| Author | Message | ||
     Beachbuell |
Posted on Fri, Jul. 13, 2007 Bike Night horror: 2 on cycle hit trooper BY RAUL TORRES AND ADAM H. BEASLEY A Bike Night motorcycle ride ended horribly early Friday for a pair of riders on Okeechobee Road when their high-performance cycle was involved in a grisly crash with an unmarked Highway Patrol cruiser.An unidentified rider and his female passenger suffered serious injuries. Paramedics airlifted the two to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The woman was unresponsive and had difficulty breathing. The man appeared to have a broken leg, according to witnesses. The hospital would not provide names or the conditions of the two. Here's what witnesses say happened: Three bikers were heading southeast on U.S. 27 (Okeechobee Road) six miles north of Florida's Turnpike about 1 a.m. when the gray, unmarked FHP cruiser appeared in front of them. Two of the riders were able to avoid the cruiser, but the third plowed into the right side of the vehicle, embedding itself in the car. Moments after the crash, as many as a dozen motorcyclists materialized, as did several members of the Florida Highway Patrol. The riders involved in the crash were wearing helmets, but they flew off on impact, which destroyed the front end of the bike. According to television reports, the trooperwas uninjured. Thursday nights are known as Bike Night in South Florida, when riders on high-speed motorcycles gather at a former Fuddruckers Restaurant on South Dixie Highway and cruise the road in groups, sometimes at speeds up to 160 miles per hour. It was not clear whether the riders involved in the crash overnight were exceeding the speed limit. Bike Night poses an enforcement problem for the highway patrol, whose cruisers cannot travel as fast as many of the motorcycles. FHP plans to answer questions on the accident later in the day. There's an error when it mentions the bike at the end, they changed the make of it, but here's the "explanation." -- 2 gravely hurt in FHP crackdown on motorcyclists By ERIKA BERAS eberas@miamiherald.com For years, state troopers could only watch as motorcyclists on high-speed, high-performance bikes gathered in a Kendall parking lot, then fanned out across the region in packs, darting dangerously fast in and out of traffic. It happened every Thursday night, aka Bike Night. This Thursday, troopers attempted to rein in the daredevils. And that's when Bike Night took a particularly ugly turn. The tally: • Two young riders gravely hurt when they careened into an unmarked cruiser and went airborne; • A volunteer trooper gashed in the face as he was slammed by one rider while trying to snatch the keys from another. • 14 arrests by troopers who strolled up to bikers at stoplights and yanked the keys from their ignitions; Traditionally, law enforcers have ignored the goings-on of Bike Night, a weekly festival of motor-revving, wheelie-popping and full-throttle street racing. FHP rules severely restrict high-speed pursuits. And even if they didn't, troopers' patrol cars aren't up to the task of chasing bikes that can exceed 160 miles per hour. Besides, said Lt. Pat Santangelo of the Highway Patrol, chasing the riders would only endanger lives. ''We've been handcuffed as far as doing anything,'' he said. ``We lack the manpower and the equipment. We don't want to put anyone's life at risk.'' But the agency decided to take action after fielding a drumbeat of complaints every Thursday night from motorists startled by riders whizzing and weaving through traffic. Another factor: Cyclists persisted in killing themselves at an alarming rate -- including one particularly grisly crash in May in which a neophyte rider catapulted off the overpass feeding traffic from southbound Interstate 95 into westbound State Road 836. He plunged 40 feet, landing in the courtyard of a women's detention center. Even Ron Cole, a former racer who runs an outfitter of souped-up sports bikes called Blais Cycle, applauded the idea of cracking down on reckless speeders. ''The bikes are so fast nowadays, and the kids are so irresponsible,'' Cole said. And so, the FHP devised a plan: Troopers from three counties would flood Miami-Dade roadways, focusing on State Road 826, the highway that funnels into South Dixie Highway, where motorcyclists traditionally meet in the parking lot of a former Fuddruckers. To track the riders, they would use a fleet of donated Mercury Marauders with dash-mounted cameras. The Marauders, from an anonymous benefactor, can go 160 miles per hour -- far faster than a typical FHP cruiser. The plan called for stationing plainclothes troopers along South Dixie Highway intersections near the lot at 104th Street and Dixie Highway, now the site of Amos Sports Grill. Troopers inside the Mercurys would spot the speeders, record their hot-rodding on video and radio a detailed description to their plainclothes colleagues. When the riders stopped at red lights on South Dixie, troopers could saunter into the intersection and -- surprise! -- snatch the ignition key and make the arrest. The motorcycles would be confiscated and hauled away on a trailer. ''A lot of planning went into this,'' Santangelo said. Thursday night, it didn't all go according to plan. Around 11 p.m., as Trooper Robert Millard was yanking the keys from one motorcyclist's ignition, another rider attempted to flee. He accidentally slammed into Millard's chest, knocking him down. Millard was taken to South Miami Hospital, where he received stitches on his forehead. Meanwhile, just as the arrests were happening along South Dixie, police received reports of motorcyclists racing miles away -- on Okeechobee Road near Florida's Turnpike. Miami-Dade police officers shooed away the racers, but two hours later they were back. There were reports of as many as 30 sports bikes, 20 cars and a dozen ATVs speeding and performing stunts. Enter the Highway Patrol, with car cameras rolling and lights flashing. The racers scattered again. One fleeing sports bike, a 2000 Yamaha YZS operated by Oliver Buchanan, 23, was clocked at 165 miles per hour, according to FHP. He was carrying a passenger, Lashaunda Jackson, 17. The Suzuki broadsided a Mercury driven by Trooper Jackson Morisseau, a 15-year patrol veteran. The crash was so violent that the bike embedded itself, upright, in the patrol car. Buchanan and Jackson were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where they were reported in critical condition. No arrests were made, and the trooper was not hurt. According to Santangelo, images from the dash-mounted cameras captured nothing but a blur and will be useless in court. But despite Thursday's injuries, Santangelo declared the crackdown on high-speed motorcyclists a success and said enforcement efforts would continue. ''These guys on the road are a huge problem,'' he said. ``They think they're immune. They're not.'' | ||
| Ryker77 |
Not sure where I stand on this. Some of the bikers had a history of high speeds and other dangerous activity. So the police had to do something. But that something didn't have to just as dangerous as the crimes commited. Alternatives: -Insert undercover bike rider with bike camera and helemet camera. -Use better cameras with some recon work. Find out where they live prior to "bike night" then watch the commet the crime and simply be waiting at there house. -Use a helo or plane to follow a few of them to there destination. ----- Using a unmarked car as a ROADBlock in a quick and sudden manner was dangerous and injuries did result. A properly lite roadblock with lots of warning signs could have been used. Following cop cars would have blocked the rear. - IMO those assjerk cops who think they are above the law just wanted to do the most violent action possible. Kinda like how the dumb@ss went to Waco fully armed to kick in a door. | ||
| Socalbueller |
To track the riders, they would use a fleet of donated Mercury Marauders with dash-mounted cameras. The Marauders, from an anonymous benefactor, can go 160 miles per hour -- far faster than a typical FHP cruiser. No way in hell a Marauder does any where close to 160 mph. Troopers inside the Mercurys would spot the speeders, record their hot-rodding on video and radio a detailed description to their plainclothes colleagues. When the riders stopped at red lights on South Dixie, troopers could saunter into the intersection and -- surprise! -- snatch the ignition key and make the arrest. Plainclothes troopers snatching keys? That makes a lot of sense, no wonder why they were getting beat. Sounds like the cops are just as irresponsible as the bikers are. | ||
| Buellerandy |
No matter what they do...anything involving speeds above 120, hell, even above 100 is going to risky/dangerous. As far as yanking keys...if an officer told me to get off/step away from my bike, I would do it no questions asked. If he tried stealing my keys(personal property, not public)without approved paperwork regarding search/siezure, thats an entirely different situation. Unless they're in high traffic areas or around general public, I'd say, get the plate numbers, mail some tickets with "court appearance required", back off and let natural selection take its toll. Just my opinion. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Something has to be done. So what should the police do? The second they see a uniform the group will scatter at high speed. I think the graduated license would help. This would keep a 20 year old off a liter bike. From what I have seen you get a lot less 30 year olds flee from the police at 150 mph than 20 year olds. of course I don't have a problem with regulating bike sales based on HP. Also put extreme penalty's on owners buying bikes for sons or daughters who are under age requirements. I know how that works.....Ruin some smart ass dad financially, serve them right Say at age 14 (Ohio you can drive a moped at this age) Horsepower not to exceed 2 horsepower or 50cc. Say at age 16 Horsepower not to exceed say 10 horse power Say at age 18 Horsepower not to exceed 50 horsepower. The addition requirement of 2 years street riding experience at the previous level. Say at age 22 Horsepower 100 . The addition requirement of 4 years street riding experience at the previous level. Say at age 25 unlimited horsepower. Just a thought. But WE need to do something before they limit us to 250cc. | ||
| Buellerandy |
LOL, I would suspect 2-strokes to make a comback  | ||
| Paint_shaker |
Ryker, Those are some great ideas, ideas that would work!!! To catch the truly blantant motorcycle violators would require totally different tactics then busting those in vehicles. But... the state of Florid-duh is not known for implementing great ideas. Bueller, Ever try and read a plate on a motorcycle at any distance over 15 feet?? Let alone at night, speeding away and more likely than not tucked (illegally) away??? I know some of the more devious violators have their plates rigged so they can flip a switch and "hide' the plate. I am all for a little fun... blow off some steam and what not, but if these "riders" would not draw attention to themselves, there wouldn't be a problem. | ||
| Aldaytona |
See what happens when children grow up with no adult supervision. A generation of idiots.  | ||
| Mikef5000 |
My problem with this story is how they make the bikers out to be these racing high speed crazy riders. There was NOTHING saying these bikers were speeding at all. Hell, they could've been. They could've been on pure racing machines and cruising at 14k RPM at ungodly speeds...... But there's just as much of a chance that they were cruising at the speed limit doing nothing wrong. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
First sentence of the second article.... "For years, state troopers could only watch as motorcyclists on high-speed, high-performance bikes, high-performance bikes gathered in a Kendall parking lot, then fanned out across the region in packs, darting dangerously fast in and out of traffic.}" | ||
| Dongalonga |
As a LEO I dont think I would ever walk up to someone in plain clothes and try to snatch their keys....can you say ass whooping coming your way!! There are better ways to deal with this issue and Ryker has it....recon and put one of your own amongst them with a camera on a bike. That way you can avoid using cars which are far less stable to attempt to get a bikes plates with. There are better ways but they require thinking, effort, time, and patience. It looks like FHP was looking for a quick solution toa problem they let develope over a long period of time....Broken Windows Theory anyone?!?! | ||
| Buellzebub |
irresponsible on all fronts. | ||
| Beachbuell |
CAUTION: graphic video posted below. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_dade/story/169452-a169476-t32.html  | ||
| Ryker77 |
OPEN RECORDS Those people injured need to request the open records of the police dispatch talk. You never know what the dumb@ss will admit to on the radio thinking its secure. I had a cop hit car hit my fully pulled over parked car and was able to nail him in a jury court and even had the local TV news cameras in the room. 911 dispatcher "do you know who he is... he is the guy that wrote a letter to the newspaper about our slow service.... good job you should have hit him harder"... | ||
| Ryker77 |
I've never riden a fast bike, so I won't comment on them. Just Buells, Sportsters, and a BMW boxxer anything above 100mph just felt too dang fast for me. But I could see how a 160hp liter bike that is smooth and easy to ride at 150+mph is TOO much of a bike. I'm glad I spent a few years on an 883 Harley. I could ride it hard and fast but not actaully be going fast. LOL | ||
| Aldaytona |
A couple of weeks ago here in beautiful downtown Daytona Beach, local cops went to pull over a "runner" type (tag stuffed way up inside tail section, unreadable) and the weasel took off. They found his bike stuffed in the rear of an import SUV a ways down the road. The driver of the SUV bailed out on foot and wasn't found. Seems to me like 2 problems solved. | ||
| Buellerandy |
Paint- Very true, I completely forgot about the "blackout" license plate crap out there. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
The police could walk the lot and do bike inspections. That would certainly slow things down. Looking for illegal exhausts, hidden or poorly illuminated license plates, turn signal, tires, head lights and also look for the the motorcyclist license, how about running some vin #'s. I think the groups behavior gives probable cause. of course they would block off the exits out of the lot first. I would get a ticket for turn signals and exhaust....But that is my choice. Then again I am not racing around town at triple digit speeds. | ||
| Aesquire |
I'm against silly laws that try to protect people. Example, in my yout, Nebraska allowed 3.2 beer at one age, real beer at another, & liquor at another. Dumb. Locally a 17 year old girl with 5 ( female cheerleader! ) passengers over corrected after a safe pass, hit a truck head on, all dead. Lot's of angst & fanfare. She was driving on a youth license, and although she had passed the required course for early upgrade to adult, had not yet done the paperwork. Graduation was just past, and they were on the way to a lake cabin to party. Car with friends was following. The bad influences on the crash, so far as local news get's things correct, are, Not allowed to drive at night, or with more than one passenger, yet. Text messaging while driving, on drivers phone seconds before & maybe during crash. So, a dead criminal with 4 homicide's? Tragic accident, where laws pushed by insurance companies were broken? your choice. I'm not happy with stunters & street racers giving me a bad reputation by association, but cutting off a speeding bike with an unmarked car, ( nice job of parking there! ) is criminal attempted murder. I would sue, if my son/daughter were killed. Plain clothes LEO's trying to snatch keys deserve serious injury. In Rochester, that action is pretty obviously an attempted murder in progress. If you have the plate # dispatch a unit to the house, and arrest when parked. What these cops were doing is vindictive & wrong. | ||
| Wile_ecoyote |
Floriduh, Love it! No, they have never done anything in a smart manner. This instance only proves the point. I went on vaca to my sisters place and know exactly how these bikers are. Watched several stunt out on public roads for 10 minutes. I know quite a few rolled up to 100mph plus. It was cool to watch for about a second then thought to myself, Where are the cops? Both parties are totally out of control here. | ||
| Diablobrian |
Anyone in street clothes trying to snatch my keys out of my bike is liable to receive all the damage I can dish out... just before I pin the throttle and disappear into the sunset. And I am a law abiding conscientious rider. At least for the most part, the demons get the better of all of us from time to time, but when I cut loose it is always away from residential areas and other traffic...ALWAYS. If you show your @ss in public the public will take pains to SMACK that @ss. | ||
| Sooner |
As part of the LEO community, I understand the frustration of said community in trying to deal with these types of bikers. My first responsibility is to keep the public safe. " To Protect." That includes the squids out there taking risks with their own lives. I have teenaged kids of my own, and remember well being one with a fast bike. We have all done stupid and reckless things while riding. But it seems easy to forget what WE have done in the past as we get older. I am sometimes amazed that I am still alive. Having said that, I am usually the one to knock on the door of the decedent's home and tell them of the death of their loved one, in the city that I work in . As a parent with a badge, I can't let my desire to enforce the law, and my frustration with the careless and unsafe behavior of these young bikers endangering themselves and the general public to goad me into forgetting the " Protect " part of the oath we all take. Yes, something Must be done to protect these kids from themselves, But the old saying " an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure " is still, in my opinion, a better course of action. I agree with Dongalonga, use smarter tactics. Walk the parking lots, confiscate obvious scofflaws bikes, you can keep the safe at least one more day that way. Enforce the laws we already have. No tickets, confiscation of the bike. Do that enough times, and even a teenager or twenty year old will at least me more careful for a little while. At least until they get another bike. As far as grabbing keys, try that with me.  I love my carbon fiber knuckles.\clipart {bigwink} Just my two cents, but I for one am tired of knocking on parents doors, and then having to hold them up as they fall apart crying and screaming, and hitting me in the chest in grief. I have had some luck meeting with the presidents of some of these clubs, and convincing them to ease up on the street stunts, and use a coned off parking lot, or fairgrounds, or school grounds, after hours. If we provide a venue for their stunting that is at least somewhat remote, and monitored, I have seen a dramatic decrease in fatalities, and the club members also help to police the general public when they are around, if we actually " serve " by providing these things. Peace | ||
| M1combat |
"A volunteer trooper gashed in the face as he was slammed by one rider while trying to snatch the keys from another. " Some chick jumped up and GASHED him in the FACE? I don't blame her if he was trying to snatch the keys... Sorry ;) | ||
| Sooner |
But then again, maybe I should just stand there like this.   | ||
| Ryker77 |
Sooner, you sound like a good LEO. | ||
| Thunderheart |
I've owned that year of R6 in the video. I seriously doubt it would do a CLOCKED 165mph with a passenger and a dude that looked as big as he did lying there. | ||
| Aldaytona |
That's because you didn't ride it in South Florida on the Palmetto Expressway! I was astounded to learn that ALL the 600 class bikes go 180-185 mph there after listening in on several conversations amongst the 600 pilots. I heard these same conversations at several Bike Night locations, so I knew they were factual. Still can't figure out why Motorcyclist and Cycle World don't test there, their published top speeds would undoubtedly be much higher.  | ||
| Rainman |
I've done a ton, don't need to do it again. As for the keys, what idiot would not expect to get slammed for taking keys out of the ignition? I'm sure the plainclothes kept riders from beating feet when the cops approached, but someone would definitely be in for an altercation trying to snatch mine. |
