Kat_Mac
05-15-2006, 07:01 AM
First biker weekend ends on wary note
Charges filed in two fatal crashes
By Tonya Root
The Sun News
TOM MURRAY/The Sun News
Tony Serino shows off his tattoos to Nancy Gutierrez in the biker vending area at Colonial Mall-Myrtle Beach. Serino rode his bike here from Boston, Mass.A dreary day ended the first weekend of the 66th annual spring Harley rally as emergency officials focused on preventing any additional fatal motorcycle crashes such as those that claimed the lives of three riders.
Charges were filed in two of the three fatal crashes that occurred Saturday, and the investigation continued into the third death, police said.
Several motorcycle crashes occurred Sunday, but as of 9 p.m. no fatal crashes had been reported.
Officials said they were concerned with the deadly start to the 10-day event, which unofficially began Friday and will continue through May 21. The Atlantic Beach Bikefest begins May 26.
"We have not had as significant of a day as we had yesterday," Myrtle Beach police investigator Tony Allen said Sunday evening.
"We want to make sure we can reduce the amount of collisions."
Police said drivers, both in vehicles and on motorcycles, should be careful when traveling through intersections and should triple-check their blind spots before merging or turning, especially when their visibility is reduced.
"I know motorcycles can be overlooked easily, so I always say double-look," said Scot Edgeworth, a Lance Corporal with the S.C. Highway Patrol. "I know everybody wants to have a good time on vacation, but they must remember to be safe."
Meanwhile, investigations continued into Saturday's fatal crashes.
Officials still were looking into the cause of the crash that led to the death of Louis Greco Jr., 35, of Jersey City, N.J. No charges were filed on Sunday, Allen said. Greco died after his motorcycle collided with a vehicle at 1:50 a.m. Saturday on Mr. Joe White Avenue near Osceola Street.
Greco, who was traveling west on Mr. Joe White Avenue, crashed into the vehicle when it pulled from Osceola Street into Greco's path to turn left. Greco's motorcycle struck the driver's door of the car. Greco's passenger, whose name was not available Sunday, remained at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center with head trauma. Additional information was not available.
Information on the vehicle's driver, who also was injured and flown to McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence, was not available Sunday.
Allen said Janine Mancini, 36, of Charleston, was issued a traffic summons for failure to yield right-of-way in the fatal crash of Jerry Sullivan, 54, of Kershaw, at Kings Highway and Farrow Parkway at the front gate of the former Air Force base.
That crash occurred at 4:30 p.m. Saturday when Mancini pulled in front of Sullivan, who was traveling north on U.S. 17. It was unclear Sunday what direction Mancini was traveling, Allen said.
"That investigation is in the process of being concluded," he said.
In the third crash, Janice Whitlock, 65, of Charleston, W.Va., was cited with disregarding a stop sign after her 2003 Subaru station wagon was hit by Samuel Bingham of Juneau, Alaska.
Bingham, a soldier from Fort Bragg who turned 25 on Friday, died in the crash at noon on S.C. 9 at S.C. 410, Edgeworth said.
Bingham was traveling south on S.C. 9 when Whitlock pulled in front of him from S.C. 410. Whitlock and her two passengers were taken to Loris Hospital for treatment, and their conditions were not available Sunday.
The fatal crashes had Horry County officials monitoring activities Sunday to see if changes were needed to keep visitors and motorcyclists safe.
Randy Webster, Horry County's Emergency Management director, said police over the weekend reported seeing more bikers in the area than during the same time last year, but without official participant numbers, it was difficult to say whether the rally would be bigger this year.
"We don't know if that's going to mean more people overall or if it's just going to spread them out over the time," Webster said at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
"The venues had a lot more people this year on the weekend than they did last year," he said.
In addition to keeping the highways safe, officials were concerned about the effect the severe weather forecast for Sunday night and rain for today would have on rally attendance.
"We're watching the weather to see how much of an impact that may have. ... [Rain] kind of changes the whole way it works; all the vendors are outside, and most of the venues are outside," Webster said. "People will either get in their vehicles and drive around or have to stay indoors more."
A 50 percent chance of rain was forecast for most of today and 20 percent for Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The rest of the week is expected to be seasonal until Friday, when a 30 percent chance of rain returns.
"I know they [motorists] know they're [bikers] here. People just need to be extra cautious and patient and be real careful when they're driving around," Webster said.
Charges filed in two fatal crashes
By Tonya Root
The Sun News
TOM MURRAY/The Sun News
Tony Serino shows off his tattoos to Nancy Gutierrez in the biker vending area at Colonial Mall-Myrtle Beach. Serino rode his bike here from Boston, Mass.A dreary day ended the first weekend of the 66th annual spring Harley rally as emergency officials focused on preventing any additional fatal motorcycle crashes such as those that claimed the lives of three riders.
Charges were filed in two of the three fatal crashes that occurred Saturday, and the investigation continued into the third death, police said.
Several motorcycle crashes occurred Sunday, but as of 9 p.m. no fatal crashes had been reported.
Officials said they were concerned with the deadly start to the 10-day event, which unofficially began Friday and will continue through May 21. The Atlantic Beach Bikefest begins May 26.
"We have not had as significant of a day as we had yesterday," Myrtle Beach police investigator Tony Allen said Sunday evening.
"We want to make sure we can reduce the amount of collisions."
Police said drivers, both in vehicles and on motorcycles, should be careful when traveling through intersections and should triple-check their blind spots before merging or turning, especially when their visibility is reduced.
"I know motorcycles can be overlooked easily, so I always say double-look," said Scot Edgeworth, a Lance Corporal with the S.C. Highway Patrol. "I know everybody wants to have a good time on vacation, but they must remember to be safe."
Meanwhile, investigations continued into Saturday's fatal crashes.
Officials still were looking into the cause of the crash that led to the death of Louis Greco Jr., 35, of Jersey City, N.J. No charges were filed on Sunday, Allen said. Greco died after his motorcycle collided with a vehicle at 1:50 a.m. Saturday on Mr. Joe White Avenue near Osceola Street.
Greco, who was traveling west on Mr. Joe White Avenue, crashed into the vehicle when it pulled from Osceola Street into Greco's path to turn left. Greco's motorcycle struck the driver's door of the car. Greco's passenger, whose name was not available Sunday, remained at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center with head trauma. Additional information was not available.
Information on the vehicle's driver, who also was injured and flown to McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence, was not available Sunday.
Allen said Janine Mancini, 36, of Charleston, was issued a traffic summons for failure to yield right-of-way in the fatal crash of Jerry Sullivan, 54, of Kershaw, at Kings Highway and Farrow Parkway at the front gate of the former Air Force base.
That crash occurred at 4:30 p.m. Saturday when Mancini pulled in front of Sullivan, who was traveling north on U.S. 17. It was unclear Sunday what direction Mancini was traveling, Allen said.
"That investigation is in the process of being concluded," he said.
In the third crash, Janice Whitlock, 65, of Charleston, W.Va., was cited with disregarding a stop sign after her 2003 Subaru station wagon was hit by Samuel Bingham of Juneau, Alaska.
Bingham, a soldier from Fort Bragg who turned 25 on Friday, died in the crash at noon on S.C. 9 at S.C. 410, Edgeworth said.
Bingham was traveling south on S.C. 9 when Whitlock pulled in front of him from S.C. 410. Whitlock and her two passengers were taken to Loris Hospital for treatment, and their conditions were not available Sunday.
The fatal crashes had Horry County officials monitoring activities Sunday to see if changes were needed to keep visitors and motorcyclists safe.
Randy Webster, Horry County's Emergency Management director, said police over the weekend reported seeing more bikers in the area than during the same time last year, but without official participant numbers, it was difficult to say whether the rally would be bigger this year.
"We don't know if that's going to mean more people overall or if it's just going to spread them out over the time," Webster said at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
"The venues had a lot more people this year on the weekend than they did last year," he said.
In addition to keeping the highways safe, officials were concerned about the effect the severe weather forecast for Sunday night and rain for today would have on rally attendance.
"We're watching the weather to see how much of an impact that may have. ... [Rain] kind of changes the whole way it works; all the vendors are outside, and most of the venues are outside," Webster said. "People will either get in their vehicles and drive around or have to stay indoors more."
A 50 percent chance of rain was forecast for most of today and 20 percent for Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The rest of the week is expected to be seasonal until Friday, when a 30 percent chance of rain returns.
"I know they [motorists] know they're [bikers] here. People just need to be extra cautious and patient and be real careful when they're driving around," Webster said.