Prayers for my neighbor Ray.

[stroguy]

Ray lived around the corner from me and we often talked motorcycles. Ray was a die hard HD guy and you could see the snicker in his eye for me on my Yammy or Honda. But, he always was smiling, always out front caring for his lawn shirtless. If his tanned body and peroxide dyed hair wasn't caring for his lawn then his HD was on the lift in the driveway and he was polishing the over chromed monster. Yes Ray was a chromaholic, but it fit his beautiful blue HD.

I just awoke from a migraine nap. During my nap I heard the commotion of the helicopters from Houston news flyin overhead. I had my pistol with me and the wife was in her office working with her pistol so I had no concerns with bad guys running from the law, it would be a mistake to come here. I went back to sleep. After checking the forum I just now asked the wife about the rustling outside. Ray was killed shortly after 4:30 on our neighborhood street when a UPS driver turned in front of Ray. From the picture you can see Ray put the bike down when it was inevitable he was not going to get around the van. A neighbor witness said Ray was under the delivery truck. Ray was not moving.

15551

Ray made the choice to never wear his helmet. I had seen Ray all over the northside of Houston as his HD was his only mode of travel...rain and shine. He never wore a helmet but he always looked like the king of the road to me. Nothing was going to happen to Ray. There is no way to say his lack of helmet killed him until the final ruling. His neck may have been broken in which case the helmet would not have helped. But after our recent thread I think we can all say, a helmet would have given Ray a fighting chance.

Ray was killed at an intersection where it is a challenge to get up to high speed. I drive it everyday. Ray was exiting an S curve in which I cannot lie, I have gone through it faster than I should. But it's an S curve, cmon man, you have to do the sway sway. But it's a challenge to exit at more than 40. But 40 and an inattentive UPS truck can kill you just as dead as a t bone at an intersection or run off the highway at high speed.

I walked down the street to see the accident scene and the road is still closed for the investigation. A few folks were standing in Rays' driveway and they verified it was Ray. Some tears welled up in my eyes knowing we lost a good good neighbor. A respectful man. But the saddest part was when I asked about a UHaul truck that was in Rays' driveway yesterday. Rays' daughter had just moved in with her father the day before. A tragic twist for our lost friend.

So when you go to bed tonight, say a prayer for Ray, for his daughter and for his family. Then hug them kids more than once. Kiss that ole hag once more than normal. The worst can happen in the most inconspicuous stretch of road. Ride safe my friends.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/ups-truck-fatally-strikes-motorcyclist-in-spring/34513730

[FlaMike]

Sorry for your loss & sayin a prayer for Ray's friends and family.

In almost 40yrs of riding, I've lost more than a few friends to cycle accidents. It aint easy to get past and at times made me rethink riding.
But I really enjoy riding and cant imagine live without it. But these events make me pay a little more attention and use a little more caution because it can go bad without warning.

[choptop]

Prayers for Ray tonight.

[shooter]

Great write-up Stro. Man I appreciate the hell out of guys like you. Guys that care. Guys that give a damn about their neighbors and their friends. You know that Ray is up there smilin. Just knowing that he made you talk about him and his Overchromed Hog. You brought a tear to my eye buddy. Feel the most sorry for Rays daughter. RIP Ray.

[Pap]

So sad.
Praying for Ray and his family.

[flat6bagger]

Ray is in Gods hands now and will certainly be taken care of.
Ray,his daughter,other family and friends of Ray will be in my prayers tonight.
I read this with a sense of saddness for you also stro.
This man was an important part of your life.
That is obvious in your writing this post.
Think of the great talks you and Ray had.
Be well and God bless.

Doug

[stroguy]

Great write-up Stro. Man I appreciate the hell out of guys like you. Guys that care. Guys that give a damn about their neighbors and their friends. You know that Ray is up there smilin. Just knowing that he made you talk about him and his Overchromed Hog. You brought a tear to my eye buddy. Feel the most sorry for Rays daughter. RIP Ray.

Thanks buddy. My youngest son just got home from his job at the local golf course. He is in disbelief and saddened. Rays' house was the corner bus stop for the high school kids. He was typically up early and talked with the kids. My son always had kind words for the guy with the squeaky voice. Ray weighed all of 140 pounds and had one of those raspy squeaky voices. Fit his frame perfectly. Ray lived alone for all of these years until yesterday but he never gave a sense of being lonely. His HD was his life. Saw him at many a weekend clubs with the local bikers. It is a sad story.

[Brasco]

A really nice tribute to your friend and neighbour. Thank you for sharing news of this tragedy and for putting the importance of safety -- no matter what the road may be -- front and centre for everyone on this site. Take care.

[53driver]

My sincerest condolences and what a beautiful sendoff.
As requested, prayers for Ray & family.

An Irish Funeral Prayer
Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Everything remains as it was.
The old life that we lived so fondly together
is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no sorrow in your tone.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that
we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effort
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because
I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near, just around the corner.
All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting,
when we meet again.

[stroguy]

My sincerest condolences and what a beautiful sendoff.
As requested, prayers for Ray & family.

An Irish Funeral Prayer
Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Everything remains as it was.
The old life that we lived so fondly together
is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no sorrow in your tone.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that
we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effort
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because
I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near, just around the corner.
All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting,
when we meet again.

Very nice Steve.

Love the last line...how true.

[Steve 0080]

+1

[wjduke]

Very sad, but a great post.....some guys will ride tomorrow a little more careful. Makes me realize how lucky I was.

[Paul B Blues]

Very sad indeed, God rest his soul.

[firetech]

As others have said, very nice send off. Sorry for your loss.
You were blessed to have him as a friend and neighbor as he was to have you.
Thoughts and prayers for Ray, his daughter, family and you.

[Old Ryder]

It is just a story on the news until it happens to somebody you are connected to. Every time I turn the key on, I have the thought this may be it. I had a cousin-- 19 at the time-- get killed on a friends bike. Life is a gift--not a promise--handle with care.

Crazy things can happen when you are unprotected on a bike. They even come seeking you out from across the median. On the news yesterday......
http://www.wral.com/motorcyclist-killed-when-car-crosses-i-540-median/14809707/

[stroguy]

Well the horror of the accident was made evident this morning. I went to the accident scene to educate myself what could of happened and what I could do better in this situation. First off there are no tire marks from locked brakes anywhere in Rays' path of travel. The only marks were two big gouges in the concrete street. These gouges run about 80' to where the police outline of the UPS van were painted. Impossible to say but most likely caused by the HD foot peg and handle bar. So Ray got the bike on the ground and then was separated in some instance when colliding with the truck. The first person to the scene saw Ray in a seated position but his back and head were wrapped in the RF tire well and one of his legs was also disfigured and not in the normal position. Evident the UPS van continued moving after Ray was underneath. Ray was still alive but unconscious for only a minute when he sighed and turned blue then faded to a pale white.

A young lady I talked with this AM had talked to the UPS driver and he said 'the bike would not stop, he just kept coming'. He saw Ray but still attempted to complete the turn in front of him. After contact he continued to travel a very short distance with Ray underneath.

So what do I take away from this?

1. Stay up! You have no chance when the bikes tires are separated from the street. Ray did not wear a helmet and broadsiding the van would not have been a nicer ending, but 70-80' additional braking can knock off a lot of speed. 2. Practice equal front and rear emergency braking. I would suspect Ray jumped the front brake too hard in a maneuver and the bike went down. 3. Everyone is going to turn in front of you, even the retards that see you. Be ready, plan your escape, plan your braking strategy before it is to late. 4. Invest in an ERC. I did and they showed me my deficiencies. These instructors are not there to make a dime off you. Everyone of them has the experience and history to make you a better rider.

Thanks to everyone's prayers and support. Let's be safer out there. Randy is going to enter a self implemented safety stand down for a few days.

[wjduke]

You simply can't let your guard down for even a split second, maybe only if you're out on open road alone.

[Love to ride]

PRAYERS SENT ! GOD BLESS EVERYONE AND RIDE SAFE

[Big Jay]

Thoughts and prayers for all involved.

[kcmike]

May Ray's family find peace, solace, and guidance, and may Ray find paradise with his brother, Jesus. Sad!

[Redlinez]

Very sorry to hear. I couldn't help but think about doing everything I could to make sure my wife and I made it home safe to our kids after our first weekend away on the bike. We just recently had a cyclist killed on a major highway here in Raleigh by a car that shot through the safety wires in the median and hit him. It's a terrible way to die, prayers for his family, friends, and you, a neighbor who cared. Oh, and the UPS driver, can't forget him/her. I can't imagine that feeling.....