Tag Archives: Motorcycle club

Motorcycle News, News

Driver in court over hitting club riders

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A 52-year-old driver who ploughed his Kia Rio head-on into several club riders in Kyogle, northern NSW, killing one and injuring four others last year has face court in Lismore.

Royce McCocker, of Warwick, Queensland, was charged on 26 March 2020 for the accident that occurred on Sunday, 20 October 2019.

He was to have faced Kyogle Local Court on 10 June 2020, but that was moved to 29 July in Lismore Local Court because of COVID-19.

His matter was re-listed in court this week for 26 August 2020.

Club riders

The carnage occurred when six club riders from the Sons Of The Southern Cross SMC were heading south out of Kyogle and the Kia was heading north, allegedly on the wrong side of the road.

One of the club riders, Wes “Pop” Carlton, 55, suffered critical injuries and sadly died at the scene.

Wes "Pop" Carlton club riders
Wes “Pop” Carlton (Image: Facebook)

Another rider, a 56-year-old man, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Lismore Base Hospital before being airlifted to Gold Coast University Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

The other two riders, aged 52 and 53, suffered serious injuries and were taken to Lismore Base Hospital for treatment.

The injured riders were named as “Smiley, Wellsy and Browny”.

Two more riding in the SOTSC group were not hit.

Driver charged

The driver and sole-occupant of the car, a 52-year-old man, was trapped for a short time before being released and taken to Lismore Hospital for treatment and mandatory testing.

Car ploughed into riders
Image: Seven News

Officers from Richmond Police District established a crime scene, which was examined by the Far North Coast Crash Investigations Unit.

Following extensive inquiries, the 52-year-old driver was arrested on 26 March 2020 at his Warwick home.

He was charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, three counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving occasioning death, negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, and driver not keep left of centre dividing line.

His licence has been suspended.

Our sincere condolences to the families and friends of all riders killed and our best wishes for a full and speedy recovery for all those injured in these crashes.

Group crashes

Pick-Up crash with US riders accident
North American group riding crash (Image: Associated Press)

Riders are vulnerable road users, but when they are riding in a group they present a bigger target and the results can be carnage.

We have reported on several group crashes in recent months in Australia.

Crash injured accident avoidIn March 2020, two riders and a pillion were injured when two motorcycles collided head-on (pictured above) and in the same week, two riders travelling the same direction collided and one rider crashed and sadly died.

But the most tragic was the crash in North America where an unlicensed pick-up truck driver ploughed into 10 bikes, killing seven riders.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Grim reminder of group riding dangers

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In a grim reminder of the dangers of group riding, America’s Fathers Day marks one year since young truck driver Volodymyr Zhukovskyy mowed down 10 motorcycles, killing seven people in a New Hampshire highway crash.

Riders should remember on this sad occasion that we are vulnerable road users and the result of a crash when riding in a group can be tragic.

In Australia, one rider was killed and four injured last October when a 52-year-old man driving a Kia Rio ploughed head-on into a group of riders in Kyogle, northern NSW.

Car ploughed into riders monthKyogle crash aftermath (Image: Seven News)

In both cases, the riders were part of a motorcycle club: the Marine Jarheads Motorcycle Club and Sons Of The Southern Cross Social Motorcycle Club.

Riding in a tightknit group, even in staggered formation, presents a big target for vehicles that stray on to the wrong side of the road.

It is safer to string out in a long line, leaving plenty of room between riders.

Multi-bike crash updates

In the case of Zhukovskyy, his defence lawyers have filed motions to block evidence including a crash he was involved in just weeks before the motorcycle massacre as well as statements from three witnesses who claim to have seen him driving erratically on the day.

Lawyers also claimed lead rider of the Marine Jarheads Motorcycle Club was over the centre line and had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.135.

US Supreme Court Judge Peter H. Bornstein has rejected bail for the 24-year-old whose record shows he had a “pattern of illicit drug and alcohol use”.

Zhukovskyy was arrested near his home in West Springfield, Massachusetts, three days after the carnage on a fugitive-from-justice charge.

He has also been charged with seven counts of manslaughter, seven counts of negligent homicide-DUI, seven counts of negligent homicide, one count of aggravated driving while intoxicated and one count of reckless conduct.

volodoymyr zhukovskyy Rider killer faces long jail term carnage jail timeZhukovskyy in court

Depending on verdicts, he faces more than 100 years’ jail time. New Hampshire is now considering increasing jail time for any driver who kills another after previous drunk driving convictions.

Zhukovskyy has two prior drink-driving convictions yet still held a Massachusetts commercial driver’s license. 

The state is also planning to allow the Director of Motor Vehicles to suspend or revoke an out-of-state truckers’ right to drive in a direct response to the multi-fatal.

Kyogle crashKYOGLE-FATAL Kia Rio ploughed into bikes

In the Kyogle incident, a 52-year-old driver from Warwick was arrested in March, almost six months after the crash.

He was charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, three counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving occasioning death, negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, and driver not keep left of centre dividing line.

His licence has been suspended and he was set to face Kyogle Local Court on 10 June 2020, but that has now been moved to 29 July in Lismore Local Court.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Protest over Tassie bikie ‘fashion law’

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Riders are being asked to protest today against the state’s anti-bikie “fashion law” that prohibits the wearing of “colours” associated with outlawed “bikie” clubs.

The law was first touted in September last year and has finally come into force.

This is despite the Liberal State government saying they would never follow Queensland’s Draconian VLAD laws.

In the first weekend of the new laws, 20 to 30 riders were stopped at a road block by a dozen uniformed police with several police vehicles and plain clothes cops. All up, some 70 police.

The result? Police confiscated three knives.

“Bikie” law protest

Rebel bikies anti-bikie clothing
Rebel Club members

A protest against the new laws is planned for Parliament House in Hobart from noon on Monday, 25 November 2019.

Former Australian Motorcycle  Council chairman Shaun Lennard says he is “surprised to see this happen in Tasmania”.

He says he received a “direct personal assurance from Will Hodgman as Opposition Leader in 2013” that the Liberals in Tasmania would not follow (then Queensland Premier) Campbell Newman’s “failed path” if they won government.

Bond Uni criminology lecturer and former police detective Terry Goldsworthy says Queensland’s heavy handed “VLAD” laws failed to prevent major crime.

The following Queensland Labor Government slightly watered down the laws, but there is still a “fashion police” rule that bans “bikie colours” in public because they “create fear”.

It is similar to the new Tassie rules.

Tassie cops

Tasmania Police say they will be enforcing the laws banning the wearing of insignia of five “outlaw motorcycle gangs”: Rebels, Bandidos, Outlaws, Devils Henchmen and the Black Uhlans.

This comes as interstate clubs rode into the state over the weekend.

“These are criminal gangs and their colours are designed to show affiliation with this criminality and intimidate others. The new laws don’t affect any other motorcycle clubs,” police media says.

“Our community can be assured there’ll be a strong police presence actively monitoring the activities of outlaw motorcycle gang members while they’re here.

“This will include vehicle checks, targeted drug and alcohol testing, monitoring for anti-social and criminal behaviour and traffic operations.

“Tasmania Police has rostered on a significant number of additional officers to assist with this operation and will be supported by a contingent of officers from interstate.”

So far, they seem to have collected three knives.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Rider killer faces long jail term

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This fresh-faced pick-up driver who mowed down 10 motorcycles, killing seven people in New Hamshire USA last Friday, faces from seven to more than 100 years in jail.

Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, was arrested near his home in West Springfield, Massachusetts, Monday morning on a fugitive-from-justice charge and was later charged with seven counts of negligent homicide.

Jail time

Under New Hamshire law, negligent driving can be charged as a Class A or B felony. If Zhukovskyy was intoxicated at the time, it becomes a Class A felony.

The truck company employee fled from the scene and was arrested a couple of days later at his parents’ house, so it will be difficult to prove he was intoxicated.

However, he had two prior drink-driving convictions and police allegedly found heroin residue in his vehicle. 

In fact, the Massachusetts motor vehicles chief has now resigned because Volodymyr was able to keep his commercial driver’s licence despite being busted for intoxicated driving last month.

If he is found guilty of a Class B felony, he can be sentenced to up to seven years in jail. For a Class A felony, the term can go up to fifteen years.

The judge may apply either concurrent or consecutive penalties, but there is now law requiring them to do so.

If they are consecutive, it could amount to 105 years in jail.

Zhukovskyy pleaded not guilty to the fugitive-from-justice charge and has waived his extradition to New Hampshire to face the murder charges.

Tragic crash

Pick-Up crash with US riders accident
All images Associated Press

The victims were members and associates of the Marine Jarheads Motorcycle Club who had just left their accommodation to attend their AGM.

Among the dead were a husband and wife.

They were hit by a Dodge 2500 pick-up truck carrying a long flat-bed trailer.

Pick-Up crash with US riders accident
Image: AP

It appears Zhukovskyy was on the wrong side of the road and hit the riders head-on.

Three people were also injured and taken to nearby hospitals.

The ages of the victims ranged from 42 to 62.

A gofundme account has been set up to rally support for the families of the victims.

It raised nearly $229,000 in the first day from more than 4720 people from across the US. It has raised $US477,990 ($A684,284) from 9245 supporters in four days.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

How to deal with motorcycle peer pressure

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Negative peer pressure is alive and thriving in motorcycling as it always has and probably always will be. Do you have a coping strategy?

Some say peer pressure does not exist in motorcycling because riding is about not fitting in. It’s about being the wild loner. 

If that’s the case, why are there so many motorcycle groups where they ride the same type of bike or wear the same type of gear?

Despite the fact that we ride in a protective cocoon of leather and fibreglass helmets, motorcycling is still largely a social activity.

Anti-social motorcycle clubs

The problem is that some of these social motorcycle clubs and groups can become anti-social.

Every week we see new videos on social media of packs of riders performing wheelies, stoppies, burnouts and other illegal and anti-social behaviour on public roads.

Police seek riders in stunt groups peer

Thankfully it’s worse in the USA and Britain than in Australia, although we also have our problems.

Anyone who joins these known anti-social ride-out groups is conscientiously asking for danger and there is not much that can be done about that except to leave it to the police.

But riders can still suffer from negative peer pressure riding in social motorcycle groups.

Even in these groups, there can often be someone who will tease other riders about being slow, their inability to ride long distances, wide chicken strips, a lack of overtaking or a rider’s inability to perform a wheelie or burnout.

No one wants to look like the chicken in this situation, so riders tend to give in to this pressure – however jokingly applied – and that’s when accidents happen.

Professional advice

Having the guts to not bow to peer pressure can be difficult, even for some mature riders.

So we went to psychologist and rider Sharon Ledger for some general advice on coping with negative peer pressure.

“Peer pressure is a normal part of forming relationships,” she says, pointing out that there is both negative and positive peer pressure.

“We join groups for a sense of belonging but we can then experience pressure to conform with the group’s norms,” she says.

“That’s why it’s important to join a group that has the same values as you.”

Clubs Sharon Ledger peer
Sharon Ledger

Sharon suggests that if there is an element of bullying in the group, positive peer pressure can be used to change their behaviour.

“Don’t be a bystander to bullying behaviour. Take a stand and show that it is not acceptable. You can put pressure back on a bully by using positive peer pressure.”

Sharon agrees with these four basic tenets of dealing with ever pressure:

  1. Make your own decisions. Do things that make you happy and make those decisions on your own;
  2. Plan a response;
  3. Avoid places and situations that make you uncomfortable; and
  4. Choose positive friends.

We took that advice and applied it to motorcycling.

How to avoid rider peer pressureDangers of organised group rides peer

Here are our five tips for avoiding motorcycle peer pressure:

  1. Leave. If the group is full of this sort of peer pressure, simply leave and find another group. There are so many social riding groups, clubs and Facebook pages out there to choose from, surely you can find one that doesn’t have any peer pressure. Otherwise, ride solo. Click here for 10 great reasons to ride on your own.
  2. Throw out the bullies. If your social club has someone who bullies others about their riding, have a quiet word to them, suspend them, send them to the back of the pack or throw them out. Don’t let a bully ruin your social club.
  3. Go to a track day. If you are feeling too much pressure to ride fast, suggest to your friends that they do a track day instead. They let off steam, they are are fun and they can improve your riding skills. They will also help get rid of those “chicken strips” in a safe and legal way. But make sure you leave your racing behind at the track.
  4. Volunteer to be tail-end Charlie. If the pressure to keep up is too much, become the tail rider. Carry a tool kit and first-aid pack and learn to administer first-aid. That will lift your respect within the group.
  5. Own your individuality. Dress differently and/or ride a different bike to the rest of the group. Be proud to be an individual. People will respect you for that and leave you alone. If not, see tip number 1!

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Vale God Squad founder Rev Smithy

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Riders have been invited to celebrate the life of Rev Dr John “Bullfrog” Smith, the founder of the God’s Squad CMC, radical preacher and long-time social justice campaigner.

“Smithy” passed away from cancer at home on 6 March 2019 with his wife of 51 years, Glena, by his side.

His funeral service will be held on Saturday (23 March 2019) at 2pm at the Wave Baptist Church in Ocean Grove, corner of Wallington Rd and Lake Ave.

Rev Smithy was known and respected by many riders over many decades for his support, counsel, charity work and his vocal crusade against anti-association laws.Rev Dr John Smith Smithy

He even addressed the National Press Club on 5 August 2009, telling the press why the commonly called “anti-bikie laws”, wouldn’t work.

Rev Smithy was also an author and was known in professional speaking circles as the “Blues Preacher: Motivational Speaker, Doctoral Researcher  of Cultural Anthropology, Author, Advocate, Social Commentator, Biker, and Unorthodox Evangelist.”

Many knew him as “Bullfrog” because he was “the loudest noise in the pond” says his wife, Glena.

Smithy documentary

His life story is told in the documentary film simply titled “Smithy”.

God’s Squad CMC formed in the late 1960s, but expanded under Smithy’s leadership from 1972.

The film synopsis says Smithy had agonised over the inability of the church to be culturally relevant and engaged with the important social and political issues of the day.Rev Dr John Smith Smithy

“In the twinkling of an eye, he went from strait-laced suburban preacher to sharing the stage at Hells Angels’ concerts to addressing a full hearing of the United Nations Human Rights Commission,” it says.

“Smithy has been jailed and nearly executed in the Philippines for defending the rights of rural peasants, and has been an advocate for the marginalised peoples of Mexico, El Salvador and Nicaragua.Rev Dr John Smith Smithy

“He has spoken around the world, making friends of like-minded crusaders such as Bono and Jimmy Carter. God’s Squad has also gone global with chapters now in New Zealand, United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Germany, Ukraine, Netherlands and the USA.

“Across four frenetic decades, Smithy set up several flourishing community churches with associated welfare arms; completed a doctorate focussing on cross-cultural studies, corporate culture and globalisation; wrote five books; and with his wife, Glena, had three children  and seventeen grandchildren.”Rev Dr John Smith Smithy

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

News

US Senate votes against rider profiling

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While Australian states are ramping up their anti-association laws that profile riders as potential outlaws, the US Senate has unanimously passed a motorcyclist anti-profiling resolution.

This follows an American Motorcyclist Association survey finding that half of American motorcyclists say they have been profiled by police pulling them over.

There is no such survey in Australia, but anecdotal evidence shows that riders have been pulled over for licence and bike checks by police.

They say only riders have been pulled over while cars and other vehicles are allowed to pass.

Police 'safety campaign’ unfair on riders cops road safety crash accident may blitz unlicensed senate
Police recently pulled over riders on the Gold Coast hinterland

Some have been riding cruisers and wearing similar gear to the so-called outlaw gangs or bikies, but others have been riding bikes such as adventurers, tourers and sports machines.

Laws, such as Queensland’s ludicrously named Vicious Lawless Associates Disestablishment or “VLAD” Act of 2013, are allowing police extra powers to harass riders.

(VLAD was replaced in 2016 by the Serious and Organised Crime Legislation Amendment Bill with the less evil-sounding acronym, SOCLAB, but only slightly watered-down police powers.)

Many other states have also ramped up their anti-association laws in order to put more pressure on perceived criminal activity in motorcycle clubs.

As recently as September, Tasmania planned laws that include a ban on outlaw motorcycle gang “colours”.

The Victorian Motorcycle Riders Association believes this vilification of riders is yet another nail in the coffin for motorcycling.

US Senate voteBikie clothing senate

The unanimous Senate vote “urges state law enforcement officials to condemn motorcyclist profiling in their policies and training materials”.

It is a surprise given the Senate is dominated by Republicans, although it does not have any force in law.

The resolution would also have to be passed in Congress where it could have a lot of support.

After all, in 2015, Congress banned federal highway funding of motorcycle-only checkpoints.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com