Lost a co-worker this past weekend...

FZ1inTX

FZ1inTX

Adminstrator
Visit site
This lady rode a big Victory cruiser. She was very experienced and has put many thousands of miles on bikes. How this one day got out of control, we may never know... I was just talking to her last week. She'd boasted about the prior weekend with the northern NH run doing 5 of the 7 notches and 1100 miles in two days with her friends. She also had just picked up a complete set of Gerbing heated clothes so she could ride most of the year because she loved two wheels just that much. We were told she'd passed less than one hour after I had gotten the call from Norm about his son. Monday was just a heartbreaking day.


Police identify victim in fatal cycle crash
By ERIC FRANCIS
HERALD CORRESPONDENT - Published: October 6, 2010

PLYMOUTH — Police have released the name of the New Hampshire woman who was killed Sunday on the Kingdom Road stretch of the Tyson-Reading Road when she lost control of her motorcycle and slid underneath an oncoming car.

Authorities said Lucy Myers, 56, of Barrington, N.H., was in cardiac arrest once rescuers from Plymouth and Ludlow lifted the Pontiac G6 off her and, despite a resuscitation effort that continued in a Ludlow ambulance all the way to the hospital in Springfield, she was pronounced dead on arrival at that facility’s emergency room.

Myers was riding west from Reading with a couple of male friends who were on their own bikes heading through a series of S-curves and had reached within a mile of the Route 100 intersection with the landmark Echo Lake Inn when the collision occurred, state police Sgt. Barbara Zonay explained on Tuesday.

“We don’t think she was going very fast, but she hit an oncoming car and got killed. It was very sad,” Zonay said.

Police said the first motorcycle had already made it past the car when Myers suddenly crossed the centerline of the road into the path of a Pontiac G6 driven by Elizabeth Ferencak, 53, of Wilmington, N.C., which immediately collided with the bike just before 3:30 p.m.

The car ended up on top of Myers and her motorcycle, prompting members of the Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department and Plymouth First Response to call for help from the Ludlow Fire Department, which sent their heavy rescue truck, which is equipped with lifting airbags that were inflated underneath the wreckage to allow access to the trapped woman.

“They did a super job,” Plymouth Assistant Fire Chief Larry Lynds said of the rescuers Sunday afternoon. “They were fast about it. They acted like they knew 100 percent what they were after and everything went well for that type of accident.”

The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Air Response Team medical helicopter had been called in from New Hampshire and landed at nearby Coby Pond but, because patients in cardiac arrest are not flown, the DHART medics jumped into the ambulance and assisted with the effort during the emergency transport to the hospital, police said.

Zonay said neither speed, nor alcohol, nor drugs appeared to be involved in the fatal collision although she noted, “The investigation isn’t complete yet but it appears this is just a real tragic accident. We are still talking to people. We still have a good deal of followup to do just to make sure it is just a straightforward accident.”

Ferencak, the driver of the car, and her husband, William, 55, were also transported by a Ludlow Ambulance to Springfield Hospital for precautionary observation and were released later Sunday afternoon.
Click to expand...
 
FZ1inNH said:
This lady rode a big Victory cruiser. She was very experienced and has put many thousands of miles on bikes. How this one day got out of control, we may never know... I was just talking to her last week. She'd boasted about the prior weekend with the northern NH run doing 5 of the 7 notches and 1100 miles in two days with her friends. She also had just picked up a complete set of Gerbing heated clothes so she could ride most of the year because she loved two wheels just that much. We were told she'd passed less than one hour after I had gotten the call from Norm about his son. Monday was just a heartbreaking day.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to hear about your friend and co-worker Norm. It's been a really bad two weeks in terms of untimely deaths. When I got to work yesterday we found out that the son of one of our biggest accounts had passed away Monday of an apparent heart attack. He was only in his mid 30's and was just in last week to pick up materials. It's been a depressing week and a half to say the least.
 
FZ1riderNY said:
I'm sorry to hear about your friend and co-worker Norm. It's been a really bad two weeks in terms of untimely deaths. When I got to work yesterday we found out that the son of one of our biggest accounts had passed away Monday of an apparent heart attack. He was only in his mid 30's and was just in last week to pick up materials. It's been a depressing week and a half to say the least.
Click to expand...

Thank Billy. It certainly has been a terrible two weeks. Almost two weeks ago, I lost a 1st cousin to cancer. Shortly afterward, two of me classmates dies, one of unknown causes and the other, the only other 1983 graduating Eric in the class, was hit by a car and died after several days in the hospital. Today, another co-worker just left for the west coast to visit is dying grandfather.

I understand the circle of life but why does it all have to come at once?
 
Very sad to hear about your co-worker Eric. I still think what else could have happened with my recent "accident" and thank the lord that I walked away with no injuries. I have not really been in the mood to ride recently :(
 
NJFZ1 said:
Very sad to hear about your co-worker Eric. I still think what else could have happened with my recent "accident" and thank the lord that I walked away with no injuries. I have not really been in the mood to ride recently :(
Click to expand...

Hey! Snap out of it buddy! I already lost one riding partner recently, (Ray), since he is still lost somewhere in the Sierra Nevadas. I don't need to lose another one!
 
Eric, again sorry to hear such sad news... For all of us that ride this hits too close to home. In motocross we see injuries all the time, our worst fear is paralysis over death.. yet we still always seem to get back on the bike. Early this year, I lost a motocross buddy that died while riding his street bike... right around the time I got my FZ1. I wear his number on my helmets as a reminder of a good friend that passed doing something he loved, and a reminder to be safe… For many of us riding motorcycles define who we are; it’s what we do. It's one of the reasons why we wave to each other on the road (see brotherhood thread started by Norm)… stop to help a total stranger on the side of the road, or even make friends with people around the globe on a message board because we share a passion for what we do.

I am very saddened to hear this news as well but am comforted by the fact Lucy most definitely passed doing something she loved. Many people may have a long life but never really live. Lucy will not be one of them…
 
Sorry to hear Eric. I was on a ride where someone crashed and passed away just about a month ago, and even though I hardly knew the guy it has been tough to deal with. I considered cutting back on riding (and my girlfriend who was on the ride as well has taken a break from riding).

We all know the extra risk we are taking by being motorcyclists, but it's hard when bad things happen to good people.

For me, there are two things that keep me riding -
1.The Camaraderie- the fact that a guy on the other side of the country will mail me some modded parts to try out just because he likes to help people is something that you only see in a community like ours (thanks for the flies by the way, they came in the mail yesterday)

2. The Fun- how many people can say that they enjoy their morning commute to work?!?

Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it, and be safe :)
 
So sorry to hear about this Eric. Really rough times right now. :cry:

All I can say is that I hope I go doing what I love as she did. Still makes it no easier for loved ones and friends left behind.
 
Last edited:
It's easy to forget that this sport is very dangerous. I wish it would scare me away but I'm just too stupid, however, I will be getting new parts which will be stronger than the old stuff without steel. :)
 
Why are condolence notes the hardest things to write? I have been sitting here for 10 mins trying to think of something.
Maybe because there's been so much of it lately, my best friend's son, then Norm's son, now your friend.

My thoughts and prayers are with her family.
 
So sad to hear all this. We love what we do, for many of us it's a part of who we are. She passed away doing something she loved, but still tragic. Be safe my motorcycling friends!!!
 
The Hardest part of life

The thing that sets us as humans apart is our capacity to care for others, be them family, friends, or total strangers. It is a blessing and a curse as it also sets us up to feel the pain of loss so profoundly. A tragedy such as this and Norm's son reminds us how fragile and fleeting life is and how we need to enjoy each moment of our time with the people that we care about. I did not know your friend, Eric but was saddened to hear of the loss none the less, and you have my condolences. We all someday die, but take comfort knowing your friend truly lived her life as she wanted, and was able to embrace her passion. Hopefully we here will have the same said of ourselves in the end. I think the Irish have the right idea in celebrating someones life rather than mourning their passing.
 
She died doing something she loved, few get to do that.

Condolences to all those left behind by them that have passed.

But it's a reminder that we are here for a good time, not a long time.
 
I rode in the rest of the week, rain cold or shine, just to think about her, knowing she did pass on doing the one thing she loved more than anything else.

I had heard through the grapevine that the corner they took had wet autumn leaves and pine needles in it. Her friend made it through then she crashed and another friend was behind her and saw it all unfold. I cannot imagine the horror that he is re-living daily.

Where we work, they stepped up and took care of her pets until family could either take them of allow adoption. Adoption did happen and two co-workers stepped up and took them in. The business is also going to host a memorial for her at our conference center which is a beautiful old house out on a point in the bay. I believe that I work for the best company I could hope for. They ALWAYS step up when an employee is in need.

Thank you all for the awesome support. You all make this the number one forum in the world. :tup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top