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Author Topic: Solstice crash on The Dragon last weekend.  (Read 15954 times)

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Raydar

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Solstice crash on The Dragon last weekend.
« on: August 15, 2009, 10:52:22 am »
FieroVin posted this on Pennocks, in the RFTH thread.
Apparently there was one fatality and another critical injury.  

++++++++++++++++++++
Hi all,

I just wanted to say have fun but please please be safe. I was at the Dragon last weekend with my Solstice and we lost one member from our group with another critically injured.

Here is the report from killboy.com:

Kinda slow one last week, which made it really nice for those who were here enjoying the ride/drive. Lots of folks smiling and having fun, and we've got a great collection of highlights below as a result, but as is often the case, tragedy can quickly overshadow all the sunshine in the world. Last Saturday night was one of those unfortunate moments. A member from the Sky/Solstice group was giving another member a ride, and lost control on Hwy 28 about 1/8th of a mile from the turn off from 129. The car side-swiped a tree and the passenger was killed instantly. Driver was, and still is in critical but stable condition. He was flown out and friends on the scene said the Graham County EMS team did an amazing job, working very fast to stabilize the injured and get a helicopter on route immediately.

The left turn they wrecked in is a fairly tricky one, in that there is always gravel around the outside of it because there are dumpsters there and people going in and out all the time. Most traffic doesn't stay wide through the turn, so the gravel accumulates. If a person is driving nice line, staying well away from the yellow, they are punished with a loss of traction. We will try to take a broom out there as often as possible and work on keeping it cleaner. (along with the rest of the Gap as always) The dumpsters there were also very prone to attracting wildlife, mostly bears, but I think they have made upgrades to keep the bears out, so I'm not sure if there was an animal involved in the crash or not.

It shouldn't need to be repeated, but let's all please be careful when we have precious lives in our cars or on our bikes. Imagine the sorrow this poor driver is going to face if he survives. Our thoughts are with the families of the Nellie Tubbs and Keith Wolven.


+++++++++++++++++++

I'm not sure if this is anyone known to any of our members.
Regardless, I offer my condolences to their families and friends.
Horrible thing. :(

http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/f35/offical-kappa-member-critical-condition-58623/
« Last Edit: August 15, 2009, 10:55:55 am by Raydar »
...

Fierofool

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Re: Solstice crash on The Dragon last weekend.
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2009, 04:57:51 pm »
I believe the Peach State Kappa club was having their yearly event up there.  I'll check with Kim and report back.  They were staying at Fontana Village.
There are three kinds of men:

1.    The ones that learn by reading.
2.    The few who learn by observation.
3.    The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.    Will Rogers

Fierofool

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Re: Solstice crash on The Dragon last weekend.
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2009, 05:39:21 pm »
Yes, sorry to report that it was one of the group with the Peach State Kappa Club.  After they had their evening event dinner, the driver took a passenger for a ride.  They crashed just a few turns before Hwy 28 ends at the service station at The Dragons Head.  This is going north on 28 toward the Dragon from Fontana Dam, just opposite of the way we ran the RFTH 6 years ago.  This year we will be running the same direction as he was going. 
There are three kinds of men:

1.    The ones that learn by reading.
2.    The few who learn by observation.
3.    The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.    Will Rogers

TopNotch

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Re: Solstice crash on The Dragon last weekend.
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2009, 09:04:57 pm »
If someone suggested to me to take another run on the Dragon after the evening dinner, I would definitely turn that down. Eating a big dinner, even if you don't drink alcohol, is going to hurt your response time.
The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play.

GTRS Fiero

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Re: Solstice crash on The Dragon last weekend.
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2017, 07:22:13 pm »
If someone suggested to me to take another run on the Dragon after the evening dinner, I would definitely turn that down. Eating a big dinner, even if you don't drink alcohol, is going to hurt your response time.

Something to keep in mind, as RFTH approaches, even though it isn't on The Dragon, this year.

Fierofool

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Re: Solstice crash on The Dragon last weekend.
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2017, 09:00:16 pm »
Our lunch stop is a burgers and ice cream place.  I don't think they serve any alcohol, and with the short time scheduled for lunch, probably no big meals will be eaten.

Evening dinner is a couple of hundred yards from the hotel.  Walking distance.  The only ones that will be driving after that are the Michigan group who are staying further east, just off I-40. 
There are three kinds of men:

1.    The ones that learn by reading.
2.    The few who learn by observation.
3.    The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.    Will Rogers

GTRS Fiero

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Re: Solstice crash on The Dragon last weekend.
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2017, 09:03:15 pm »
My understanding  was that the incident happened in the evening, after dinner.

Fierofool

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Re: Solstice crash on The Dragon last weekend.
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2017, 09:18:48 pm »
Theirs did.  They were lodging on the road where the accident happened.  All of our roads are more than a half hour's drive away from our evening restaurant.  I believe that after we've finished our run, which is over 200 miles of mountain roads, plus a possible 30 or so miles of bonus thrown in, no one will want to go back without a good night's rest.  In all my years, I don't believe anyone has ever gone back to run part of the run after our evening dinner. 
There are three kinds of men:

1.    The ones that learn by reading.
2.    The few who learn by observation.
3.    The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.    Will Rogers

GTRS Fiero

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Re: Solstice crash on The Dragon last weekend.
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2017, 09:24:04 pm »
I think you set up the RFTH events to encourage fellowship through the evening.  Attendees should take advantage of the opportunity, and apparently they do.  The club is only as strong as the interpersonal connections, as that club proved.