McHenry County Coroner Anne Majewski did something I have not seen before.
Dr. Majewski added this warning above her separate press releases about two deadly motorcycle accidents:
Please be advised that these are 2 SEPARATE motorcycle deaths in our county, both occurring Sunday evening in McHenry at 2 SEPARATE locations.
I think this is a forewarning about the dangers of motorcycles—-our high traffic volume, rural roads, the likelihood of more motorcycles on the roads—as the weather improves.
Tanya Schafer died in Lake County.
It must be heartbreaking to be the coroner with cases like these.
The dangers are not of motorcycles- but rather distracted drivers texting, eating their lunch or something of that equally controllable sort.
Motorcycles require skill and special licenses.
A van turned in front of a vehicle that weighs nearly 1,000 pounds and ALWAYS has its headlight on- the issue isn’t the motorcycle.
McHenry county does not really have high volume traffic compared to Kane,Lake, Cook or DuPage counties.
People need to PUT DOWN THEIR PHONES and treat the job of directing a vehicle with the respect it deserves instead of acting like because they have their license none of the common sense rules apply.
Open your eyes.
Put down your phone.
Respect the right of motorcycles to be on the road.
Have to agree with Mary Margaret above.
Cell phone blabbers and texters are MORE dangerous than drunks
and they are out and about at all times of the day and night
and based on my daily observations most of them are women.
Please just leave the phone alone and drive, before you kill someone or yourself.
Car manufacturers should put devices on cars that disable phones.
These are tragic but I see motorcycle drivers do some crazy things that I think they would not try in a car but will on a bike.
Not to add fault to either side but on a motorcycle you are unprotected hurling down the road so the slightest accident will result in a worse outcome.
Think about it and be careful all!
ON a motorcycle I am driving a licensed vehicle that requires additional training.
After 30 years of riding I can say for every motorcyclist that acts recklessly- (drinking, driving improperly, tailgating) I have seen 50x more car drivers who are guilty of the same behavior, in addition to being rude and distracted. Drivers in cars often act as if motorcycles have no right to be on the rode- cutting into my lane, tailgating, trying to beat the light in front of me.
Driving is not a Mad Max sport- so being “protected” should only mean I am attentive, sober and skilled. Instead, I spend my time anticipated the bad behavior of the cars around me.
A person who is killed because a van turned in front of them has NO FAULT other than being in the place at the moment of someone else’s irresponsible behavior.
Did Illinois start to require training for a motorcycle endorsement? Back in the day you just needed to ride on a learner’s permit for a while, and then pass a really trivial riding test.
I don’t agree at all with your observation that motorcycle riders are far more responsible than car drivers.
It certainly doesn’t mesh with my experiences.
The cruiser riders generally ride pretty sedately, but a lot of them drink way, way too much on their Sunday rides/pub crawls.
I see it all the time.
Some of the crotch rocket riders are just plain nuts.
I used to see them a lot when I drove on the Eisenhower, passing between cars and wearing shorts and no shirt or helmet.
IDK if they have a death wish or are just really stupid.
BILLY BOB! This was NOT a crotch rocket.
You are talking two different animals here.
(They were all Harleys.)
I wasn’t commenting on either of the accidents, and I never said it was a crotch rocket.
I was just taking issue with Mary’s statement that motorcycle riders are somehow much more responsible than ‘cagers’.
I rode for a long time, and I can say with a fair amount of certainty that the drunken and anti-social elements of society are very well represented in the motorcycling community.
It’s a shame that we’re so quick to look for blame and categorize people as either careless cagers or drunk bikers. I’ve ridden a motorcycle for 25 years and never had a drink before mounting my bike. Everyone is careless sometimes. Some of us are lucky enough to not have had it result in fatal consequence. This is a time to wish peace to the families of those who passed and to hope that the van driver learns from this experience and somehow finds some peace to live with what has happened. If you’ve never driven carelessly then you’ve never been tired on the road. You’ve never rushed to a hospital when one of your loved ones was near death and you’ve never been the flawed human being that some of us just are. I highly doubt there was any intent here. If I had been the van driver, I’d be wishing I was the motorcyclist and not because of the blame, because of my conscience.
Rest in Peace Tanya and Dennis…you are loved and forever remembered…sincere condolences to family and friends… Such a tragic senseless loss.
Almost all riders drive automobiles when bike weather doesn’t permit.
Being careful and looking twice becomes second nature whether on bike or in car.
People who only drive cars just don’t get it.
We are sons,daughters, husbands, wifes most hard working Americans doing things we love.
There are always people on both sides of this fence and exceptions are demonstrated daily.
Bad riders,bad drivers.
We need to understand that some folks that act and drive poorly are Always outthere.
Lets try and close this gap with common (or uncommon these days)courtesy and regard for each others saftey .
What makes us different is what makes us the same.
Just my observation :
Returning home from funeral ride for poor couple killed by either disracted driver or just horrible judgment (big differance)I pull up to red lite abreast minivan.
We are both first at lite,she inleftturn lane,me in thrulane.
I glance over,she has fon in hand held low looking down.
Her windows are down so I say,”thats illegal”, her reply is”its a red lite”
I say that doesn’t matter and she complies and sets fon aside
What looks like her 12yr. old son in the passenger seat!
This is the ignorance that has taken over.
I hope I at least made an impression on the kid. It’s too late for her.