Motorcycle Speed Champion’s Death A Sobering Reminder To Area Bikers
On Sunday, July 14th, 44-year-old motorcyclist Bill Warner, world land speed record holder, passed away after attempting to break his 2011 record of 311.945 miles per hour. Warner, who was at a Loring Timing Association event at the decommissioned Loring Air Force Base in northern Maine, had previously set his record over one and a half miles on Loring’s inactive runway. That weekend, he was aiming to reach 300 miles per hour at or before the mile marker.
About 4000 feet into his run, his motorcycle veered sharply to the right after reaching 285 miles per hour. Warner and his bike separated, sliding several hundred feet. While conscious at the crash site, he was later pronounced dead at a Caribou hospital about one hour after his crash.
Stop Yourself From Being A Victim Of A Motorcycle Accident
While most motorcyclists will never know the extreme speeds experienced by Bill Warner, his untimely death can serve as a lesson to motorcyclists across the district area. Nearly every motorcyclist is guilty of showboating once in a while, pushing the bounds of their comfort level and enjoying the possibilities that their bike has to offer.
Bill Warner was riding in an environment that is almost unknown to most recreational motorcyclists — a completely closed course on a surface built for extremely high speeds. For most of us, we are on roads that we share with other vehicles and various obstacles like storm grates, debris, and various bumps and cracks. No matter how meticulously the road is cared for, if it is traveled by the public, it is built primarily for functionality and not for testing limits.
It may seem like straightforward advice, but the amount of people that are injured or killed in Washington, D.C.-area motorcycle crashes because of reckless driving will always be too high. Now that summer has arrived, the desire to escape the city and have some fun is higher than ever — remember, however, that fun at the expense of safety can have a very high cost.
When You Need Help, Lewis & Tompkins Is There
Driving safely is not always the only factor in staying safe on your motorcycle. Proper road maintenance and safe driving from the individuals around you also contribute to your well-being on the road. If you have been injured while motorcycling responsibly because of another party’s negligence, you have a solid personal injury case. Call the Maryland motorcycle accident attorneys at Lewis & Tompkins today at 202-296-0666 for a free consultation.