorial River Run... This is always a great drive at your own pace type of event. Check Buckeye Triumphs schedule for updates on this one: Buckeye Triumphs -- Home Page ... River run is not make/model specific, should be no problem to join on a bike. For what it's worth, the Tail of the Dragon was very fun and rewarding to drive. I did however leave with the impression that it was one of the more dangerous drives I've ever been a part of. I do not have a burning desire to go back, but I probably would with a group of close friends.

MBAtarga · 08-04-2011, 03:51 PM

Strange - looks like the bike ran into the tail end of the trailer, but the article states they were headed in opposite directions and the rear end of the trailer was in the biker's lane.

DUK · 08-04-2011, 04:02 PM

That's because it ran over him.

RIP Ike.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Very sad...

DUK · 08-05-2011, 03:40 PM

Petition: Restrict use of US Highway 129 to Non-Commercial Vehicles | Change.org

Tim Walsh · Tim Walsh's Garage

I've never driven the dragon, only been a passenger once on it. We were on a trip from NYC to NOLA and decided to drive it on the way down. We were nearly run over by a tractor trailer about half a mile in. A rig with a 53' trailer was taking a left hand corner just as we were approaching it. All 8 trailer wheels were in our lane, and our faces were about 3-4' from getting hit by the back of the trailer. No we weren't excessively speeding*, and were stopped when the truck almost hit us. Didn't help we were in this:

*Notice I didn't say unsafely speeding, that's defined as anything over 5mph in a bus.

Tractor trailers SHOULD NOT BE ON 129. Period. Full Stop.

ben parrish · 08-07-2011, 06:19 AM

Sad..a reminder to us all to ALWAYS anticipate someone is out to kill you when driving. I see vehicles daily well over the center line in the mountains.

Hard-Deck · 08-07-2011, 09:43 AM

I have three rules when riding...
1) I'm invisible
2) Everyone is trying to kill me
3) Everyone is trying to kill me

LeeH · 10:38 AM

It's just crazy that trucks are allowed on 129. Will be interesting to see what charges are brought against the driver. Not much defense.

A very close friend of mine survived a similar incident riding to work near his home in Knoxville. Same scenario - truck completely over the line on a very tight road (that was clearly marked "No Trucks."). He ran off the road instead of into the truck and ended up with a permanent spinal cord injury. Initially they thought he was going to be a quadriplegic. He eventually progressed to the point where he can walk a bit with a walker and has some use of his hands. He pilots a different sort of scooter now.

jt1 · 08-07-2011, 12:26 PM

It's a shame anyone gets injured or killed on any road, and my thoughts go out to his family and friends. But, there's plenty of blame to go around. The trucker was across the centerline, and the biker was out driving his sight and stopping distance. It could just as easily been a deer, fallen tree, or stopped vehicle in his lane.

What a lot of people do on the dragon, and other limited sight distance roads in the mountains, is dangerous, period. I've lived in western NC most of my life and seen it first hand.

John

DUK · 12-30-2011, 03:50 PM

BULLETIN: North Carolina has done what Tennessee won't do ...... ban trucks heading to the DRAGON. It is now illegal for trucks longer than 30 feet to operate on US 129 anywhere from US 19/74 all the way to the NC/TN State Line. They are also banned on NC 28 from NC 143 all the way to US 129. Also on the ban list is the entire Cherohala Skyway in North Carolina.

New signage will be erected to advise of the Restrictive Routes.

Flieger · Flieger's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by DUK

BULLETIN: North Carolina has done what Tennessee won't do ...... ban trucks heading to the DRAGON. It is now illegal for trucks longer than 30 feet to operate on US 129 anywhere from US 19/74 all the way to the NC/TN State Line. They are also banned on NC 28 from NC 143 all the way to US 129. Also on the ban list is the entire Cherohala Skyway in North Carolina.

New signage will be erected to advise of the Restrictive Routes.

Great news.

Laneco · 12-30-2011, 04:53 PM

This is GREAT news and long over due.

But for those who ride, remember that the last person who knows the road is banned is the out-of-state driver whose trip dispatch directions put him over it... We've had length restricted roads in Oregon for well over a decade and out-of-state trucks still get routed over them.

Ride safe.

angela