Two Bikers Die in Accident

Two bikers died in Lake County this week and we just got the news from a reader. What a bummer. Here's the info:

Norman M. Kauffman (aka "Rocky" and owner of KSC Performance Cycles in Belleview. ), 54, and David G. Daniels, 41, of Leesburg, were killed Tuesday night, August 5th, when the motorcycles they were riding bumped each other, went out of control and ran off County Road 25, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report.

The motorcycles, a 1999 Fat Boy Harley-Davidson, driven by Kauffman, and a 2007 Fat Boy, driven by Daniels, were heading north on County Road 25 at about 8:50 p.m. when both vehicles failed to make a curve. The motorcycles collided, according to FHP, with the '99 Fat Boy going off-road just south of County Road 42 and onto the west shoulder where it flipped over in a gravel parking lot. Kauffman was thrown off when the motorcycle flipped and hit a utility pole guide wire.

Daniels’ motorcycle ran off the road and hit a palm tree, started spinning and slid about 25 feet before stopping. Daniels was thrown off and his head hit the front of an empty flat-bed trailer. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a Marion County Fire Rescue paramedic at 8:59 p.m.
----------------------------

If you're ridin' two-abreast together, you gotta know the other person very, very well or this kinda stuff is gonna continue happenin'. It's the reason I very seldom ride side-by-side with anyone, no matter how long I've known them, no matter how long I've been ridin' with them. I ride staggered with at least ten feet separating me from the other bike. You just never know what might happen and on a motorcycle it's definitely not like being in a car or truck. You have no protective metal surrounding you; no safety harness; no seat belt. Just two hands grippin' the handlebars. If something runs out in the road; if something pops up in the road; or if another biker you're ridin' with is distracted for just a second, this kinda thing can happen instantly and there's not much you can do about it. Think ahead, always be aware and try not to put yourself in dangerous or unsafe situations.

Oh, by the way. . .
of course the local media made a big deal out of the fact that the bikers were not wearing helmets. http://www.ocala.com/article/20080807/NEWS/808070352/0/APA Like that would have prevented these unfortunate deaths.

Please ride safe and smart! And try to avoid putting yourself in an unsafe situation.