Double fatal crash, Rotorua (29 April)

[beyond]

It sux
.................................

[V4ME]

My condolences to all the famillies - I sit here with a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat - I ride this rode to Rotorua often. And the children... gee its tough.

Lord be with all the families

There was another fatal accident in TGA as well yesterday - thats five deaths in little more than 48 hours!! in this area. Please be careful.

[gijoe1313]

Read the Herald article this morning, made for a very cold, sobering moment of reflection as I donned my bike gear. Thought about my family and friends and how we all voluntarily choose to ride two wheels of freedom - with respect to the risks and incidents we've all seen/faced/been involved with.

I've only come into the biking scene a scant half a year and the road toll of those who choose to live life more exuberantly, saddens me (as most deaths that take people away before their time does).

I'll choose to keep riding on, because as Burt Munro said "You live more in five minutes than most jokers do in a lifetime".

RIP and condolences to all those affected in the aftermath.

[RantyDave]

At least it sounds like the kids are going to be alright. In a kind of "I watched my dad/grandad die in a drunken/no-seat-belt/horrific car crash" sort of way.

Oh, and the guy who lived a few hours was in his thirties and a dad. Two boys: 3 and 7 months. Which is completely different from me being in my thirties and having a girl of five and a boy of six months. Completely different.

Damn, this stuff makes you think.

Dave

[placidfemme]

It is really sad, read the article in todays paper, and was flooded with emotion. They were a part of the biking family, and even though I didn't know them, I still hurt for them and thier families.

I'm in two minds about how I feel about the driver dying, it sounds mean, but despite him dying justice is not served, not that it could be served anyway, nothing can bring back or dull the pain of loosing a loved one

[James Deuce]

Meh.

Road Deaths.

Perfectly acceptable in NZ. We do call them "accidents" after all.

[scumdog]

Meh.

Road Deaths.

Perfectly acceptable in NZ. We do call them "accidents" after all.

Not this boy - they're 'crashes' (and worse) to me.

At least the offending driver won't gat off with a slap on the wrist and then do it again.

Does make you think twice about getting out on the bike after these events - but see bottom line of my sig.

[Chisanga]

RIP riders.... I had a very thoughtful commute into the city today.

[skidz]

Yep, it's never nice to hear even with one going down, but this is sad. Thoughts go out to family and mates. Be careful out there and lets show the cagers we are out there and to look out for us.

[MyGSXF:Me]

I'll choose to keep riding on, because as Burt Munro said "You live more in five minutes than most jokers do in a lifetime"

Me too.. my bike is my passion, the life force in my veins.. I can not 'stop' riding because of "what if's"..

I know the dangers I face out there, every time I choose to get on my bike. I think of my beautiful little boys, & the man I love.. I see their faces & my heart constricts. I know there is always the possibility, I may not come home.

I wear decent gear, & do rider training courses. I ride in an appropriate manner, most of the time, & I pray to the biker gods to keep me safe for another day.. as they have for the past 16 years.

I read threads & articles like this one & my heart breaks.. for those beautiful lives taken doing what they dearly loved.. for the little ones in the car, that will carry the scars of the accident for the rest of their lives.. & for the families & loved ones of those taken. The driver has gone to hell & his family will live there now too, because of the actions he chose!

One can only but sit here & ask... WHY????

R.I.P fellow bikers.. you will be missed!

Jen

[KATWYN]

The driver has gone to hell

Understandably our emotions run pretty darn high in these circumstances
...I just had a thought tho- what if the drivers family come in here
(for whatever reason...I mean, in a way tragically they have been indirectly connected to the motorcycling world)

And they read some of the things that we say.......

Just my opinion, doesnt mean i'm right.

[marty]

if that does happen, then maybe some justice will be served, and they will realise that they are not the only ones affected by this act of stupidity/recklessness/wastefulness/aggression, or whatever it was that happened that resulted in the car crossing the centreline.

i have little sympathy for the person at fault.

[Grahameeboy]

I tend to agree. Drunk drivers who kill should face an mandatory charge of manslaughter, upgradable to murder if the driver is recidivist.

Yep...no different to using a gun to kill someone........both are lethal weapons in the wrong hands......

[Grahameeboy]

if that does happen, then maybe some justice will be served, and they will realise that they are not the only ones affected by this act of stupidity/recklessness/wastefulness/aggression, or whatever it was that happened that resulted in the car crossing the centreline.

I am sure the drivers family realise this, but you know I don't believe in justice being the solution

I have little sympathy for the person at fault.

I have just a little smigine of sympathy for the driver as it is sad that he contemplated driving under the influence with 3 kids in the car..............

.........................

[MyGSXF:Me]

I just had a thought tho- what if the drivers family come in here and they read some of the things that we say

I understand that that may happen KATWYN.. but I am with marty below.. I have little sympathy for the driver!!!

if that does happen, they will realise that they are not the only ones affected by this act of stupidity/recklessness/wastefulness/aggression, or whatever it was that happened that resulted in the car crossing the centreline.

i have little sympathy for the person at fault.