[Ken C]

Wind storm becomes a killer

Tree section crushes motorcyclist

By ARN ALBERTINI, Recorder Staff

DEERFIELD — A Springfield motorcyclist died after Sunday’s high winds blew a tree on top of him as he was on Mill Village Road.

Around 11 a.m., Robert F. Sheehan Jr., 58, of Kittrell Street in Springfield was riding north on Mill Village Road. As he passed over a small stream, the heavy winds ripped off a section of a three-foot wide willow tree and dropped it on top of him.

Rescue workers tried to revive Sheehan at the scene. He was taken via Baystate Health Ambulance to Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield where he was pronounced dead at 11:42 a.m., according to a hospital spokesman.

Sheehan was riding with two other motorcyclists.

“He was the last one in line,” said Zeke Desrosiers of Chicopee, who was leading the ride. “We were just driving through this area here and taking it slow because of the wind.”

Steve Kowak of Winsted, Conn., who was in the middle of the pack, said he heard a loud crash. “I turned around and I saw the tree down and I didn’t see (Sheehan’s) headlight.”

He parked his bike and ran over to the tree and yelled his friend’s name. “There was no response,” Kowak said.

Other drivers were already calling 911.

Kowak and Desrosiers watched as rescue workers tried to save Sheehan. Once the ambulance took Sheehan away, firefighters cut up the tree to reveal the crushed motorcycle, tangled among the branches. A picture of several small children hung between the cycle’s handlebars.

“We usually have a bigger group with us, but today it was just us three,” said Desrosiers.

Deerfield Police, Deerfield Fire Department and Deerfield Ambulance also responded to the accident. Police are still investigating the accident.

[beet]

RIP I was going to start a thread. Sorry for the guys kin.

[stoinkythepig]

Geez, that's twice this has happened in New England this year. There was a similar occurance during Laconia bike week, IIRC.

RIP.

[OreoGitorio]

Originally posted by stoinkythepig
Geez, that's twice this has happened in New England this year. There was a similar occurance during Laconia bike week, IIRC.

RIP.

Yeah, i dunno if it was Laconia, but i do remember reading a similar story.

That's a shame. Best of wishes to his friends & family.

[FNG]

That sucks.
RIP
Lee

[keet]

...that other tree limb incident was on the KANC somewhere...during bike week i think...tragic nonetheless

[Karaya One]

Looks like it was an 1800 Wing.

http://www.wwlp.com/news2004/story.html?artID=410542

[Evil_Weasel]

RIP.

talk about a freak divine smiteing.

[Currently]

Lesson I also learned the hard way ...

Never go riding in high wind or after a windstorm anywhere there are trees. Worst highside of my riding career was riding into a tree across a dirt road with my YZ250.

I will do superslab on windy days but no side roads or rides in the woods.

RIP ... it was quick and hopefully painless.

[sanfelice]

that really does suck. But the only thing that might make this a bit different is that one could substitute "automobile" for "motorcycle" and the result would probably be the same.

Freak shit like this scares me more than anything else...

[Karaya One]

http://www.wwlp.com/news2004/story.html?artID=410944

[Ken C]

The thing is that the are where they were riding was 95% open sod fields with one small area of willow trees. This makes it even more bizarre.

[odduc]

When your number is up, indeed. This kind of thing reminds us that we are not in control of our lives as much as we'd like to think. Enjoy the ride as long as it lasts.

RIP