Rothliesberger...

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rnr262 · #41 Unread post by **rnr262** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:26 pm

ericeverson wrote:This was crazy news, I wish him a speedy recovery. I read one site that made it sound like the woman driving was found to be at fault. The MSNBC website said that no charges have been filed. I’m sure it might take a little while on the paperwork, but I hope she is charged. If no charges are filed I hope ABATE makes a big deal about this (if nothing else hopefully it will bring some national attention to a serious threat that motorcyclists face every day).

Who knows what really happened. Some of the witnesses are saying the woman had the right of way (must have had the arrow?) At first they reported she was from out of state, but they're now saying she's a 62 year old city resident.

#42 Unread post by **cb360** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:06 pm

The people in the car in front of the lady driving the car that he hit said they went left on yellow when ben was quite a ways away still - they assumed that the car behind them must have ran the light - they assumed that Ben had the green. I feel bad for Ben obviously but if that poor lady lives in Pittsburgh I imagine she'd gonna get a few mean-spirited notes in the mailbox.

jstark47 · #43 Unread post by **jstark47** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 4:44 am

There was a news clip on TV this a.m., showed an interview with Ben from last year. He seemed to say his justification for not wearing helmets was that "it's not required" and he "feels freer" without a helmet. Given the accident, he sounds like a proper moron in that interview IMO.

Shyt happens, cagers' driving sucks, motorcyclists are at risk. Locking up the lady who cut him off (which I favor BTW) doesn't change all that, 'cause there's a hundred more blind cage-driving fools who will take her place. That's the facts. Take precautions or don't. If you don't, you might pay. Ben's paying now, hope he wises up and makes different choices if he returns to motorcycling.

Anyone see the article in this month's AMA magazine about the virtual ocean of distracted, incompetent cage-driving clowns we're swimming in every time we get on a bike? Sobering stuff.

#44 Unread post by **bok** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 5:00 am

The people in the car in front of the lady driving the car that he hit said they went left on yellow when ben was quite a ways away still

so one car blasts the yellow and another car follows...this happens all the time. apparently Ben was still "quite a ways away" so he was approaching a RED light at a high rate of speed is what that basically is saying.

jstark47 · #45 Unread post by **jstark47** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 5:39 am

bok wrote:so one car blasts the yellow and another car follows...this happens all the time. apparently Ben was still "quite a ways away" so he was approaching a RED light at a high rate of speed is what that basically is saying.

heck, I don't approach GREEN lights at high rates of speed if I see a car anywhere around the intersection!

#46 Unread post by **cb360** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:18 am

My point being that the witness at the scene said Ben had the green. that doesn't mean he was riding safely - he obviously wasn't - but when it comes to damages the other lady pays if he had the green. Won't fix his face but I'll assure you both insurance companies will be quite interested in that factoid. Also, anyone that says they don't know the timing of the lights near their house is lying. That doesn't mean you blow through anticipating the green like he obviously did of course, but still.

#47 Unread post by **bok** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:41 am

yeah it's a tough accident. and most of the reports are pretty vague on the details.
- basically ben was going too fast
- the car he hit either ran a red or was racing a yellow
- ben hit the car
- ben wasn't wearing a helmet
- ben was on a hayabusa (from the report i heard)
- ben got hurt

sad when anyone gets into an accident like that. even more sad that it brings bad attention to all motorcyclists and the helmet debate.

I'd much rather the national media report on pro athletes doing a ride for sight or kid's cancer camps instead of Ben/Kellen's crashes.

Andrew · #48 Unread post by **Andrew** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:54 am

From the looks of things, it doesn't matter who was at fault. I've read a few places that he did not have a motorcycle liscence. He had a permit that expired a few months ago, and never got the liscence.

Seems to be a bad situation all around.

rnr262 · #49 Unread post by **rnr262** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:54 am

Add to the below that it's now reported Ben doesn't have a MC license. He had a learners permit that has expired.

bok wrote:yeah it's a tough accident. and most of the reports are pretty vague on the details.
- basically ben was going too fast
- the car he hit either ran a red or was racing a yellow
- ben hit the car
- ben wasn't wearing a helmet
- ben was on a hayabusa (from the report i heard)
- ben got hurt

sad when anyone gets into an accident like that. even more sad that it brings bad attention to all motorcyclists and the helmet debate.

I'd much rather the national media report on pro athletes doing a ride for sight or kid's cancer camps instead of Ben/Kellen's crashes.

#50 Unread post by **t_bonee** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:16 am

bok wrote:yeah it's a tough accident. and most of the reports are pretty vague on the details.
- basically ben was going too fast
- the car he hit either ran a red or was racing a yellow
- ben hit the car
- ben wasn't wearing a helmet
- ben was on a hayabusa (from the report i heard)
- ben got hurt

sad when anyone gets into an accident like that. even more sad that it brings bad attention to all motorcyclists and the helmet debate.

I'd much rather the national media report on pro athletes doing a ride for sight or kid's cancer camps instead of Ben/Kellen's crashes.

There's Kyle Petty's Charity Ride. It only gets reported on, that I've noticed, in the towns that they ride through and in North Carolina where the Victory Junction Gang Camp is.