Ducati Monster Forum

The guy who caused the accident fled the scene and the only description that they have of him is that he was wearing a hat.

 [bang]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7294084.html (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7294084.html)

(http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2010-11/57629738.jpg)

Sad, especially when it was preventable.

   I know this is going to sound insensitive, but I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often. In my area there are always large groups of Harley riders touring Route 66. They are always going way under the speed limit with a line of cars behind them. It's no excuse but nobody wants to be stuck behind a group of Harleys doin 45 in a 65.

Ouch.
Not the comment, the event.

This definitely sucks. Very sad to hear. I'm suprised none of the other riders went after the Honda. Just get the plate or something.  very sad.

I'll add to that line of thinking. I was not there but can only imagine that this was a group of bikers not only slowing traffic but riding in a tight pack that does not allow room to take evasive maneuvers such as, adequate stopping distance. In other words, they are like motorized bowling pins that are just one incident away from a multi bike crash.
It's frustrating to see groups of riders riding in tight, non staggered packs, usually wearing little to no gear, and in this case on big heavy bikes that can't turn or stop. When you are on a big machine like this, you are more vulnerable to the hazards on the road, so you should be taking extra precautions to compensate for your bike's reduced ability to stop or turn. (in this case they were on cruisers)

I almost lost a friend this year because he was riding with a group when a van u-turned in front of them. He impacted the van and the next bike was far enough back that they were able to brake hard, and swerve around the van missing it by inches. My friend was airlifted to Mayo, where they took a couple of weeks trying to put him back together. He was fortunate that there was a nurse and county cop on the scene when it happened. it was ugly and he almost died but no other bikes crashed because they rode staggered, and spaced.

The idiot that caused this crash is a piece of shit and I hope that they catch him, and I'm not saying anyone deserved to crash or lose their life. I am saying however, I have a hard time feeling sympathy for people that don't reduce their odds of getting injured or killed...no matter what kind of bike, car, truck, airplane, etc. that they may be in control of. It's dangerous on public roads folks...reduce your odds of being a victim of someone else's mistakes. I see groups of bikes doing this all the time, and I hate to see it. You should never be in a position that you can not stop in time to hit the bike(s) in front of you.

This is tragic news and I feel for their families/loved ones.

there is no way for anyone to arm chair quarterback this event, not with those details in the article. I ride with both slow and faster than hell people and I've seen more potential incidents with the "speeders" driving recklessly and passing on blind turns and hills.  This was preventable and I hope the driver that sped away is caught and dealt with accordingly.  This is simply senseless.

Bottom line is...if you are a group of bikes that pile up, you were riding too close. ;)

If a car traveling the other direction towards you looses control I don't think it matters how close you are together.  If your going 60 and they are crashing at even just 40.  100mph is a pretty fast speed to try to react.

+1.  What he said.  ^^

Tragic. RIP to the dead and God speed to those injured.

well I'm going to profile here.

The highway has heavily traffic to and from Mexico.
Gold Honda
thinking illegal not wanting to stop caused this accident
good as gone over the border

sad story.

Lot of comments in the intertubes about how the bikers were following too closely or whatever.  There are only a few people who know how they were riding and I've yet to see a comment from one of them.  At 100+ closing speed, it's not going to matter much if you're staggered or parade formation.

Last year there was a 26 bike pile up just south of Portland on I-5. A pack of Brother Speed riders were in a tight formation and when traffic stopped in front of them they had no room & time to avoid the pile up.

Agreed - if I ever witness a similar event, and there are others to tend to the downed riders, I'll be getting the cars plate.

Condolences to all involved - very sad.

We do not know what happened, other than the idiot driving the Honda was at fault and guilty of hit and run.  I've seen large packs of Harleys riding too slow and not allowing  others to pass.  I've also seen groups of Harleys riding at sensible speeds in a proper stagger and even yield to single file in the right of the lane when a vehicle wants to pass.  Some groups of sport riders have their own style of irresponsible riding.  

The other day I was going down a side street at the speed limit or a little above.  I was not far from the next intersection when a car passed me over the double yellow to make a right turn in front of me.  Obviously, I had sufficient time to brake, but still, WTF!

What we must keep in mind is usually when bike meets car, bike looses.  Be careful out there [thumbsup]

They still haven't found the Honda driver, but the driver that was run off the road and then hit the motorcyclists is being held for DUI.  Here's a link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101114/ap_on_re_us/us_motorcycles_crash;_ylt=AhVA9xMd7VhSZcDYzWYlA2ms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNvanY2Z2ExBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAxMTE0L3VzX21vdG9yY3ljbGVzX2NyYXNoBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDNARwb3MDMQRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3QEc2xrA2RyaXZlcmhlbGRpbg--) and a snippet:  

It is unclear if the driver's alleged alcohol consumption contributed to the collision, Goudie said, but he was arrested on a misdemeanor and is not being held responsible for the deaths based on evidence collected so far. Authorities are looking for the driver of a gold Honda Civic who forced Rodriguez off the road when trying to pass the motorcyclists on the undivided two-lane highway east of San Diego.

Anyone wanna take bets on how long it'll take this thread to degenerate into a discussion about immigration and then get locked?   [roll]

wow, completely getting worse.


illegal passes, leaving the scene of an accident, DUI...

Very unfortunate chain of events, every party is at fault here, from the bikers toodling down the highway with there I don't give a shit attitude while we impede traffic.
To the impatient bastard in the Honda, clearly passing with unsafe conditions and the drunk Mexican, his impaired driving was the final cog, and who ultimately this will all be pinned on.

Truly sad. Hopefully none of them had kids.

 [thumbsup]

My thoughts are with the dead and injured and their loved ones.

Blood drive kids?  Just give with the memory of these fellow riders on your mind..

somebody already got a head start on ya:

 :-\

awful and tragic however it happened

Do we know for a fact that the bikes were going under the speed limit?

No DUI charges against the guy who veered into the bikers.  Still haven't found the gold Honda driver.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/15/driver-motorcycle-club-crash-not-charged/ (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/15/driver-motorcycle-club-crash-not-charged/)

A very unfortunate and sad story.

Sad story. RIP.

It just confirms why I never ride right next to another rider in group rides.  It just does not leave in room to make any corrections.  I have seen riders in front of me have a tank slap and wreck and get dragged.  Because I maintained enough distance and stayed back, I was able to avoid wrecking myself.  I just never understand why riders do that.  The once I encounter think that they are being slick but little do they realize they are endangering themselves and the riders around them.  It's not  a track or race and do not have anything to prove.  Back off.

Quote from: Raux on November 14, 2010, 10:02:42 AM
well I'm going to profile here.

The highway has heavily traffic to and from Mexico.
Gold Honda
thinking illegal not wanting to stop caused this accident
good as gone over the border

 Ha-Ha

 A drunk is a drunk no mater what color.

 I worked as a firefighter in rural central California for years and I 've seen this type of accident many times. Usually the driver is too drunk to know what he just did.
 I still don't get it, I've seen two cars have a high speed front end collision for no apparent reason on a sunday morning with no other cars on the road, drunks run a stop sign and t-bone a vehicle perfectly and the vehicle hit being the only vehicle for miles in all directions.

Shit happens to good and bad people everyday, this tragedy could happen to any of us, I guess it was these guys time to go.
 

The facts seem to be:
The driver of the vehicle invlolved in the crash was not at fault, he was trying avoidance and he was not DUI

The road they were on at the place it happened is a very long straight highway, the driver of the Honda was in a hurry and was speeding before and after he caused the accident

The posted speed was 65 and the group was doing close to that

There were 12 bikes, the 21 first reported included passengers

I get pretty frustrated at the under 10 crowd at times but usually when they are on well traveled routes, althought a popular route this is the middle of nowhere and it doesn't appear they were doing 10 under

This could as easily have been a group of antique cars or a crusin car club

It's a sad day for the victims, the club, and their family and friends. And as two wheel brothers and sisters my thoughts are with them

If you live in the area keep an eye out for the Honda, although it's not clear there is enough evidence to indentify him let alone charge him, but he will most likely be on that road again and exhibit the same reckless behavior - Gene

its called target fixation. as the DD comes up to the intersection, they see the other car, become fixated on it, blow through the stop, and into the other car.

it happens to all of us to some extent or other. but the drunk asshole is less able to correct for it.

What drunk Mexican? Quite a conclusion to leap to.

if you read the link above, it's not a leap at all:  http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/15/driver-motorcycle-club-crash-not-charged/ (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/15/driver-motorcycle-club-crash-not-charged/)

Authorities announced on Monday that no drunken driving charges would be filed against Carlos Ramirez Bobadilla, 36, of Mexicali, Mexico, who was injured in the crash when he veered into a dozen Saddletramps motorcycles while trying to avoid an oncoming car.

Mexican yes, drunk no. Tests showed no alcohol in his sytem. - Gene

personally  I hate riding in large groups as my options for manouver get squeezed , my condolences to the poor folks who died or lost friends and family and my the idiot who caused the accident rot in hell.

Right... No leap at all.

That article said no charges would be filed. Other articles have confirmed that his BAL was zero. Ramirez Bobadilla was a victim here.

Are all residents of Mexicali drunk Mexicans?

When the post was originally made the driver was being held on suspicion of DUI and was subsequently tested and released.

Is the expectation now that users go back and edit their posts based on events that happen after they post?

Tremendously sad. Be careful everyone.

"Suspicion" is not the the same thing as facts. In this particular case, the suspicions were wrong. Conclusions were leapt to.


No. Perhaps it's my hope that next time people might think twice about whether they really have facts (as opposed to unsupported speculation) before posting. I do realize that's never really going to happen. That's why it's a hope rather than an expectation.

If you'll go back and look at my post, I quoted a link you posted and what you said about the fact that the driver was not being charged with DUI. Somehow, you thought the fact he had a BAL of 0 and wasn't being charged meant "it's not a leap at all" to refer to Ramirez Bobadilla as a "drunk Mexican."

The long and short of it is that even survivors at the scene and local authorities don't fully know what happened. For some reason, people with vastly less real information assume they do know.

The internet is full of experts.  [thumbsup]

I was linking back to the fact that he was indeed Mexican, not the drunk part.  That's why I put the Mexicali part in bold.

Keyboard warriors Nate... [bang]

May all the victims RIP...

 [coffee]