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Sooner or later, everyone goes down.
Rest in Peace.
Posted on 08/01/2009 11:35:12 AM PDT by Justaham
Bruce Rossmeyer, known for building a Harley Davidson empire with 15 dealerships, died Thursday in a motorcycle accident.
Rossmeyer and a group of friends were on their way to the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota when the accident happened. Rossmeyer was riding on a Wyoming Highway 28 when he attempted to pass a truck pulling a camper as it turned left. The 66-year-old, who was not wearing a helmet, struck the driver’s side door. Rossmeyer was pronounced dead at the scene.
(Excerpt) Read more at transworldnews.com ...
Condolences for his family and friends, but passing the way he did doesn’t sound smart. (no pun intended). Hopefully no one will make a negative comment about him not wearing a helmet.
Out of the 3 friends who have died on motorcycles, and the one who nearly did, ALL were wearing helmets... Just like the people I’ve known who have died in car crashes wearing seatbelts. Just say no to nanny state babysitting.
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Sooner or later, everyone goes down.
Rest in Peace.
There should be a separated lane on every highway for motorcycles. In New Jersey they have a separate highway for trucks.
“but passing the way he did doesn’t sound smart”
I’m simply speechless about that.
Condolences to his survivors.
That is a scary scenario.....passing a slow vehicle only to find out too late that the reason it has slowed is it going to turn left.....yikes! A mistake that even a very experienced biker can easily make. His luck ran out. May he rest in peace.
rip
That’s why they put turn signals on vehicles.
Was the camper driver using theirs?
The thing is, did the driver of the truck turn the turn signal on? So many drivers make turns without bothering to turn the signal on
A shame.
I did that back in ‘93, as a Fiat, with one tail light out, slowed down to turn left. I started to pass on the left, to avoid the rocks and boulders on the right shoulder that drifted into a ravine. I hit the front quarter-panel and somersaulted over the car. Somehow, the bike made it over as well and we both ended up in a ditch. I just had a few bruises. I was wearing a helmet, jeans and a leather jacket, thank God!
I don’t know. You will not survive on the street however if your safety depends on others to drive properly. The way I see it, whenever you pass you have to make a judgement call on whether or not the vehicle you are passing is preparing to make a left turn. A signal helps, but they may not use it so you have to consider other things like, is their a place they could turn into, are they just going slow or are they slowing down.
I have passed vehicles and they turned left just after I passed them....scaaary. Still had some luck left.
I barley avoided being killed in that same scenario and have had a couple friends killed passing a turning vehicle without signals.
I learned (early) the hard way not to trust anything, people ARE stupid. If the car in front signals a right turn it may turn left. It’s a good thing my BMW’s horizontal cylinders were there to save my leg.
I’ve seen too many accidents caused by drivers who just don’t pay attention to motorcyclists...but I’ve seen just as many caused by cyclists who think they can weave in and out of traffic without consequences.
RIP.
Nobody uses blinkers anymore, a trend I detest.
Cops used to give out tickets for not signaling when turning. Now they don't even bother, they are to interested in speeding tickets for going 26 MPH in a 25 MPH zone.
Maybe you should save the BS for the pulpit...
He died doing what he loved!
RIP He is the ghost rider now.
It has been my experience as a car driver that many drivers do not use signals as they should (if they use them at all)- to show their intentions. They tend to turn on their signal immediately before or as they execute the turn- too late to be helpful. It is always advised to drive as if everybody else is an unsafe driver.
My husband recently had a motorcycle accident when he was cut in front of by an SUV driver making an improper lane change with no signal.
It's also a good idea not to try to pass a vehicle that's in front of you and slows down to make a left hand turn.
The rules dont apply to some.
In that kind of wreck, all a helmet does is maybe to allow for an open casket funeral. I don’t ride any more, but always wore a helmet when I did. It will help in some accidents, but riding a motorcycle is inherently dangerous, and the risk is part of what makes it appealing. I’ve made a couple of calls where the helmet, IMHO, was the cause of death. Snapped neck, with the extra weight of the helmet increasing the whiplash, and the back of the helmet karate chopping the vertebra below the skull. These wrecks were a few years ago, and I think they make the helmets higher in the back now to stop the chop effect. Of course, the riders might have died anyway, as their heads struck either curbs or vehicles, but helmets are not any kind of magical protection.
In traffic like that you either split lanes or burn your engine/clutch up. If I can’t avoid a snarl, I get around on the shoulder.
What rule is that?
Per California Highway Patrol’s FAQ page:
Can motorcycle riders “split” lanes and ride between other vehicles?
Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible but must be done in a safe and prudent manner.
From the Boston Herald:
“The Wyoming Highway Patrol said Rossmeyer and five other motorcyclists were headed east on Highway 28 in Sweetwater County when they were trailing a Ford pickup truck pulling a 2 axle camper style trailer.
The truck driver, Robert L. VanValkenburg, 73, of Rock Springs, Wy., slowed down and began making a left turn and Rossmeyer tried to pass him when they collided, the highway patrol said. Rossmeyer was not wearing a helmet and VanValkenburg’s turn signals and brake lights were working at the time of the crash, the report said.”
Reports do not say if the signals were on at the time.
From Cylce News:
“According to the Lt. Shawn Dickerson of the Wyoming Higway Patrol, Rossmeyer was traveling east on Wyoming Highway 28 between Farson and Lander about 11 a.m. with five other motorcyclists when they came up to a pickup pulling a camp trailer and tried to pass. “The pickup slowed and activated his left signal,” Dickerson said. “Four of the motorcycles passed to the left... When Mr. Rossmeyer attempted to pass, the truck made its left turn and he hit the driver’s side door. The sixth motorcycle swerved to the right and avoided collision.”
Rossmeyer, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected from his bike and came to rest under the camp trailer, Dickerson said.
Dickerson described the road as “straight, dry and flat.” He said the “extremely rural road” is an option to Sturgis, but not the primary way to travel there.
I t-boned a car running a stop sign 3 years ago. I was
wearing a helmet, gloves, boots, and my AeroStitch suit.
Impact speed was about 25 mph. I flew over the car and landed on my belly. Only damage to me was sore hands.
Bike was totaled. I believe that the right gear does
save lives.
He might have lived with a helmet, but noone can say for sure. They do improve the odds though.
Were you on a Harley style or a cafe racer?
I guess I’m weird, then.
I signal in parking lots, fer cryin’ out loud.
33 years ago, they still had driver’s ed in school.
I memorized that book and I annoy hubby every time I quote the part where it says “After dark or in inclement weather, reduce your speed by 5-10 MPH”.
I didn’t get my own car until I was 18 and had a job that was good enough to make car payments so for 2 years, I drove one of my parent’s vehicles.
*Knowing* what would happen to me if I so much as put a rub on the sidewall of a tire, I drove like I was perpetually taking my driver’s test....:))
One night, dad let me take F-250 [with a 4 barrel Holly] to town and he actually said “If you scratch her, keep driving until you’re out of gas and then get out and start running.”
I wasn’t sure if he really meant that but I wasn’t hot on finding out.
That was the coolest night out on the town...and also the tensest...LOL!
RIP
On the bike I have a rule that if there are *any* roads in front of them into which they can make a left turn, I will NOT pass, regardless of how slow they’re driving.
Heaven can wait.
A BMW R1100 police bike.
“and ~began making a left turn~ and Rossmeyer tried to pass him”
Rossmeyer should have noticed that.
Drop your “paranoia” for one second and you *could* wind up singing with the choir, invisible.
Again I will repeat a really good intersection tip:
Do NOT watch the driver’s face for clues as to whether they intend to pull out.
Watch their =WHEELS=.
If the wheels roll forward _even one half inch_, react as though they are going to pull in front of you.
Been there, done that.
I’ve people that I swore looked me right in the eye from a ways back, start to pull out any way.
Because I watched their wheels, I’m still here.
I’ve also heard the “Sorry! Didn’t see you!” yelled out the window as they kept on going.
Ain’t no place or gang of buddies worth that kind of hurry.
I’ll catch up later.
Thanks for the update.
I didn’t know much about him but they said on the news last night that he usually gave about a million dollars a year to local charities.
Sounded like quite a stand-up guy.
That’s a lot of money for every highway to have an extra lane. Especially in South Dakota where usually the only thing you have to worry about cutting you off is the large herd of elk running down the prairie. Sometimes things just happen and I’m sad for the guy.
Even if he did, did he have the camper he was hauling hooked up to it?
I’ve seen so many not even bother to check if the brake lights or blinkers work on the trailer/camper if they even bothered to hook it up at all.
I had one going at least 100 on the highway (I was doing 70, the speed limit) and went IN BETWEEN my car and a tractor trailer!!
Just last week they announced on the news that they arrested several motorcyclist doing 130 and one was going 170! He’s still in jail.
That happens to be legal in calif ... and according to the CHP MUCH safer than sitting in traffic for a bike
Why shouldn’t anyone make a comment about him not wearing a helmet? It’s stupid as hell to ride without one. Just as it’s stupid as hell not to wear a seatbelt. I’m not saying there HAS to be a law, I’m saying you’re dumb as dirt if you don’t take the easiest, smallest little self preservation steps that you possibly can.
Great tips, watch the wheels.
I’m glad nothing serious happened to you. You obviously planned for the worst and I am sure it reduced your injuries.
Too many people are talking and texting while driving. I’ve seen a report that compared reaction rates to different things for a person just driving, intoxicated driver, cell phone talking and cell phone texting and driving. The cell phone response was just slightly less than the intoxicated, adn showed they went 30-35 ft further than normal driver. The texter was WORSE than the drunk driver and stopped 65-70 ft later than the normal perosn just driving.
People don’t give signals because as soon as you turn on your left signal, with plenty of room to get into the left lane, the car that was farther back in that lane decides to accelerate to prevent your changing lanes, and then slows down once he’s in your blind spot.
In any case, may Mr. Rossmeyer’s family find comfort in their loss.
According to yuor Post none of these riders was too bright. Passing anyone who has a left turn signal on, on the left is suicidal.
I have ridden for over 40 years and have found it is a lot safer to ride alone. Riding with a group tends to make you want to follow the group, and usually there is always one person no one should follow. Groups like to stay close packed, and room is a safety feature.. Once when riding with a group I stopped for a yellow light and was hit from behind by a member of the group who assumed I would run the light to keep up. if you ride with a group stay well seperated. That room left there is your safety barrier.Ride in the back if thats what it takes.
Been riding 45 years and never heard of the guy. Must be an east coast thing.
Always sad to lose a bro though. RIP, bro.
I had just caught up to them and had noticed they were doing 35 in a 50 zone, with a multi house yard sale coming up on the left, so I thought I'd wait and see....
Slow drivers scare the crap out of me, as it's usually because they're inattentive, drunk, stoned, looking for an address, just about to slam on their brakes, or all the above. If I see one coming at me, I look for a sidestreet or driveway they might be heading for and try to avoid being in their path if there's time.
Prayers for Bruce Rossmeyer.
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