|
|
|
| Mon, Nov. 30 - - Mobile - RSS | |
|
|
Biker's condition critical
Biker remains in critical condition after crash on River Road By KARI PUGHDate published: 8/10/2004 By KARI PUGH A motorcyclist injured in a weekend pileup on Spotsylvania County's River Road was fighting for her life at a Richmond hospital last night. Deanna Neal remained in critical condition at VCU Medical Center, her family by her side. The Dale City resident was the most seriously injured of seven bikers hurt Saturday night when a car collided with their caravan as they returned home from a rally for a sick child. Four motorcycles and a white Honda Prelude crashed on a curve along River Road at the intersection of Pine Run Lane about 6 p.m. Saturday. The driver and passenger of a fifth bike were also hurt after tipping the motorcycle to avoid the collision. The Honda's driver, Luann C. Watson, 51, was not hurt, state police Sgt. R.W. Dudley said yesterday. No charges had been filed in the crash and the investigation continued, he said. Members of the Leathernecks Motorcycle Club of Virginia were part of a rally of more than 100 bikers who rode to Waynesboro in the Shenandoah Valley on Saturday morning to visit 7-year-old Camden Jarvis, a boy with leukemia. The Leathernecks are a family-oriented motorcycle club made up of active and retired Marines and their families. After the bikers showered the boy with gifts and well-wishes, 17 riders on 11 motorcycles headed for home through Orange County and into the Fredericksburg area. Members of the motorcycle club say they were traveling about 30 to 35 mph on River Road when the Honda crossed the line and struck Deanna Neal's bike at full force. Three helicopters were called in to take the injured club members to area trauma hospitals. Three of the seven people hurt remained hospitalized last night. Most suffered broken bones, cuts and bruises. Nancy Cole, a longtime resident of River Road, has been asking officials to focus on safety along the winding, two-lane stretch between Bragg and Spotswood Furnace roads for years. "We're scared to death to go out on this road every single day," Cole said yesterday. "We need to cut off access to this road from [State] Route 3. People are speeding way beyond the speed limit. That makes it very dangerous." Police and transportation officials say speeding is a problem on all roads and a factor in many accidents. They say River Road is no more dangerous than any other two-lane thoroughfare. Spotsylvania deputies occasionally run radar along River Road, but not often enough to deter lead-footed drivers, Cole said. "We need to put a stop to so many cars cutting through our neighborhood," she said. Leathernecks members said traveling River Road was a natural choice on such a beautiful Saturday evening, until tragedy struck. "There's an automatic bond because we're Marines, and we like to ride and spend our personal time dedicating ourselves to a good cause," said David Stephens, leader of the Leathernecks of Virginia. "Now we're rallying together to support each other."
To reach KARI PUGH: 540/374-5413 kpugh@freelancestar.com
Read more stories about Stafford Date published: 8/10/2004
|
 |
|||
|
|||
