Nineteen Arrested at Ride of the Century Event in St. Louis, Missouri

It appeared that area law enforcement did not want repeat tragedies of the 2011 Streetfighterz Ride of Century Motorcycle Ride. Police said that around 2,500 motorcyclists participated, and of those, 63 were issued citations. Nineteen individuals were arrested, including two drug arrests and one person on an outstanding warrant. Eighteen motorcycles were towed. Just as notable—three guns were seized.

Area police used a variety of methods to contain the stunt riders, including helicopters. Police used the helicopters to spot stunt riders in the traffic. Apparently, one motorcyclist was weaving on I-55 and was run over, but without apparent injuries. Police cars were also on the ground used “rolling roadblocks” and positioning their cars side-by-side of the riders to slow them down.

According to authorities, there were three motorcycle wrecks Saturday night, but none were reported as serious.

In 2011, there were numerous complaints of motorcycles zooming around cars and driving into traffic. Two motorcyclists were killed, and a rider lost a leg. Thank goodness there were no fatalities in 2012.

After finishing my blog post, I heard a pack of motorcycles. I’m on the 24th floor downtown, so they have to be fairly loud to reach my window. I watched as 40-50 bikes drive down Broadway with no police escort. Riding in a convoy was not a problem, but they didn’t stop at a single stoplight. It was frightening to me as they zipped through Broadway and Market in the early evening…..I couldn’t believe one of them didn’t get smacked by oncoming traffic.

I don’t know how there were no serious injuries during a weekend-long ride if stunts in traffic were performed. Riding a motorcycle is a privilege and a risk, just as driving a car. A group of 50 cars should not get together, drive in a group and disregard traffic signals and endanger innocent people. I take issue with the driver of any vehicle being irresponsible. Having an accident is easy enough odds without testing your odds by performing stunts in traffic.

WE ALL HAVE TO OBEY TRAFFIC SAFETY AND SHARE THE ROAD

Considering that I really get to know families of those killed in motorcycle accidents and victims of motorcycle crashes, I cannot rationalize supporting such an event (motorcycle stunt rides) any more than I can support small children playing with fire. It’s just not good sense.

Motorcycle stunts should/must be done in a safe, supervised area: period and paragraph. Stunt riding on city streets and highways is always a bad move. These kinds of stunt riding incidents have a negative influence on the community of drivers. Many very responsible motorcyclists are out on the road, and these kinds of dangerous actions reflect poorly on motorcycles in general. The antics of disregarding motor safety is the attitude and message that it sent—-trouble is, it reflects badly on all motorcycle riders. This “devil may care” attitude communicates that life and safety are not priorities, and I do not think that is how most motorcyclists feel.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident, it is important to get a free consultation from an experienced personal injury attorney. At The Cagle Law Firm, we have represented many victims of motorcycle crashes, and we try to promote safety messages and training at every opportunity. Call Zane T. Cagle at (314) 276-1681.