| Author | Message | ||
     Vegasbueller |
LAKE WALES - A Winter Haven motorcyclist became the 49th motorist to die on Polk County roads this year continuing a disquieting trend. Hubert Escalona, 28, of Winter Haven, about 6:20 a.m. was driving eastbound on Burns Avenue in the driving lane when he collided with a Buick sedan with two young children that had just turned onto the street from a development. According to Lake Wales police, Barbara Ann Garber, 35, of Lake Wales was leaving the Rolling Oak Hills subdivision with her two small children aged 3 years and 9 months. Garber halted at the stop sign at Burns Avenue before attempting to turn into the westbound lanes. Escalona, who was operating a 2004 Suzuki motorcycle, crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle and was thrown from his cycle by the impact. Escalona died at the scene of his injuries. Neither Garber nor her children were injured. No tickets were issued at the scene. The investigation is continuing, Police Lt. Patrick Quinn said. Dr. Stephen Nelson, District 10 medical examiner, ruled Escalona died from multiple blunt force trauma. Investigators did not indicate whether the death man wore a helmet and if it would have saved his life. State police in particular are making special efforts to slow down motorists and catch aggressive drivers in light of this year's spiraling highway fatalities. The Florida Highway Patrol is in the midst of "Operation Safe Break" to crack down on college antics on the roads. March and April historically are peak months for highway crashes in Florida although Thursday's fatality in Lake Wales appeared unrelated to the vacation period. Enhanced traffic enforcement will continue through April 28, FHP Director Col. Chris Knight said recently. | ||
| Got1nut |
RIP looks like the stupid driver never saw the kid and just turned right in front of him. I don't understand why no citations were given. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Unless the rider was speeding I don't see why no citations were issued. It sure seems to me she didn't look. I'm expecting speed or stunting to come up soon on this. | ||
| Slaughter |
Y'know - it used to be I'd read something like this and think "stupid cager" - but seeing the dramatic increase in stupidity on the local twisties and in town over the past few years, I'm not so fast to judge any longer. It is rapidly becoming a different "culture" on the highways. Shame when somebody else adds to the stats but I'm finding that all too often yeah - somebody pulls a vehicle out "in front of" the bike - but I've seen too many bikes here doing 80-90 in 55 zones too. | ||
| Cerbero |
what i want to know is why the article makes such a point of mentioning the car had two kids in it... what do they have to do with anything? anyone else think the author trying to elicit sympathy for the cager? | ||
| Vegasbueller |
Cerbero: When I read it I felt the same thing. To me, the journalist is writing it like the rider somehow "attacked" the car. I agree with Cataract though, I want to hear more of the hows and whys, so if anyone in Florida gets a better line, let me know please. Was on the same site they had some pics from the funeral of the teen rider that was killed a few months ago. Man that was touching seeing all the sportbikes in the funeral procession. | ||
| Captainkirk |
Just reinforces my theory that all cagers are out to kill you whether or not they know it...IF YOU LET THEM!!!! Don't let them. Please. No more tragedies; the season hasn't even started for me yet. To quote David Hough, ride each ride like a combat mission. Have fun, but stay on high alert all the time! And WEAR YOUR GEAR!!!!!!! | ||
| Cerbero |
i too want to hear more about this one. motorcyclists aren't always innocent, but neither are they always guilty. | ||
| Slaughter |
Captain Kirk, I agree on your observation - if you ride like they ARE trying to kill you - you are improving your odds. I always assume that the car stopped at an intersection, the one I'm about to pass, the one in the left turn lane, the one slowing down - all do not see me and that they will pull out in front, turn left, do a U-turn - all with the intention of doing me harm. Of course if somebody's only view of the world is their own colon from the inside, they'll hit you regardless - it just pays to improve the odds. On our group rides, we'll split up into 2 groups - the quicker bunch and the rest of us. We're not slow, we're "ticketless" When we get to where we're going, the other group always seems to have complaints about all the stupid drivers out there while we're always wondering if we're driving the same roads on the same days. It's a pretty consistent phenomenon. Inattentive drivers kill - so do motorcycles driven close to their limits on public streets. That'll never change. Obviously, none of the above really has to do with the original story - it's more of a personal rant - I'm just tired of seeing a typical weekend here in the So Ca canyons kill one or two and maim a half dozen during the killing season. | ||
| Henrik |
... like the rider somehow "attacked" the car. There was an interesting but disconcerting article in Motorcycle Consumer News about exactly that. How the majority of accidents involving motorcycle are written up with a very clear bias *against* the motorcyclist, even if the MC is not at fault. I hope you're all "Extra Mile" members of AMA, 'cause that's currently one of the few voices we have where it might count. Henrik | ||
| Bomber |
H -- a big amen on AMA membership -- it's one of the few national organziations, and perhaps the only one that doesn't make folks hide when they show up at the state capital . . . .. they do great wrok protecting rider's rights, and are extremely visable at both teh state and federal levels . . . . .. join, lend your voice to theirs -- only way things might improve | ||
| T9r |
RIP Published Saturday, April 2, 2005 HUBERT ESCALONA, 28 International Paper Co. WINTER HAVEN -- Mr. Hubert Escalona of Winter Haven died of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident Thursday (March 31, 2005) in Lake Wales. He was 28. Born in Yonkers, N.Y., on Jan. 14, 1977, he came to Winter Haven from Miami three years ago. He was a plant manager for International Paper Co. He was an Army veteran. He was a member of St. Matthew Catholic Church. Mr. Escalona is survived by his wife, Yamelis Garcia; father, Hubert Escalona, Miami; mother, Maria Elena Escalona, Miami; sister, Eileen Escalona, Miami. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 this evening at Oak Ridge Funeral Care, 2425 W. Havendale Blvd., Winter Haven. Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home chapel. | ||
| Vegasbueller |
He was quite accomplished for 28. Army vet and now a plant manager for IPC. RIP. Must be the weather again. I read another headline this morning from Orlando of another riders death. Apparently traffic on the interstate was stopped and he came over a hill and couldn't get stopped and rear ended a car. (Message edited by vegasbueller on April 04, 2005) | ||
| Vegasbueller |
From todays Orlando Sentinel CASSIA -- A 39-year-old Eustis man died late Sunday after the motorcycle he was driving collided with a truck and car on State Road 44 in northeastern Lake County. Robert Leroy Barth Jr. died at the scene of the 8:06 p.m. collision at Benton Drive and S.R. 44, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Barth was headed west on S.R. 44 on a 2001 Harley-Davidson motorcycle when he crossed the center line and hit the driver's side of an eastbound 2001 Ford pickup driven by Lois Mary Quinn, 42, of Paisley. The motorcycle glanced off the truck and hit a 1997 Dodge Caravan driven by Loren De Argo Kennedy, 24, of Tavares. The motorcycle burst into flames when it hit the minivan, said Sgt. Jorge Delahoz. Barth had turned to his right to look at his 18-year-old son, Robert Ashley Barth, who was following him on another motorcycle, Delahoz said. "There was a slight curve on the road and when he turned to look at his son, he crossed the center line," Delahoz said. The elder Barth, a mechanic for Lake County, is the brother-in-law of Theodore Kashula, 54, who died in a motorcycle accident near Leesburg earlier this year. The Harley that Barth was driving was registered to Kashula, Delahoz said. Both Barths were wearing helmets Sunday night, according to the FHP. Quinn and the four passengers in her truck were all wearing seat belts and were not injured, the FHP said. Kennedy and an adult passenger were wearing seat belts, and two young children were strapped into safety seats, Delahoz said. None was injured. | ||
| Buelliedan |
Riding a bike requires you to be so much more alert than in a car. just the other day I almost bit it due to my own inattentiveness. I was following a truck and I guess I looked off to the side at something. next thing I know I see the truck is slowing down to make a right turn. I grabbed the front brake(not good technique) and almost locked up the front tire which would have been a sure crash. My front end was shaking like crazy! Luckily I released and reapplied just in time and was able to narrowly avoid going down or running right into the back of the truck. If I had done either it would have been 100% my fault. Be careful out there guys and gals!! | ||
| Rick_a |
A kid got killed here locally last week. A car pulled out in front of him and a witness had said he was going "really fast." It looked like a CBR 600 and the impact was hard enough to spin the car almost 180 degrees. | ||
| Buelliedan |
If that car was spun 180 degrees he was going more than "really fast" There just is no place to drive like that on public streets folks. Car or bike. Here in san Antonio we had a couple killed yesterday when a Camaro blew a stop sign doing over 100 mph. Luckily the driver of the Camaro was killed as well saving a trial for his dumb •••! This was on a city street | ||
| Jlnance |
I grabbed the front brake(not good technique) and almost locked up the front tire which would have been a sure crash. My front end was shaking like crazy! Luckily I released and reapplied just in time Perhaps not the best technique, but you know how to release and reapply. Ya did good. | ||
| Dsergison |
What, (other than the front brake) would have been the choice to grab? | ||
| Jlnance |
It's not the front brake that is bad, it is the grabbing. | ||
| Buelliedan |
Exactly, you must progressively squeeze the front brake not grab it. Luckily my mind was able to figure that out soon enough. | ||
| Jeremyh |
some states also are NO FAULT states. you wreck its your problem. Makes for some serious insurance premiums | ||
| Sammigs |
Slaughter couldn't have said it any better in his first post. But I'll add to it. Cerbero: "what i want to know is why the article makes such a point of mentioning the car had two kids in it... what do they have to do with anything?" They too were involved in this fatal accident! He went on to say that no one in the vehicle was injured. No blame was placed, just the facts. Would you rather he wrote ...Stupid bitch in car kills young motorcyclist for no good reason...? He reported the facts on this one including all who were involved.  I feel bad when anyone is taken to soon. I feel even worse for their grieving family and friends. I'll step down now. Just my 2 cents, commence with the clubbing..... | ||
| Cerbero |
sam: no, "stupid bitch" is completely unwarranted. i wasn't placing blame... i don't have enough information to place blame! even if i knew she were at fault (which i don't) i still wouldn't phrase it that way. what got my attention, and what i commented on, was the emphasis the author placed on the kids... they were even mentioned before the driver was! "he collided with a Buick sedan with two young children" seems a bit gratuitous to me... it feels like the author is putting a spin on the story that is completely unnecessary. the family of that poor young man have enough to grieve about without having him labeled "a menace to innocent children" by a journalist looking for an angle. | ||
| Captainkirk |
Slaughter, Another technique I've tried...and seems to work...visualize the oncoming (or preceding; ahead-of-you) traffic doing the STUPIDEST thing you could possibly imagine. 9 out of 10 you'll give yourself a big grin & a chuckle. 1 out of 10, however, you'll do a "Holy Crap, I can't believe he/she just did that!!!!" This on was brought home to me one time as I was following a minivan doing 45 in a 50 zone. I had to fight back the urge to swing around and pass as it was a double yellow, so I amused myself by picturing the driver doing something really stupid...such as turning left without using a turn signal. Just thinking about it caused me to throttle back and back off a bit. Imagine the feeling when the woman on the cell phone not only did that, but her brake lights were out as well! They will kill you, if you let them.  | ||
| Sammigs |
It could have been a pickup truck full of duck crap instead of the motorcycle. The children would still have been mentioned because a childs safety and well being (for lack of better words) rank higher than an adults in our society. He probably wrote his piece from the info he received from the police report. For all we know he could be a biker himself. I don't mean to sound argumentative, but I think mentioning the children was just second nature and not meant to be a angle to tarnish the outlook on riders.  | ||
| Henrik |
This sentence: crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle reads almost like the motorcyclist attacked the car. Adding the "mother with young children" image to those "who were crashed into" only adds to a subtle but detectable bias against the motorcyclist. Keep your eyes open and read it for what it is - the vast majority of news reporting of MC accidents is biased against us with no regard to the facts. Whether the journalist intended this bias or it has just become habit through the choices of the editor is irrelevant. Henrik | ||
| Okinawaxb12s |
we lost one on island this past weekend.staff sgt. in the usmc.was riding a 01 r-1.came out of curve and "struck a stationary object"was all a buddy of mine that is an m.p. could tell me.he left behind a wife who is 3 weeks away from giving birth to their first child.sad,man,sad... | ||
| Sammigs |
Henrik: "Whether the journalist intended this bias or it has just become habit through the choices of the editor is irrelevant." This is relevant because it is the basis for the point I'm trying to make. I printed this exact article and showed it to approx. 40 people today. 10 of which are motorcyclist themselves. Not one person said they detected any bias against the motorcyclist. They read the facts and walked away knowing that 4 people were involved in a accident. 1 was fatally injured. Is it possible that some of us are biased toward motorcyclist and we can't read something without thinking everyone is out to get us? Sam | ||
| Captainkirk |
I keep telling you...they ARE out to get us!!!!!!!!!  | ||
| P0p0k0pf |
Investigators did not indicate whether the death man wore a helmet and if it would have saved his life. Death man? Freudian slip? }} | ||
| Henrik |
Sam; Oh I'm biased and openly so  . However, you ought to dig out that MCN article - very interesting read on exactly this topic. Unintentionally doing the wrong thing doesn't make it right, IMO. Can you think of other ways of writing this: ... a 2004 Suzuki motorcycle, crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle and was thrown from his cycle by the impact. It's tricky, ain't it, not knowing the facts. However, that sentence clearly makes the "Crashing" an action of the motorcyclist, not of the driver of the car. It *could* have been something to the extent of "car pulls out from stop sign having not seen the approaching motorcycle, and thus, blocking the riders way causing him to crash into ... etc. I guess my point is, that the phrasing clearly implies an aggressive stance on the part of the motorcycle thereby partly implying fault - which could be the case. The mention of Mother and Young children implies innocence on a general note, and further point to the motorcyclist at fault - again, which could be the case. There is however a disturbing trend among news agencies, through choice of phrasing, to imply fault with motorcyclists, even when that clearly is not the case. Henrik | ||
| Jlnance |
Henrik, I don't disagree in general with what you are saying. But as to that particular sentence, I can't find a better way to write it. My rule is if two sentences convey the same information, the shorter one is better. It is difficult to say anything besides "the motorcycle hit the car" with out getting very wordy. | ||
| Henrik |
Jim; don't get me wrong - I'm not bouncing off the walls, frothing at the mouth in this topic. But if if the fact is (not referring to the currently discussed article), that a car pulled out in front of a motorcycle causing a crash (remember the left turning car is a very frequent cause of motorcycle crashes), then "the motorcycle hit the car" does *not* convey the same or even remotely accurate information Henrik | ||
| Sammigs |
This is my last post about this and I'll shut my pie hole. However, you ought to dig out that MCN article (written by a biased motorcyclist/journalist)........  It *could* have been something to the extent of "car pulls out from stop sign having not seen the approaching motorcycle, and thus, blocking the riders way causing him to crash into ... etc But now you not printing the facts. Now it sounds like the driver of the veh. did not see the cyclist and blocked his path, there for causing the fatal accident. How do we know she did not see him?  Maybe he never saw her? I know what your saying about some journalist and drivers with 4 or more wheels having an eternal hard on for motorcycles. Your right, it does happen. I just didn't see that in this particular article. Let's try not to have any articles written about us. This type of story should make us all better riders without ever starting the bike. Have a great summer and please be careful. Sam  | ||
| Captainkirk |
I have to agree with Henrik on this one. I've read several disturbing news reports over the last year or so that seem to put the spin on the bike rider as the "cause", either directly or indirectly...as if to infer that all cycle pilots are a)reckless throttle jockeys b)drunken white trash, or c)irresponsible hippies that never grew up. While those types do surface from time to time, I haven't seen many about this website. But that's the picture that gets painted for many people to read, and I got the same vibe from the one in this thread. Just my 2 cents. |
