MOUNT VERNON — Several recent motorcycle crashes in Knox County have caught the attention of fire and law enforcement officials who have been at the scene of these accidents which have caused several injuries and one death in the last few weeks.
The Eastern Knox County Joint Fire District responded to a motorcycle versus deer crash last weekend, which injured the motorcycle rider.
Fredericktown Fire Chief Scott Mast said his department has responded to two in the last two weeks, including a fatal crash on July 30 which killed a 26-year-old Cardington woman who was thrown from the motorcycle she was riding on which struck a cow in the road.
The Bladensburg Fire Department has responded to two in recent weeks according to Capt. Kyle Ogilbee. Both were injury accidents.
The Central Ohio Joint Fire District has responded to three in the last two weeks, including one on Wednesday afternoon which injured a 61-year-old man who was then taken to Columbus by MedFlight.
Lt. Chad McGinty of the Mount Gilead Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said that all of the 22 motorcycle accidents handled by his troopers within the county have resulted in the death or injury of the riders.
The high cost of fuel has made motorcycles, which typically get much better gas mileage than other vehicles, more popular than ever. Kevin Mishey, owner and general manager of Mid-Ohio Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki, said that his Mount Vernon dealership will sell about 1,000 new or used motorcycles this year.
“We’re seeing a big increase in first-time buyers, especially with scooters,” Mishey said. “We’re also seeing people get back into the sport who previously haven’t ridden for a while.”
McGinty said he believes the high number of motorcycles on the road right now, combined with the inexperience of many new riders who have recently purchased the bikes for the first time, could contribute to the high number of crashes. “Last year they were up,” he said. “This year they are up. They are up everywhere, not just locally.”
McGinty said the increased number of riders is something all drivers should keep in mind. “The general public has to be aware there are more motorcycles out there,” he warned. “They need to look when they pull out from a stop sign, and stay aware.”
Mishey said motorcycle riders appreciate when other drivers take special caution, watching for motorcyclists, especially at intersections.
McGinty added that driver distraction and a lack of care by many riders, is ultimately to blame for many crashes. “Most of these wrecks are caused by the motorcycle riders,” he said. McGinty said even small mistakes made by motorcycle riders, often result in tragedy due to the high likelihood of injury when a motorcycle is involved in a wreck.
The lieutenant said that enrolling in safety classes is an important step after someone obtains their license endorsement to ride a motorcycle. He said classes offered by Motorcycle Ohio have been extremely popular.
Caree Varughese of the Knox County Safe Communities Coalition confirms the four classes offered this year have all been full. The final class for this year, to be conducted this weekend in Centerburg, filled weeks ago. “I’m excited that they’re full, we’ve been trying to get people into these classes,” Varughese said. “It’s good that more people are taking the classes.”
Varughese said more information about the motorcycle safety courses, including upcoming classes outside the county, is available at www.motorcycle.ohio.gov.
She explained that novice and experienced riders alike benefit from the courses. By the end of the last class last year in October, over 12,000 Ohio motorcycle riders had been trained by the program.
Mishey said his employees always remind buyers of the importance of taking a safety course. “We encourage people to seek rider training,” he said. Mishey, an avid motorcyclist who has been in the industry for almost 36 years, said he also encourages riders to know their limitations.
“It’s important to match the motorcycle with the experience of the rider,” he explained. “You don’t want to put a 16- or 17-year-old inexperienced rider on a 1,000 cc high performance motorcycle. We’re really cautious when somebody comes in to buy a motorcycle for the first time. We don’t want to put that person on a high-performance motorcycle.”
Mishey said on a recent road trip with his daughter, a college student who doesn’t often get the chance to ride, he was impressed with her decisions to stay within her comfort zone, even though she was riding with motorcyclists with much more experience. “I was so proud of her for riding within her limits. When she wasn’t comfortable, she didn’t push it. You need to respect your abilities, and respect the machine you’re riding,” Mishey said.
A tiered licensing system in Europe allows riders to advance to higher performance motorcycles as they gain experience. Mishey said this is more acceptable in Europe where motorcycling is a large part of the culture.
Of special concern to law enforcement and the rescue personnel who respond to these crashes, is the lack of helmet use by many riders. McGinty remembers a fatal crash in Morrow County, in which he believes the driver’s life would have been saved had the man been riding a helmet.
“I believe a helmet could have made a tremendous impact on the outcome,” McGinty said. “I can’t imagine why people don’t wear helmets. If they had seen what I have seen in my career, they would wear their helmets.”
Fredericktown EMS Chief Rick Lanuzza said he has been on the scene of many motorcycle accidents, and that wearing a helmet is critical. “It could make all the difference, I would urge everybody to wear their helmets. It’s like wearing your seatbelt when you’re in a car.”
EKCJFD EMS Chief Marsha Durbin said her department has responded to six motorcycle wrecks since Memorial Day, and only one rider walked away with minor injuries — the one wearing a helmet. The riders involved in the other five crashes were not wearing helmets. One was killed, and the other five required transport by MedFlight to Columbus hospitals for serious injuries.
Mishey said his dealership encourages riders to use helmets. “I personally highly recommend a safety helmet, jacket and gloves.” Mishey said the motorcycle industry also encourages people to never drink before riding, because so many accidents with motorcycles involve alcohol.
McGinty said that motorcycle wrecks are just a part of the growing crash statistics in our area. “We’ve got a crash problem. Period.” Since January of 2005, 83 people have been killed in motor vehicle accidents in Knox and Morrow Counties.
“That’s a lot of people. I certainly don’t see that as acceptable,” McGinty said. “The public has to accept responsibility for their actions while they’re driving a vehicle.”
Adding that drunk drivers and children drag racing are the biggest causes of wrecks in our area, McGinty said that he believes driver distraction and a fast-paced culture that requires being several places throughout the day contribute to crashes as well.
He said at the scene of most wrecks, a “minor” mistake has caused a serious accident. “Somebody just made a mistake. Somebody drifted left of center, and somebody died. Somebody rolled through a stop sign, and somebody was killed.”
The lieutenant said most drivers are less than grateful when they are stopped by a trooper for drifting left of center, or speeding. “But the fact is, we may have just saved your life,” McGinty said. “Your chances of dying in a motor vehicle accident in Knox or Morrow County are high.”
“It all comes down to who’s getting behind the wheel, and who’s paying attention,” he said. “People are just making small mistakes and paying dearly for their mistakes.”
