Plastic Wrap Barrier Causes Motorcycle Crash

Town of Waukesha - Motorcyclist Daniel Buckel was within 10 feet when he saw the potential disaster stretched across a dark and foggy rural road just ahead.

Disbelief turned to fear, then anger, as Buckel's 2-year-old motorcycle hit a barrier of kitchen-variety plastic wrap that was wound thickly from traffic pole to traffic pole on opposite sides of Guthrie Road, south of Highway I.

The clear plastic trap, which was 3 to 4 feet above the two-lane road south of Waukesha, sent both Buckel and his passenger, girlfriend Theresa Brzykcy, into a bloody slide across the asphalt.

"It's appalling, and it's really frightening," Brzykcy said. "What was their intention? This should make people more aware that pranks like that are not as harmless as they seem.

"They had done a pretty thorough job. It was wrapped around pretty thickly," she recalled.

The malicious prank has Waukesha County sheriff's investigators concerned because other capers involving plastic wrap occurred in the town last year, although none was as serious as the motorcycle crash early Tuesday, Sheriff's Detective Steve Pederson said Friday.

Investigators were planning to canvass homes near the crash site this weekend, looking for information that will lead to a break in the case.

"When something like this happens someone always brags about it," Pederson said. "If anyone has heard anything about this or any other incident involving (plastic) wrap, contact us.

"Maybe someone had seen this happen or removed (plastic) wrap from other areas," he said. "We'd like to know about it."

Last year, a number of parked cars were found bound in plastic wrap to prevent drivers from getting inside the vehicles, Pederson said. Plastic wrap bonds together, giving it strength and making it difficult to remove.

Pederson said investigators were unaware of other incidents of wrap being stretched across a road.

The couple's injuries sent both to Waukesha Memorial Hospital. Buckel, 22, of the Town of Waukesha, required 15 stitches to close a deep gash above his right eye and also broke a finger. Brzykcy, 19, of Brookfield, got a deep cut and bruise to her right cheek along with other scrapes and bruises. The motorcycle was a total loss, Buckel said.

The 1 a.m. ride was supposed to be a short one meant to relax the couple, who have known each other for more than a year. He had just left his bartending job, and she was waiting for him at his family home. Earlier she had taken his mother to a medical appointment.

Buckel said he was driving 5 mph under the 45 mph speed limit because the motorcycle headlight had shone on deer along the road and there was a slight haze from ground fog in the low-lying area.

"I didn't see it," Brzykcy said of the barrier. "He braked so hard I figured it was a deer. My first hit was on him, which totally saved me. Then, I landed on my head (on the road). Everything went white and yellow and red, and I blacked out for a while. I woke up on my back, laying in a driveway."

Buckel, fueled by anger and concern for Brzykcy, fought off his own pain and called 911 on his cell phone, he said. Among the first emergency personnel to arrive was Beckel's best friend, Scott Sommers, a member of the Town of Waukesha Fire Department.

"I ran over to my girlfriend and looked around to see if the pranksters were still around," Buckel said. "I didn't see anyone. When my friend arrived, it made things a lot easier to cope with."

Here's what I've got so far...

Update on plastic wrap trap. BUSTED!!!!
by mfell2112*nospam*@[EMAIL PROTECTED] Aug 7, 2004 at 04:46 AM

4 in Town of Waukesha may be charged with being delinquent, causing
crash
By JACQUELINE SEIBEL, DAVID DOEGE and REID J. EPSTEIN
jseibel@[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Posted: Aug. 4, 2004
Waukesha - Four Town of Waukesha teenage boys have admitted they
stretched kitchen-variety plastic wrap across a road, causing a
motorcyclist and his passenger to crash, Waukesha County District
Attorney Paul Bucher said Wednesday.

"They've been very cooperative, very contrite," Bucher said. "It's
what we thought might have happened: a group of kids trying to pull a
stupid prank that they didn't give a lot of thought to."

The boys, three are 16 and one is 14, each could be accused in
juvenile court of being delinquent in petitions similar to what would
involve felony counts of second-degree reckless endangerment if they
were adults.

The review and charging process for juveniles typically takes 30 to 40
days, "but we plan to expedite that," Bucher said. "We're going to do
what we can to try and get it into court next week," he added.

The 14-year-old is too young to be waived into adult court, and while
it is possible for 16-year-olds, "I don't think the criteria that a
judge has to consider are there (in this instance)," Bucher said.

"At least I don't think so at this point knowing what I know now," he
added.

The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department received more than 50 tips
regarding the July 13 accident, said sheriff's Detective Steve
Pederson.

"We had more than one tip that pointed to two of the individuals,"
said Pederson, and two of the boys had been interviewed by detectives
but were not arrested.

Two days after that interview, Bucher informed the Sheriff's
Department that attorneys for the four teens, including the two
previously interviewed, had contacted his office. Bucher said the
boys' parents were cooperative.

"We had some leads, but we weren't near where we are now after getting
their help," Bucher said.

Sheriff Dan Trawicki predicted after the incident that it would turn
out to be a prank that had gone wrong involving local residents.

The incident occurred on Guthrie Road, south of Highway I, in the Town
of Waukesha.

Daniel Buckel, 22, of the Town of Waukesha has said he didn't see the
plastic wrap until it was 10 feet in front of him. It was too late to
stop, and there was no way to avoid the tightly wound clear wrap
stretched between two traffic posts.

Authorities and Buckel have described the circumstances. It was foggy
at 1 a.m. Buckel and his girlfriend, Theresa Brzykcy, 19, of
Brookfield were out for a relaxing ride. Because of the poor
visibility, Buckel recalls traveling less than 40 mph when he hit the
wall of plastic wrap.

The 2002 Honda motorcycle slid across the pavement, and Buckel and
Brzykcy landed on a nearby driveway. Buckel broke a finger and needed
15 stitches to close a gash above his eye.

Brzykcy hit the pavement with her head and lost consciousness for a
short time but was not seriously injured.

Local attorney Michael Hupy, who has represented many motorcyclists,
offered ••••,000 reward to any person who provided information that
led to a conviction. He said Wednesday that Trawicki will determine
who among the more than 50 tipsters will get the money.

Waukesha County CrimeStoppers also added up to $1,000 to the reward
amount.

Buckel has hired Hupy to represent him.

"I'm glad they turned themselves in," Hupy said of the boys, "but the
main thing I wanted to do when I offered this reward was to make sure
this doesn't happen to another biker."

Hupy said he does not know the boys' identities but that the four had
hired separate attorneys.

Hupy promised to take no fee from Buckel, and to donate an amount
equal to his fee to a motorcycle safety group.

Buckel said late Wednesday he's relieved that authorities have
identified the boys said to be responsible because it means he no
longer has to worry.

"It's less stressful not sitting around waiting any more, wondering if
I should raise the reward, wondering what else I can do. It's a
relief," Buckel said.

Buckel, who lives with his parents and works as a bartender and
selling motorcycles, said the crash caused him to miss a combined two
weeks of work. He still suffers bad headaches and said he can't afford
plastic surgery needed to repair scars above his eyes and nose and on
his chin.

"They're going to see that it's going to cost these kids severely," he
said. "That's what happens for not thinking before you do act. Any
prank - you've got to think before you do it if it's going to hurt
someone. I'm just glad to be alive at this point."
Regards
Michael H. Fell

alright #1 you guys are all talking about how this is dangerous and it hurt someone. Well, dont u think that throwing an explosive device out of your window into a persons driveway next to a GLASS window, is dangerous. ESPECIALLY when you say they had a babby in the house. What if he was holding the baby, you throw the explosive by the window, it blows out, and the glass hurts the baby. maybe YOU deserve the @$$ kicking.
#2- no such thing as 1/4 stick. If youre refering to an M-80. then it is soooooooo much less powerfull than a 1/4 stick of DYNAMITE. It is made with flash powder, not nitro glycerine. Also, you can not buy these in the U.S., Also, you can not bring them into the country, IT IS ILLEGAL. and also, you can not make them, IT IS ILLEGAL. so get your facts straight and dont talk about dangerous when you do the same thing and also do very illegal things as well.

"I had to teach this moron that a little common sense can go a long way." aw man dude, enough said. You describe the opposite of what you do with your own sentence.

I just hope that all of you learn from this most "responsible" persons mistakes. I also hope that you do not all hate me for chewing this guy out. I appologize if this has offended you in any way. I am just making a point because i know the people that did this and THEY ARE NOT BAD KIDS. I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS WITH THEM FOR A LONG TIME AND THEY ARE VERY NICE. I DO ADMIT THAT WHAT THEY DID WAS STUPID AND THEY DESERVE TO BE PUNISHED BUT THE PUNISHMENT THAT THEY GOT WAS WAYYYYYYYY TOO HARSH FOR WHAT THEY DID AND HOW MINOR THE INJURIES WERE. THEY NEEDED TO BE TOUGHT A LESSON BUT NOT SUCH A DRASTIC CRUEL PUNISHMENT!!! thank you for reading this, i will stop talking now.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.