We Lost A Fellow Rider Today.

Today was one of the weardest and shocking days at work for me. Im a police officer in a city I will not mention at this time. Due to this accident just happening hours prior to this post I would hate to break the news over a internet post to possible friends and family of ashleys death. when I first meet ashley I saw him riding, and flagged him down in hopes of finding someone to ride with. he pulled into a parking lot on his '02 GSXR-600 and I immediatly let him know I was a fellow rider and he wasnt in any kind of trouble or anything. We sat in the parking lot for awhile decussing our bikes and trading stories of how fast they were. I eventually got dispatched to a call and took down ashleys number just before pulling off. I never called him but just a couple of weeks I saw him riding down the road while I was on my bike ('03 gsxr-1000). He waved and I turned around and caught up to him. We pulled over and talked a bit more, and then went riding together for about an hour. At the end of the ride I simply told him I would see him around town and figured I would see him in the next week or so. Unfortunalty I did, Just not the way I figured. Today around the time of 3:30pm I was standing in dispatch speaking to another officer. I heard a page go over 911 asking medical to respond to a motorcycle wreck. I immediatly perked up when I heard the words "motorcycle". I got in my patrol car and responded with lights and siren. Upon my arrival, there we several civilian vehicles parked on the edges of the roadway. As I got closer I saw a motorcyle about 100 yards from what I figured was the rider laying lifeless on the ground. As I ran toward the rider on the ground I kneeled over him and gently put my hand on his shoulder. I asked him loudly "where are you hurting, other than your roadrash". I didnt get a response from him and began looking at the massive amounts a skin pulled from his legs, arms, chest, etc... I asked him again if he could hear me, but I got no response. At that time medical was arriving on the scene and I told them that he was not responding but did have a faint pulse. I then jumped over the victim and looked into his helmet which the shield was broken on. I noticed the guy had his eyes open and his eyeballs where rolled back into his head. He had alot of blood coming from his noise and also had blood coming from inside his mouth. I finally stood up and stepped back several feet. I never noticed that it was ashley until I ran down to his bike to run the tag number. When I saw his exhaust and the type bike I realized who he was. The ambulance personel called for medi-vac (helicopter) who was on the scene within 5 mins. As I stood there watching medical work on ashley I really started thinking about things. Ashleys girlfriend was on scene, which I never even realized due to all the commotion. I approached her and asked her if she knew what happened. She said she was directly behind ashley following him to a friends house. Ashely decided to pop a wheelie and rode it out to about 80mph. She said it was then when the back tire simply kicked out from under the bike. Ashley hit the ground on his left side and slid about 150 yards to a stop. His bike continued going about another 75-100 yards. His girlfriend immediatly called 911 and ran to his aid. Once medi-vac arrived on scene they entered the ambulance where ashley was being kept and worked on my several different medical personal. The next thing I knew was the medi-vac personal left the ambulance and eventually left the scene as the ambulance transported ashley to the local hospital about 1 1/2 miles away. Being that the hospital he was now going to was not a tramma unit, I knew there was already no hope of him making it. Apparently, they knew it would be useless to transport ashley the 75 miles are so the the tramma unit. Ashley was pronounced dead about 10 min. after he arrived at the hospital. He apparently died from internal injuries. I heard that every rib in his body had been broken. Im not sure if he struck the telephone pole you see in his path or not. I understand he had massive internal bleeding, but I will not go into the details of that. I dont understand it myself. I mean yea, he was prolly going over 80mph when he came off the bike, but why did he have those type of injuries? I guess you could get it from your body being thrown all over the place and doing cartwheels, etc.. but it does completly surprise me that ashley died from simply coming off his bike and supposidly not stiking any objects other than the ground. His girlfriend witnessed it as I said, unless she closed her eyes when she saw him loose it, we suspect that he didnt hit the pole, but who knows. I nver really knew ashley that well but it hurts just the same to loose anyone that you once knew if not for only a moment. I have also always been one to like having fun on my bike just as ashley did. But this really has hit home this time. I'm not sure if im going to sale my bike now or not. It could easily be me or you in ashleys place right now. I know I've really pushed my bike to its limit and the whole time I knew I would probalby die if something went just the slightest bit wrong. Well, it did for ashley. The backtire of his bike lost the slightest bit of traction and now hes gone. Yall please keep this in mind when riding. It can happen as quick as that. He was on the way to a friends house along with his girlfriend to visit, and never made it there. Im going to try and post some pictures of his bike which were taken on the scene today. His bike it in pretty good shape other than the farings being tore off. Apparently he took all the beating and not the bike. May God Be with Ashleys Loved Ones, Friends, and Family. I Personally will be praying for all of you.

May Ashley Watch over us from above RIP

im sorry to hear that its always bad to hear about any rider passing god bless him.

that is very very sad.. his girlfriend watched him pass...

Godspeed Ashley. Zombie, first of all, don't let this type of thing change how you feel about riding. Most likely it was rider error or inexperience that was the cause of the accident. He might have shifted his weight which could cause the back end to move around and throw him to the ground. Second, most of the injuries sustained, internally, were probably from him tumbling on the pavement at 80mph. I had a buddy die and both his arms and legs and pelvis were broken and he didn't hit anything other than the pavement. It also could have been the bike if it happened to hit him as they came down. Sorry you had to see that, but if you love riding then you'll keep riding no matter what. You will always have that itch to do it if you stop.

Man it sucks to hear about that. His friends and family will be in my prayers, and that sucks you hd to see that man.

may he rest in peace. we lost a rider a few days ago too but thats for a differen't thread. good luck bro, and yes your right it could have been anyone of us but thats part of what riding is about, what i mean is ther is always that risk factor involved but we just hope and pray that it doesn't happen. sorry tou had to witness it and my prayers to his friends and family.

Rest in Peace to Ashley, and condolences to his family and girlfriend. It's never easy when someone is lost for something so preventable. I've been there with my own family, and it's definitly a reality check when you go, "if only they'd kept it within their limits, they might still be here today." RIP. Gone but never forgotten.

sorry to hear about that but skibum is right... another option is just ride track...

rip...

I dont know how long the link will stay acitive, but here is the story as the shoals newspaper got it. http://timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040926/NEWS/409260343/1011/NEWS01

Damn Zombie, I'm so sorry you had to be one of the ones to respond to that. I can't imagine what his G/F is going through. To see that happen and then to be the first one to see him. That link with the story isn't working, could you just copy and paste it into here Zombie? I'll keep her and everyone else in my prayers, Godspeed Ashley. RIP Taken too soon....

Here is the accident posted in the newspaper.

that sucks rip ashley

sorry to hear about your friend. there have been alot of really bad wrecks this year and quite a few good friends and riders lost. please be safe everyone. also just a thought on you selling your bike.... would ashley want you to? or would he want you to remember his smiling face as you rode together? we lost a great girl and rider a few months ago and now she rides with us every time we throw a leg over. thats what she would have wanted i believe. rip ashly and prayers to all of his friends and family.

RIP Ashley. sorry to hear that you saw that Zombie. It happens all the time and we never think about it until it hits home.My best friend was killed in an"avoidable" accident and at the time i was between bikes(i almost borrowed one for the day just to ride and hang out with him) so i wasn't there. We were always riding together eccept for that time. But, if it weren't for him i wouldn't have gotten into riding,met the friends i have, or be married to the great woman i am married to( and expecting!).i have since got another bike and think about him all the time. you can only pray, have your soul in order, and leave the rest to Jesus.My buddy Zach( the guy that died) taught me to Live every day like it was the last and leave no enemies only friends.

rev, I totally agree. It's a little off topic, but Casey's (the hubby) dad and I did NOT get along. I hated him, held a grudge, and I would do anything in my power to not talk to him or see him. Well, last June his dad and brother were in a car going faster than they should have been, and they lost the road, flipped the car, and then the car caught fire. They were gone, and his dad died thinking I hated him. I've learned from that to never, EVER hold a grudge or make people think you're mad at them when you're not, cause you never know when you're gonna "lose the road". Live life to it's fullest and enjoy every day.

Do not know you or Ashley but thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to you Thank you for the job you do. God Bless Ashleys soul and hope to meet him in Heaven

Rip...

Very sorry to hear it...................

R.I.P Ashley...

R.I.P. after i hear of these unfortunate accidents, i ask myself why i got into motorcycles. But i guess its a risk that we all take once we put our leg over the bike!..........

RIP Ashley, thoughts and prayers to the family.

thats thw worst news ive heard all day... R.I.P.

RIP sad to hear but nice to know hes in a better place.

Im scared

Sorry to hear about that, RIP Ashley.

Sorry to hear abut it, Look there are things we do not have control of it, you could be riding at a low speed and some asshole could hit, or you could be riding hard and nothing happend or some mechanical thing triger an accident. What am saying is that do what you like untill you are full of it, there are a lot of riders that still there regardless of accidents. Pray for others as you would like to be paray fo you, my friend.

R.I.P prayers go to his family and friends

R.I.P Ashley prays go out to family and friends

i mean 80's fast...but yea thats suprising that just layin down the bike without hittin anything but the ground ended his life...especially since im sure he got medic help asap considering his gf was right there. Wheelies just got a lil scarrier to me RIP ashley

R.I.P.

R.I.P. zombieman keep riding I am sure that's what Ashley would have wanted you and other riders to continue to do. We all know there are risks involved but we just have to be careful and know are limits other than that it continues to still be a risk we live for. My prayers are with Ashley his family and with you to overcome this and continue being who you were prior to this sad ending.

I still ride unlike I thought I would, and have completly got back into, and above my usual ways of riding. I pass by the accident site where ashley was killed every day when at work, and every single thursday when in route to the drag races. I never pass that very spot without giving ashley that "bikers wave" as I pass by the cross now attached to the utility pole. :thumbup: RIP

I feel that when people we care about family, friends, etc. make mistakes it is our duty to learn from that. Lets honor him by learning from his death. R.I.P

RIP Ashley