Dear Editor:
May is Motorcycle Awareness Month. Sadly, on May 1 a motorcyclist was hit and killed locally.
My understanding is that the deceased and his wife were stopped on their motorcycles on Wellington 19 to turn near the 6th line. The truck hit them from behind, killing the male rider and injuring the female rider.
As we enter into the last week of Motorcycle Awareness Month there still has been no charges laid against the unidentified driver of the truck.
I, like many other motorcycling enthusiasts, have visited the location of the accident. I parked my car and walked the area, watching the traffic pass by. Now this may seem morbid to some, but as an experienced, skilled rider I feel the need to understand how this accident happened. It also helps me stay safe should I find myself in a similar situation. I, as well as many others, have heard talk of the hill, the curve and excessive speed. So I needed to see for myself even though I know this road well.
As I walked I looked for signs of the truck trying to stop, or swerve. Unfortunately, there had been a second accident at that corner days later. There were slight tire marks well back from where the bikes had been hit, leading me to believe that the those marks were from the second accident. There are no tire marks near where the bikes went down and spilt their fluids.
As of late there has been an alarming trend of vehicle drivers who hit and kill/seriously injure motorcyclists being charged with some of the lesser charges, under the Highway Traffic Act. These charges come with fines, and occasionally a driving suspension. These charges in no way reflect the gravity of the harm inflicted.
When I questioned a police officer why the charge did not equal the outcome of actions, I was told that the police had to charge the person with what they thought would “stick.”
I believe if the police have been “investigating” this mortality since May 1, they should have enough to hold this unidentified driver to the full extent of the law.
I am a motorcyclist, Not road kill.
Brenda Murray,
Fergus