Motorcycle Safety Expert Dies in Motorcycle Accident

Trib Review ^ | 4/12/06 | Mikey_1962

[Mikey_1962]

A world-renowned motorcycle safety expert from Squirrel Hill was killed over the weekend in a motorcycle accident in Texas.

Larry Grodsky, 55, owner of Stayin' Safe Motorcycle Training, died after a deer ran in front of his motorcycle Saturday night in Fort Stockton, Texas.

Grodsky, a Gateway High School graduate, had a decades-long love affair with motorcycles and trained celebrities including Ted Koppel and Mike Tyson on safe-driving techniques.

He was the nephew of Myron Cope, the longtime Pittsburgh Steelers announcer who retired last year.

His mother, Violet Grodsky, also 85, said her son began riding motorcycles while attending Ohio University, where he graduated with an English degree in 1968.

He spent a few years teaching in Ohio schools and doing freelance writing for several magazines before returning to Pittsburgh and opening his training center, Violet Grodsky said.

Grodsky, who was single, traveled the country attending training and safety seminars and was returning from a conference in California when the accident happened. An officer with the Texas Department of Public Safety said he did not know whether Grodsky was wearing a helmet or what kind of motorcycle he was driving.

Grodsky had many friends and valued the work he did for charity, his father said.

He participated in charity motorcycle events and did other volunteer work, Harold Grodsky said.

"That was typical of Larry to always be helping other people and thinking about those who had less or were suffering," he said.

Luke Hingson, president of the Brother's Brother Foundation in the North Side, said Grodsky helped the organization raise money for the victims of the December 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia and for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

[dfwgator]

Not much of an expert, was he?

[Tijeras_Slim]

ping

[Puppage]

and trained celebrities including Ted Koppel

PAHLEEESE!

[reagan_fanatic]

How sad and ironic. You don't have much reaction time when an animal runs out in front of you on a bike. You just hold on and hope for the best.

Prayers going out to his family.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I've had a mule deer come out of the woods in front of me when I was on my bike. It was like it materialized. Fortunately I was going slow enough to miss, and it helped by the way it got out of the way. But it could have gone much worse, and there was little I could do about it.

[Texas Eagle]

O, Irony
Thou doth hast such
a wicked sense of humour.

[martin_fierro]

Not much you can do when a deer has your number.

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Rest in Peace.

[Glenn]

Not much of an expert, was he?

Guess you missed the part about the deer.

[American Quilter]

Poor man. So far it doesn't appear that he was doing anything stupid, like riding without a helmet or under the influence. Not much you can do when a dear jumps out in front of you.

[fireforeffect]

No need to be crude.

I know many people who have never been in collision with an other vehicle, earned a moving violation, or other wise wrecked their vehicle that have hit deer and run off the road.

Sometimes your the windshield, sometimes your the bug.

[Rakkasan1]

deer are the scourge of the roads here in MN.(well that and foot deep potholes).

I do my best Evel K impersonation everyday jumping mini canyons on my cycle.

Sooner or later either the giant woods rat is going to get me, the JA on a cell phone, or the giant pothole.

[American Quilter]

Deer! Deer! Not dear.

[Mikey_1962]

I had a good friend retired from the Fire Dept and went on a 6 month motorcycle trip.

In Alaska on a blind curve a car when left of center and killed him.

Motorcycles are, by their nature, dangerous.

I sold my Harley right after his accident.

[b4its2late]

Unfortunately, a collision between a deer and a motorcycle usually ends up this way.

[wallcrawlr]

ditto.
the vermin are everywhere in MN.


JA = donkey?? :)

[ClearCase_guy]

I've never made my living at it, but I consider myself somthing of a Motorcycle Safety Expert.

I tell people: "Don't get on that crazy thing! A deer could come out of the woods! Bam! You're dead! Better you should drive an SUV! Damage, sure, but you're gonna be alive."

I'm considering charging for this. Such a level of expertise is not so widely available.

[b4its2late]

Better you should drive an SUV! Damage, sure, but you're gonna be alive."

Yep. Much more likely to survive for sure unless the beast comes through your windshield going 75 and hits you just right.

[dfwgator]

I realize that sometimes there is nothing you can do. And I feel sad for the family, it is a tragic accident to be sure.

That having been said, it seems to me part of motorcycle safety is knowing the environment in which you ride and being aware of the possibility of animals darting out at you.

[Battle Axe]

The husband of an acquaintance worked on airbags. After the airbags came out, the motorcycle industry hired him to see if they could make the bikes safer.

Conclusion: NO.