Rider Down on Rt 116 Conway

[ultraTwist]

So sorry everyone. Guardrails scare me.

[MissTwisties]

if some one subscribes to Daily Hampshire Gazette there is a story on Jarrod R. Weston

Do you subscribe? Could you copy/paste the story here please?

[VFRKeith]

There's a story in today's Greenfield Recorder that has more details about Jarrod's life.

[Paul_E_D]

Bummer. He sounds like a great kid. RIP

[spicy]

yeah , definitely a loss to the community

again, if anyone knows of any memorial ride or something like that, let us know

[CMG241]

Do you subscribe? Could you copy/paste the story here please?

nope, was hoping some one else could!

[RadHawk]

Our most sincere condolences to the family of this young man and to the friends he leaves behind.

Rob and Family

[Crash Dummy Denno]

So sad

GREENFIELD -- Jarrod R. Weston was a quiet, friendly young man who was always ready to help someone and who had an exceptional work ethic, those who knew him recall.

'I know you hear this all the time, but truly, no one disliked Jarrod,' said Paul Doran, who was Weston's plumbing teacher at Franklin County Technical School from 1999 to 2002.

Weston, 23, died Monday evening after his motorcycle hit a guardrail on Route 116 in Conway just before 5 p.m.

'He was an extremely bright student,' said Doran. 'He did extremely well.'

Weston graduated from Franklin Tech in 2002. He spent four years at the school and graduated with a degree in plumbing. He played baseball for the school, at least during his freshman year.

Doran said Weston had earned his journeyman plumber's license 'just four years out of high school.' A journeyman plumber is one who typically has five years of commercial experience and holds a current certificate.

'That's about as fast as you can get that certification,' said Doran.

Weston went out of his way to help other students, said Doran.

'He'd help anyone who was having a problem,' he said.

When Weston was at Franklin Tech, Doran taught him six hours a day, five days a week, every other week for three years.

'I really enjoyed that time. I hadn't seen him a lot in the past few years, but he did keep in touch,' he said. 'Jarrod was a good man. I was shocked when I heard the news.'

It appears Weston was traveling from the direction of Deerfield in Conway on Route 116 Monday evening. Just before Greenfield Savings Bank, he struck the guardrail on the north side of the road. His bike was the only vehicle involved.

Weston was taken by ambulance to Baystate Franklin Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 6:02 p.m., according to Conway Police Chief Kenneth Ouimette.

Shortly after the crash, a Life Flight helicopter was called, but was canceled about 20 minutes later.

'We did what we had to do at the scene,' said Ouimette. 'We knew it was bad, but hoped he'd make it.'

Conway Police called in Massachusetts State Police to help with a reconstruction of the crash. Ouimette said there are still no definitive answers, but the best guess is that it was 'operator error.'

Ouimette said Weston had a permit to drive a motorcycle, but, it appears, not a lot of experience.

'I talked to a neighbor who said he heard the sound of a motorcycle, then metal, then silence,' said Ouimette. 'The neighbor said he didn't believe (Weston) was traveling at an excessive speed.'

Ouimette said witnesses who saw Weston riding before the crash said he was driving at normal speeds and appeared to be experimenting with the road.

Conway and state police will continue the reconstruction over the coming weekend.

Weston lived with his parents, Gail and Bruce Weston, on Russell Street in Sunderland. He has an older sister, Meggan Naiela. Weston was a volunteer firefighter with Sunderland Fire Department. He was working at Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local Union 104 in Chicopee at the time of his death.

'He was one of the best apprentices the union has ever had,' said Mike Langone, an organizer and instructor for the union. 'With his training and prior experience, he was already in the trade as far as we were concerned.'

Weston was a first-year apprentice with the union. He had just returned Friday from a competition in Boston.

'We chose him to represent us because he was so good,' said Langone. 'He didn't win, but he did very well. I have no doubt he would have won next year. He was smart.'

Weston worked well on his own and with others, said Langone. He was licensed in both plumbing and pipe fitting.

'He was learning it all,' said Langone. 'He was almost done here.

'Jarrod was a nice, personable kid,' he said. 'We're shocked and saddened.'

Sunderland Fire Chief Robert Ahearn said Weston served on the force for seven years.

'We watched him go through training from Firefighter 1,' said Ahearn. 'He was a valued member of the department. Everyone liked him and we're going to miss him. It's a sad time for all of us.'

Wrisley Funeral Home of South Deerfield is in charge of arrangements, which were incomplete at press time.

[vfr99999]

A sad day for his familly and friends. I hope someday people will take the time to learn to operate sport bikes like most people learn how to fly or race with instuction and intense training. A learners permit does not cut it

[deslock]

FYI

Wake:
Wrisley Funeral Home
90 Sugarloaf St
South Deerfield
Thursday 5-8 PM

Funeral:
Congregational Church
Sunderland
Friday 10:30 AM

[MissTwisties]

FYI

Wake:
Wrisley Funeral Home
90 Sugarloaf St
South Deerfield
Thursday 5-8 PM

Funeral:
Congregational Church
Sunderland
Friday 10:30 AM

Thank you...

[BusaBoy]

This is a horrible thread!

Although I had never been blessed with meeting Jarrod this story hits close to home.

RIP and my heart felt condolences to the family.

Is anyone from MASS planning on attending the funeral?

[slowrider]

These just suck to read about and it feels like I'm reading a lot more of them this year.

Rider Down - I-BMW.com

A very good friend of mine lost his life yesterday in a motorcycle accident on route 116 in Conway Mass. This is a challenging road of twisties and unfortunately he made a mistake on one of the corners and he lost his life. He was only 23 but such a great guy, not a squid by any means. I have known him and his family for 16 years and as you can imagine his parents are devestated. He was a Union Pipefitter and was loved by many people. So lets all say a prayer for Jarrod and his family. You will be missed my friend.

[Doc]

The fire departemtn will most likely have some idea as to a memorial ride or something.

Anyone live in the area?

[idratherberidin]

RIP.