Death of a state trooper and fellow motorcyclist

A little while back, at an event for riders of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, I met Ralph William Carroll Jr., (right) a 59-year-old Master State Trooper from Stanleytown who enjoyed riding Harleys.

Caroll, of Stanleytown, died Friday when his northbound bike collided with a southbound car making a left turn on U.S. 220 in Henry County.

Carrolll was just two years younger than me and, when we met, we talked at length about older riders, reaction times and the dangers of riding bikes on roads where cars change lanes and make turns without looking.

"We can have all the training in the world but when a car pulls out or turns in front of you the force of physics takes over," he said.

According to WSLS, Channel 10:

State Police Sgt. Bob Carpentieri says around 1:00 p.m., a car driven by 20-year-old Christopher Cunningham was in the center turn lane on Route 220 in Bassett Forks. Cunningham then turned left, in front of Trooper Carroll, who was riding his 1986 Harley Davidson motorcycle southbound on Rt. 220.

Carroll hit the passenger side of the car, and was thrown from his motorcycle.

EMTs airlifted Trooper Carroll to Roanoke Memorial Hospital, but he later died.

At least once a week, I have to take evasive action on my motorcycle because some inattentive driver pulls out in front of me, changes lanes without signalling or turns in front of me. All to often the drivers of these cars are talking on cell phones, talking to a passenger or doing something else that distracts them from concentrating on the road.

A lot of State Troopers ride bikes. Master trooper Keith Gregory, assigned to Floyd County, rides a Yamaha and we talk often about bikes and traffic safety.

Carpentieri says charges are pending against the 20-year-old driver of the car.

I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to know Carroll. Bikers are a close-knit group. It’s always tough when we lose one.

(Photo courtesy of Virginia State Police)

2 Comments

Doug Thompson on June 30, 2009 at 9:33 am

…it sounds like you’re blaming Trooper Carroll’s death on his choice of motorcycle. From what I have been told about the accident that claimed his life, the driver turned in front of him at the last possible minute with virtually no time to react and there probably is not a bike in the world that would have provided the maneuverability or braking power to avoiding hitting the car.

As someone who has taken both the MSF Basic Rider Training and Advanced Rider Training Courses as well as additional courses to teach me how to handle motorcycles at both low and high speeds — and who averages 1,500 miles a month on a bike — I feel that I can say that a skilled rider can maneuver out of trouble with a 900-pound bagger or a 300-pound sport bike.

But some collisions cannot be avoided. I dumped my bike to avoid hitting a deer but struck one on a 1200 Sportster Low when she jumped out from behind a bush at the bottom of Bent Mountain and I didn’t have time to react. Fortunately, I struck the doe on the right hip and she went down instead of me. I didn’t have time to swerve, brake or even say "oh, crap!"

According to the Police Policies Study Council, California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers average 40 accidents a year, most of them caused by four-wheel vehicles that pull in front of them or strike the officer’s bike after running a stop light, stop sign or such.

The CHP uses BMW 1200 R-T police motorcycles, considered one of the most maneuverable and best handling road bikes in the world. The officers are highly trained but — again — no amount of training or even use of a modern, maneuverable motorcycle can always make up for bad drivers in cars.

PPSC Reports:

Doug Wolfe, an instructor at Michigan State University’s police motorcycle training program, said the leading cause of accidents is a vehicle pulling in front of the motorcycle officer.

Doug Thompson on June 30, 2009 at 9:33 am

…it sounds like you’re blaming Trooper Carroll’s death on his choice of motorcycle. From what I have been told about the accident that claimed his life, the driver turned in front of him at the last possible minute with virtually no time to react and there probably is not a bike in the world that would have provided the maneuverability or braking power to avoiding hitting the car.

As someone who has taken both the MSF Basic Rider Training and Advanced Rider Training Courses as well as additional courses to teach me how to handle motorcycles at both low and high speeds — and who averages 1,500 miles a month on a bike — I feel that I can say that a skilled rider can maneuver out of trouble with a 900-pound bagger or a 300-pound sport bike.

But some collisions cannot be avoided. I dumped my bike to avoid hitting a deer but struck one on a 1200 Sportster Low when she jumped out from behind a bush at the bottom of Bent Mountain and I didn’t have time to react. Fortunately, I struck the doe on the right hip and she went down instead of me. I didn’t have time to swerve, brake or even say "oh, crap!"

According to the Police Policies Study Council, California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers average 40 accidents a year, most of them caused by four-wheel vehicles that pull in front of them or strike the officer’s bike after running a stop light, stop sign or such.

The CHP uses BMW 1200 R-T police motorcycles, considered one of the most maneuverable and best handling road bikes in the world. The officers are highly trained but — again — no amount of training or even use of a modern, maneuverable motorcycle can always make up for bad drivers in cars.

PPSC Reports:

Doug Wolfe, an instructor at Michigan State University’s police motorcycle training program, said the leading cause of accidents is a vehicle pulling in front of the motorcycle officer.