Motorcyclist clocked at 188 mph convicted
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A motorcyclist whose speeds reached 188 mph during a chase by troopers may spend two years in prison after he is sentenced March 8.Why did he run? Simple - he had a 150HP motorcycle and he could. Same reason folks climb Everest, yadda yadda yadda. Except that in his case, at north of 180 miles per hour, even a 500 pound motorcycle will kill the occupants of a car going 70 MPH... Every single person on that road was in danger from his reckless stunt - he was passing cars on the shoulder and lane-splitting at speeds in excess of triple digits.
James Foldenauer of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was found guilty Wednesday of traveling at excessive speed and eluding a police officer as he drove Aug. 5, 2009, on Interstate 29 near Missouri Valley, Iowa. The speed limit was 70 mph, and he and another motorcyclist were clocked at 89 mph in a construction zone.
And again, the penalty isn't even vaguely close to fitting for the crime committed. He *might* spend "up to" two years in jail, except that they only revoked his license for a year. I'd be shocked if he saw any jail time whatsoever, and even more shocked if this is the only time he does something this stupid. He's going to kill someone, and when he does, they'll blame high speed assault motorcycles rather than the idiot driver and the "justice" system that laughed off his stunt with a slap on the wrist.
Or maybe we'll get lucky and he'll plow into a semi and only kill himself next time.
That is all.
Another dispatch from...
(image courtesy of Robb Allen)
17 comments:
On the one hand I try to cut fellow riders some slack, but on the other hand Beavises like that make the rest of us look bad.
Even if Major Tom there doesn't hit anything, the panicked maneuvers I've seen cage drivers pull when a bike rockets by them on the white line will hurt somebody. Yet the [expletive delete] that caused it won't even be there when it happens
If the guy was in a club, I'd like to think some of his buddies would give him a few safety lessons out behind the woodshed, but birds of a feather and all that.
I rode to school in Phoenix AZ for a couple years, and cringed whenever I saw these guys on the road. Usually they were college students, 18 yo, brand new 600cc sportbikes; shorts, low sneakers, and tanks were the order of the day. Occasionally one would have a helmet, but often no lid, absolutely no gear whatsoever, and 70 mph wheelies on city streets. Yeah, buddy, good call. The last time I dropped my Honda, it was 65 on the brakes, 25 on the ground, with gloves, boots, jeans, jacket, and full face, and I was still banged up pretty good. I always hope these kids can live to see 25, and learn a few things on the way.
I prefer a more sedate pace myself on a motorcycle. I like to keep my break distances short, so I can react in time to idiots in cages.
I've actually never gone over 65. I don't really see the need to go over 70 except for bursts of accelleration to overtake really slow vehicles(ie: stuff like tractors), or to avoid getting t-boned by some idiot cager not paying attention, when I wouldn't be able to break on time(and similar defensive measures).
If a driver behind me makes me nervous I tend to move over to the shoulder and slow to a crawl so they'll pass.
Did I mention I've rented motorcycles in thailand, and the worst accident I had was a laydown on a steep downhill dirt road, at about 3 mp/h, due to bad tires and road condition(front tire slipped). I superficially scrapped my knee(I was wearing shorts).
err scraped, not scrapped, heh.
Used to ride dirt seriously, had my share of the dirt equivalent of pavement rash. The tatooing (dirt pounded in to the scrape) is very painful to clean and you do it knowing the probable infection is worse. That's with full leathers.
That rider and feinds are what some call organ donors as in most crashes the brain has been disconnected. Ride like that, make sure you organ donor card is up to date. After all some good should come from it.
Eck!
Yep, he's an idiot. I-29 in that stretch is flat and straight as a string, but there's no telling what the cagers will do and at that speed there isn't any way to avoid them if one of them suddenly does an unannounced lane change.
Unlike most of your readers I actually know where Mo Valley is. Heck, I was there just last month!
(Yep, my life is just one exciting episode after another...)
Did that once.
Racing a Turnip 500 with my Beezer 440 on a long staight desert road.
We came over a hill and could see forever and we both got under the paint at the same time and it was on.
As I was just married and had one in the oven, after about a mile I started thinking [yeah, takes me awhile] "if a coyote runs out, I'm toast".
Twisted it back down and never rode the street again.
Ran my Husky in the desert for years, kicked off of the high side a few times but never tried to mix it up with a cage, dumb.
wv= bones
How does it know?
Thought you'd enjoy it.
A squidiot - another product of the unearned self-esteem movement.
Not that I was a stranger to the ton plus on my Commando but at least I did it where I wasn't going to endanger other people.
Jay - I believe the license revocation is merely a bureaucratic punishment and that criminal sentencing will come at a later date.
My little brother was tagged at 72 in a 45 zone. Because he was more than 25 over, his license was immediately suspended. The criminal punishment was determined later.
I suspect the choir boy in this story is facing the same situation. License immediately pulled and a criminal sentencing coming up. I hope he gets the full two years. If more of these morons were made an example, maybe someone out there will think before they run.
Looks like he just barely avoided a felony charge:
A person commits a Class D Felony if they exceed the speed limit by 25 MPH while eluding a law enforcement officer and commit one of the following: (1) Participate in a public offense which is a felony ('702.13); (2) violate the drunk driving law ('321J.2); (3) violate the
controlled substance law ('124.401; or (4) cause bodily injury to another person during the offense. The sanctions for this felony are
imprisonment for not more than 5 years and/or a fine of $500 to $7,500 and a surcharge which is equal to 30% of any fine imposed.
''321.279(3), 902.9(4) & 911.2
If someone had just gotten an ow-ie from their seatbelt because of putting on the brakes - this jackass could have been good for a nickel!
Seems an annual event here to have to blame cars for idiots on bikes.
http://mcthag.blogspot.com/2011/02/cager.html
It doesn't make you sound smart to keep using the term.
I'm not sure what you're getting at.
I thought I was pretty clear that the person I was upset with was the motorcyclist acting dangerously.
And I don't believe I used the term you're referencing, either. Actually, I just re-read my post and I didn't even come close to using the term.
Did you even read the post I wrote?
Jay, you didn't say "cage" or "cager" but I did, as did a couple of other commenters. Perhaps Angus was speaking to us.
But if he considers it a term of hate, I'd like to know why because that's not my experience with the word. I'm going to need some convincing before I give up a perfectly useful word.
I ride or drive that stretch of I-29 twice or more a month. I hate those douchebags on their crotch rockets who go screaming by, or ride wheelies, on public highways. Too bad they didn't try it last summer when that part of I-29 was four feet under water.
I love a long straight to open up on, and I REALLY loves me a curvy road
IF
I don't have a lot of traffic around me. Too many things that can happen.
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