Clarksville, TN – The motorcycle community is reeling this weekend after the news of a horrific accident that killed seven bikers in Randolph, New Hampshire. The victims were members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club which is comprised of former and active duty U.S. Marines.
Witnesses and First Responders said it was one of the most devastating accident scenes they had ever seen. I’m not going to recount the details of the accident, as you can read all about it here.
When I first read the story, my heart just sank. My emotions went from anger to sadness in a matter of minutes. I think we all felt the same way, as we once again were reminded of the dangers of this lifestyle that we love so much.
There just are NO words.
Tragedies like this one brings people together. Strangers bonded together by a motorcycle. Brothers and sisters who grieve with the families affected by this accident. That’s what the biker community is all about.
Tragedies like this one keeps all of us on our toes. We’re reminded that anything can happen while riding. We need to ride safe. We need to keep our eyes peeled at all times for those drivers who might pose us danger.
That pick up truck could have slammed into a church bus, loaded with kids going to Vacation Bible School. It would have still been a tragedy. We wouldn’t stop having Vacation Bible School, and we won’t quit driving church buses.
That pick up truck could have wiped out a couple of horse and buggy Amish families, but those people would not stop using their horse and buggy as their mode of transportation.
This accident will NOT stop me from riding.
I have no idea if drugs or alcohol was involved in this incident. I hope not. It looks like the trailer on the back of the pick up just jackknifed around and wiped out the bikers. But it happened AFTER the driver crossed the yellow line and was trying to over correct.
I posted an emotional video to my Facebook page here.
We have begged and pleaded with people to not drink and drive, but they do. We’ve begged people not to drive impaired, but they do. And for the last several years, we’ve gotten down on our knees and prayed to all things holy for people to GET OFF THAT DAM CELLPHONE!
My conclusion? They’re not listening. They don’t care. They’re not going to change. I think I have to accept that.
Just look at all the motorists who hang out in the passing lane. Why can’t we get that simple message across? Something you would think would be so simple, but here we are.
But I’m not going to hide under the bed until the danger has passed. It won’t keep me off of my bike. I love it too much. I won’t live my life in fear of what “coulda, woulda, shoulda.”
So while we don’t know the whole story behind the New Hampshire accident, what we do know is that lives were lost. They were our brothers and sisters. They were one of us. We were one of them. BIKERS!
I’m not going to live in fear. When it’s my time, it’s my time.
So let’s all come together and pray for those victims and their families. It’s time we appreciate the people we ride with. The people we travel with. The people who are closest to us. Life is short, leave nothing in the tank.
Much love to you guys!
a GoFundMe page has been created for the victims of this tragedy. You can donate here.
