Bikers' rally wreck victims identified as area residents

[CNF2002]

November 5, 2006 -
By KEVIN MORAN - Houston Chronicle - www.chron.com

Bikers' rally wreck victims identified as area residents
One crash killed a Galvestonian and an Alvin woman; another was fatal for a Santa Fe man

Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle



GALVESTON - Three people who died in weekend motorcycle accidents here during one of the nation's largest annual motorcycle rallies have been identified as residents of Galveston and two nearby towns, police said Monday.

Although Galveston police have not kept records on accidents related to the Lone Star Rally since it moved here in 2003, officials said they could not recall more than two occurring during any previous rally.

Matthew Ibarra, 25, of Galveston, died after the motorcycle he was driving went out of control on a curve at 29th and Harborside at 10:30 p.m. Friday, police said. He and his passenger, Jennifer Gardner, 20, of Alvin in Brazoria County, were thrown into a grassy area on the roadside and died at the scene.

About 90 minutes later, police said, a motorcycle driven by Frank William Black Jr., of Santa Fe in Galveston County, struck a guardrail near an entrance to Interstate 45 and he was thrown into traffic.

Witnesses told police that Black, 30, was traveling at high speed when the accident occurred.

None of the victims wore a helmet, said John Florence, an investigator for the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office. Toxicology reports will be complete in several weeks, he said.

Ibarra worked at Home Depot and was taking firefighting training at College of the Mainland in Texas City, according to obituary information. Services are scheduled for 2 p.m. today at Abundant Life Christian Center, 601 Delaney Road in La Marque.

Services were pending for Gardner and Black.

While attendance was estimated at 300,000 for the three-day Galveston rally, which ended Sunday, this year's motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D., drew almost 457,000, said spokeswoman Tammy Bachond. The weeklong event, the nation's largest annual motorcycle rally, is held every August.

Bachond said five people attending the Sturgis Rally died in motorcycle accidents this year. The South Dakota Highway Patrol lists the toll at six because it counts a biker who was involved in the rally but died in an accident some distance away, said Capt. Randy Hartley.

He and Bachond said four people were killed in accidents during last year's rally, when more than 525,000 motorcycle enthusiasts attended. The highest death toll ever at a Sturgis Rally was seven, in 2003.

"We always hope the numbers are low," Bachond said. "With that many people in such a confined area, unfortunately, it's going to happen."