4 Motorcyclists Killed in Calif. When Car Plows Into Riding Pack
- Posted on November 15, 2010 at 7:19am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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SAN DIEGO — A driver who slammed into a group of motorcycle riders, killing four of them and his companion, has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, and police are looking for another driver who may have triggered the crash.
The motorcyclists were riding Saturday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their club when a driver in a gold Honda Civic passed them on a two-lane highway 80 miles east of San Diego. California Highway Patrol officer Deann Goudie said that maneuver forced an oncoming car off the road and then it veered back on and into the group.
She said authorities were looking for the Honda, which has California plates.
None of the motorcyclists got the license plate number of the Honda driver — described as a man wearing a baseball cap — and none of them pursued him, choosing to stay behind to help their friends.
“I was the first person on scene that had a uniform on,” Goudie said Sunday. “I was being dragged in every direction by frantic people saying, ‘Help this person, help that person.’”
Goudie said investigators on Monday would check surveillance video at a nearby border crossing to see if the driver went to Mexico.
Carlos Ramirez Bobadilla, 36, was arrested when officers smelled alcohol on his breath about five hours after the crash, Goudie said.
Ramirez, one of six injured in the collision, was recovering from hand fractures at a San Diego hospital, Goudie said.
It was unclear if the driver’s alleged alcohol consumption contributed to the collision, Goudie said, but he was arrested on a misdemeanor and is not being held responsible for the deaths based on evidence collected so far. Results of a blood test were pending and not expected for about two weeks, she said.
Ramirez, of Mexicali, Mexico, swerved his white Dodge Avenger to the right shoulder of state Route 98 to avoid the Honda and then overcompensated by swinging left into oncoming traffic, Goudie said. Ramirez’s speedometer was found stuck at 60 mph, 5 mph below the speed limit.
“It would have been nice if he had just gone off to the right,” she said. “He would have been stuck in the soft sand.”
Four motorcyclists and Ramirez’s passenger were killed, authorities said.
The CHP withheld names of the five who died, pending notification of next of kin. They included a husband and wife who were on a motorcycle that was first to be struck.
A man who was driving a motorcycle behind the couple was struck next and died, Goudie said.
Ramirez turned and hit a third motorcycle, killing a woman who was riding on the back and injuring her husband, Wilson Trayer, 39, of Lakeside, Goudie said.
Trayer’s motorcycle sliced into the front passenger door of the car Ramirez was driving, killing his companion, a 31-year-old Mexicali woman, Goudie said.
Carl Smith, president of the Lakeside-based Saddletramps Motorcycle Club, said three riders were seriously injured but expected to survive. Two others had less serious injuries.
William Barnes, 57, of San Diego suffered a punctured lung and broken hip and ankle and his wife, Melanie, 46, broke her pelvis and had a brain hemorrhage, Smith said. Trayer broke his pelvis, ribs, back and jaw, according to his daughter, Sierra.
“It’s going to be a long recovery for the three of them,” Smith said.
One of the injured — John Philip Lombardo, 55, of Lakeside, whose leg was hit by an ejected motorcyclist — was released from the hospital, Goudie said.
Another rider, Kelly Halley, 42, of Santee, had her spleen removed, Smith said.
Smith was leading the motorcycles and watched in his rearview mirror as Ramirez turned his sedan into oncoming traffic and struck the middle of the pack. There were 21 riders on about a dozen motorcycles.
The group met Saturday morning at Smith’s Alpine home and had breakfast at a casino off Interstate 8.
“They were just going on a nice, leisurely ride in the desert because the weather’s gorgeous now,” Goudie said.
___
Associated Press writer Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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Superbird
Posted on November 16, 2010 at 2:07amMy prayers are with you for those whom have passed and for those who are alive. May your families and friends find healing and closure.
Report Post »Coonshine
Posted on November 16, 2010 at 12:26amRIP and a special prayer from a brother…..
Report Post »chaoticupheaval
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 11:23pmI am so sorry for all of your losses, May God wrap his arms around you at this time and the families that lost loved ones. I will pray you find some peace and justice in this horrible situation.
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 9:54pmI hope they catch him.. God bless the injured & the families of those killed.
Report Post »flyguync
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 6:32pmWhat a shame – I was a rider up until this spring when I decided to sell the bike. I have a wife and two children at home and just kept seeing too many people in cars texting, fiddling with the cell phone, crossing the centerline, etc. People need to pay attention when they’re driving just like you would expect them to when using any type of “weapon”.
Report Post »justin.blake
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 12:30pmOK guys…before you post, READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE! The ‘*******’ some of you are calling was only responding to the actions of another driver who was passing the motorcycle group. We have all seen someone try to pass and cut it really close getting back into their own lane. The driver of the other vehicle responded like we all would…swerved to get out of the way. Unless you are a stunt man or professional driver, it is very hard to recover cleanly from that type of thing. He overcompensated and ended up going into the cycle group. So quit your ranting about ‘illegals’ and ‘wetbacks’ when that is not the issue here. An irresponsible driver caused an accident, fled the area and is at large. Vent your anger at him! ‘Nuff said.
Report Post »WeTheHomers
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 1:23pmThe mexican guy killed them, even if taking evasive action from the gold honda civic guy. Smelled of booze in middle of the day? Doesn’t sound like a good citizen, eh. Should have kept control of his vehicle and safely plowed it into the sand.
Lets see if they find the honda guy hiding back into mexico, since they are looking at border crossing. I see these little cars driving crazy all the time, not neccessarily mexican’s, but they do tend to be the rule breakers in terms of immigration, fraud. Either way I hope they find this muderer.
Report Post »bookofwisdom
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 10:51amWe humans are so fragile when pitted against machines and asphalt. I pray the families will be consoled by their faith and that God will heal those in the hospital. May God Bless.
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 10:08amHeal quickly my fellow riders! Mourn and bury your dead, remember them always for their one last ride together.
Prayers for recovery are with all of you!
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 9:58amthis one was a horrific tragedy. whew. yeah up against a vehicle. whew.
don’t forget too, you cannot go by the way a biker looks, some of the “scariest” men we have ever seen turned out to be defense attorneys and doctors out for a Sunday ride! [and we have 2 brothers-in-law who are sheriff deputies who ride in their county's MC... you would never know they are cops by looking at them ]
Report Post »Star Spangled
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 9:25amMore citizens die at the hand of a illegal , WHEN will Obama stop this ? Never .
wash1776
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 9:05amDriving while under the influence of anything—drugs or alcohol should be punished far worse than it is. It is extremely tiring to hear people have lost or have injured loved ones because of this. How many times does this sort of thing have to happen before judges in this country really crack down on this? Although this has never happened in my family, I can well relate to the innocent people who go trhough this. I am a retired Registered Nurse. The pain, grief, and financial burden this causes on the victims of druggies and drinkers is so heartbreaking, it is difficult to comfort the families. They feel this is so senseless and they are right. DRUG CARTELS ALL OVER SHOULD BE WIPED OUT AND IF YOU WANT TO DRINK—–DON’T GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A VEHICLE. IT CAN BECOME A DEADLY WEAPON!!!!
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 8:10amPrayers go out to their families and friends. In a split second, lives changed forever, God bless.
Report Post »BubbaGrump
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 8:07amPart of the reason I don’t do group rides anymore……It isn’t worth the added risk .
Report Post »Workforit
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 12:18pmI’m with you BubbaGrump… It is a damn shame about these folks, a needless tragedy.
Report Post »GBMBulletsSKNRD
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 7:52amThat’s messed up. R.I.P.
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 7:51amWhat kind of blood tests take two weeks? That’s just nuts!
Report Post »mimitweetin
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 7:45amAs a biker myself this is a horrible tragedy. Please always use caution when motorcycles are near you on the road! Also keep a good distance between you and the bike in front of you, in the event you are rear ended, so you are not pushed into them. REMEMBER YOU ARE IN A CAR AND THEY ARE NOT! God bless the families and friends of these riders.
Report Post »RugDog
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 7:33amA “Gold Honda Civic”. Did Honda release a gold car? If they didn’t, and if I stereotype just a little……
Sad story. But, everyone that throws a leg over a bike KNOWS that the odds of something happening are real, and high.
Report Post »HouseNegro
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 7:28amDamn Shame……..
But the ride to glory will go on forever R.I.P.
Report Post »HouseNegro
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 7:37amWTF how many more people have to die at the hands of some drunk *******? Bad enough to die like that, but then to know they died so some politican can get a vote. Why else are they here?
ADAATHOADW
Shurmus
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 8:02amDepending on exactly which club was victimized…this situation may take care of itself. I wouldn’t want to be this dude, in or out of the pokie. I watch lots of documentaries, and these folks tend to take care of their own.
http://www.slugbuddies.com
Report Post »Diamondback
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 9:02am99% of motor cyclists these days are merely enthusiasts and not gangs. That’s why they call the motorcycle gangs 1%ers! Let’s move into the 21st century if we can please. Thanks.
Report Post »Flagwaver
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 9:10amI am sorry to say this, but Shurmus, my uncle is in a bike club and would probably have some very not-nice words to say to you about that comment. You see, they were riding through Utah at one point about five years ago and were hassled by some cops who dared them to show up at court and defend themselves against the tickets he was writing them… about $5,000 worth. Well, when they showed up, they were all in their uniform. The lowest rank was Gunnery Sergeant, the highest was full-bird Colonel. Not all bike clubs are gangs.
As for what happened, I may not agree with HouseNegro’s choice of words, but I agree with his sentiments… just not in this case. As he was able to cross the border, I am assuming he had filed all of the proper paperwork, otherwise he and his passenger would not have been allowed across the border. His alcohol consumption, on the other hand is what is troubling to me. This gold Civic, on the other hand… Well, do not jump to blame those who are blameless based on their race, that is wrong.
Report Post »Dwolf71
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 9:33amMost packs of motorcyclists you see these days are ‘Riding Clubs’, not MCs. Most likely these were just regular people out enjoying a ride in the nice weather.
Report Post »untameable-kate
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 9:56amI don’t know if anyone should jump to the conclusion that the driver of the white car was DUI, they smelled alcohol on his breath five hours after the crash. There is no mention that anyone noticed anything amiss at the scene of the accident and if I were responsible for the deaths of five people I would probably be inclined to have a few drinks after it was over. The ‘gold car’ driver was probably drunk or high or something, hope he gets caught, the guy wrecked alot of lives.
Report Post »I Love Section 8 Housing
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 12:46pmI think it’s just great that dumb racists like house ***** get an anonymous voice on the internet to show their true stupidity. I bet he likes the tea party.
Report Post »untameable-kate
Posted on November 15, 2010 at 1:01pmSection 8 the tea party is not racist, you guys are so boring with the racist, racist, racist. Learn a new song. By the way, section 8 housing is for leaches and scumbags who won’t get off thier lazy butts and depend on the government handouts that have been confiscated from hard working citizens. Crawl back into your hole, troll.
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