JUNE 2008 POWER RIDERS GATHERING IN EUREKA SPRINGS ARKANSAS ENDS BAD!

Doug Collins and his Wife Jane, Alan O'Neal (MEC) and his wife Denise and I were traveling north on Highway 13 just 6 miles south of Higginsville

Missouri, Saturday June 14th at 1400 hours.   We were coming from Eureka

Springs Arkansas after the Power Riders Gathering. I was lead rider and Doug and Alan were a fairly good distance behind me.  Alan and I were pulling trailers.  A mail truck had pulled out in front me at the top of the hill and was going very slow down the hill and finally came to a stop in the highway at the bottom of the hill.  I had stopped thinking  he was turning left.  Actually he had his flashers on but I could only see the left one.

 

So I had stopped awaiting his move.  Doug and Alan had topped the hill and were starting down when they realized TOO LATE that I was stopped behind this mail delivery truck.  They immediately began breaking all too late and Alan went flying by me on my right and nailed the mail truck with a glancing blown that sent him further to the right where he came to a sudden stop up against a huge mail box pole that the mail truck was fixing to drop off mail.  Instantly after that Doug who was coming up on my left braking hard and out of control laid the bike down hard on it's right side.  I am stopped and watching all this unfold....I am thinking what the f???

 

Alan was thrown over the handle bars and hit the bank hard but only got bruised up.  Denise was not so lucky and the bike sort of penned her to the bank and twisted her right leg such that the right leg femur snapped like a tooth pick.  Denise was air lifted to Center Point Hospital in Independence Missouri where she under went emergency surgery to put a pen in her right femur - she left the hospital on Tuesday I believe, maybe Wednesday and is at home doing fine and in recovering.  Neither Alan or Denise really received any major road rash as they crashed in the ditch which was covered which large weeds and small bushes.

 

Doug and Jane both received major road rash all over their bodies.  Doug got cut pretty bad by either the mirror or the windshield on his bike and received numerous stitches in his face.  Doug also had a broken left lower arm and wrist where he had surgery to put that all back together with pens and screws.  Jane also sustained a cracked left elbow and a broken fingers but will not need any corrective surgery.  Doug and Jane were transported to St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City.  Both were discharged late Saturday evening near midnight.  Both are home now resting and doing the best to be expected.

 

I am told the bikes are repairable but might be totaled. I am not sure the extent of damage on Alan’s bike but it looked totaled to me, Doug's bike received about $4000.00 of needed repairs.  No tickets were given out, but clearly Alan and Doug were in the wrong and failed to yield to a stopped vehicle.  I personally think the mail truck was at fault with bad lighting on his truck which made the brake lights or flashers hard to see - - but that still does not give one the right to run into them...at least that is what the Missouri State police officer informed ...me!  Click here to see slide show of the accident scene and the PR 11 June 2008 Pictures.

 

I stayed around picking up all the personal stuff and then tracked down everyone the best I could and saw they were taken care of and then I continued on north to Des Moines, Iowa which is where we were all headed in the first place. O arrived just before Midnight on Saturday.

 

I was not hurt in anyway other than I had some major soiled under garments.

Pretty wild to see that all unfold. I thought they are were dead!  By the grace of God I think everyone will be ok.

 

Doug and Jane have said they are finished with riding and are going to start touring in their car at least until their dependents are not so dependent on their well being.

 

MRH