An accident and incident waiting to happen.
Back in June, Lowell Police disclosed that over the previous several months, officers had experienced an increase in dirt bikes and motorcycles driven dangerously throughout the city — on sidewalks, stopping traffic, unsafely passing cars and “popping wheelies.”
A few weeks later, in an effort to get a handle on this problem, several departments –- including Lowell, Lawrence, Andover, Chelmsford, Dracut, Methuen, Tewksbury and Tyngsboro — announced the formation of the Merrimack Valley Reckless Bikers Task Force.
“These reckless actions create a dangerous situation not only for the motoring public but also the operators themselves,” they said in press release. “This partnership between our agencies highlights the seriousness of this issue and affirms our commitment to the safety of our residents.”
But even with the coordinated efforts of several area police departments, intercepting these scofflaws in the act can be a frustrating experience.
Their random appearances don’t fit a predictable pattern, and police pursuit policies often preclude their apprehension.
However, that press-release reference to bikers’ bad behavior creating dangerous situations for themselves and others proved to be prophetic.
About a week after the creation of that reckless biker contingent, that accident waiting to happen occurred in Lowell.
That’s when the operator of a dirt bike and his passenger collided with an SUV near the intersection of Gorham and Chambers streets.
The man and woman were both transported to Boston-area hospitals by medical helicopter in the aftermath of that late afternoon crash.
The driver of the SUV went to a local hospital for treatment; the SUV’s two passengers escaped injury.
The incident that followed this accident unfortunately appears to be the predictable result of these escalating biker tensions.
A week ago, police charged the driver of an SUV with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon during a confrontation between a biker pack and that motorist.
Lowell Police said Thomas Laflamme, 59, of Hudson, N.H., used his SUV to intentionally ram a dirt biker, who told police he was dragged under the SUV after the impact.
He sought hospital treatment for severe skin abrasions and road rash on his arms and legs.
At about 7:35 p.m. on Aug. 2, police broadcasted a report of about 20 apparently unregistered dirt bikers traveling outbound on Pawtucket Boulevard.
Subsequently, police were dispatched to the Bowlero parking lot off Pawtucket Boulevard for reports of a dirt biker struck by an SUV.
Physical evidence at the scene, including a totaled dirt bike and a detached bumper with a Subaru logo and New Hampshire license plate, seemed to substantiate that a violent incident had occurred.
Onlookers described a chaotic scene on the heavily traveled thoroughfare.
A 25-year-old Haverhill man — the lone rider who remained at the scene to assist the injured biker — told police that his group was attempting a U-turn from the outbound side of Pawtucket Boulevard to the inbound side of the roadway when they “were almost struck by a red Subaru.”
He told police that “words were exchanged,” according to court documents, at which point he claimed the SUV driver started chasing the alleged victim’s dirt bike.
Authorities probably still have many details to double check and work out — including reports of bikers blocking an intersection — but this apparent road-rage scenario shows how volatile situations like these can quickly spiral out of control.
This dust-up might be the latest, but it’s no means likely to be the last — or most serious.
Considering what could have happened, this dirt biker apparently escaped with minor injuries.
The next one might not be so lucky.
Thumbing your nose at the rules of the road — while endangering and angering others — might provide an amazing adrenaline rush, but the potential downside can’t be ignored.
Law enforcement alone can’t save these rogue riders from themselves.
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August 09, 2022 at 12:18PM
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Editorial: Rogue riders need to throttle down risky behavior on the road - Lowell Sun
"behavior" - Google News
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