Mark Etheridge hit by left turning driver

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Ed Milich posted this on facebook:

Mark Etheridge was hit by a left turning driver in Long Beach yesterday while on a test ride. He has a broken hip and leg but is in stable condition.

 

[Markcarovilli]

Not good - hope all else is OK...

Mark

[twodogs]

Damn people, hope the best for him.

[Nick]

Damn! Hoping for a full recovery

[Shorty]

Get better old man.

[Tom]

Geeez..... First Moe.  Now Mark.  Best wishes and hope the healing goes well.  Anyone know how Moe's doing?

[azguzzirep]

Shit. Mark is a good friend. I'll call him tomorrow.

But, like we all say, " it's not IF you'll have an accident , it's WHEN".

Thanks for posting the news.

[twowings]

 Sorry to hear...speedy and complete recovery, sir!

[John A]

best wishes for a speedy heal, Mark.

[Arizona Wayne]

Sad to hear.    His business is a 1 man operation.  Hope the car driver has good insurance and there were witnesses to back up what happened. 

[Chuck in Indiana]

Crap. Mark has problems enough without this..

[guzzista]

Sorry to hear about Mark. Hope his recovery is  as quick and as painless as possible.

[Cam3512]

Just tried his cell, no answer.  Will try again in a day or two.

He's truly one of the good guys.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

More: Mark is at long beach memorial...if anyone wants to visit


No room number or other info.

[Cam3512]

Just spoke to Mark in the hospital.  He said it was okay to pass on some details of his condition...

While test riding a customer's bike, a young kid apparently looking down at his phone banged a last second turn right in front of Mark.   He was covering the brake when he saw the kid looking down, but had no turn signal on.   Mark hit the car,  flew over the hood and landed on the ground.  Busted hip, busted femur in 2 places,  and one of his lower leg bones.  Had surgery yesterday.  All he's worried about is his customer's bike that was impounded!   He's got a long road to recovery ahead of him.    I will check back in in a day or two. Anybody local to him, it would be great if you could go pay him a visit in the hospital.

Cam

[John Ulrich]

Mark's Ebay account address would be........???

[leafman60]

I've bought things from Mark in the past and I spent time with him at a Guzzi rally. Good guy. 

Sorry about the accident.  Best wishes for a complete recovery in short order.

David L

[Chuck in Indiana]

Mark's Ebay account address would be........???

He could truly use some help. I'll bet he doesn't have insurance to cover this, and probably the kid doesn't either.

[dxhall]

Is anyone doing one of those funding things like the one for Wayne Orwig?

[Lannis]

He could truly use some help. I'll bet he doesn't have insurance to cover this, and probably the kid doesn't either.

I was just thinking that ... Maybe the kid's dad could pay the kid's monthly $200 smartphone bill to Mark for the next 20 years?

Since that contingency is remote, if someone can just provide a pot location, we can land stuff in it.

Lannis

[arveno]

Mark's Ebay account address would be........???

guzzi-renew

this is his user name... is this what you are looking for ?

[arveno]

This whole driving texting thing has to stop.

Car manufacturing should be forced to make cell phone devices unable to work as soon as the car engine is on.
Only emergency calls should go through .

Do you have to txt ?
Stop the car and your phone will be able to do so.

Business men must call/receive phone calls ? Only voice speaker should be active, no txt allowed unless car if shut off.

ppl life is more important that txt messaging/facebooking and all that BS.




 

[Tom]

I would be curious to the follow-up.  Kid is fined and ticketed for criminal negligence etc.  Civil suit for costs to make Mark whole again.  May have to be a court decision with a collection agency involved.  In the mean time Mark is self-employed.  After medical expenses that are accumulating and no income coming in,  Mark could apply for Cal. State medical assistance base on no income.  Worth a shot.  The same would be for Hawaii. 

https://www.benefits.gov/benefits/benefit-details/1620

[Lannis]

This whole driving texting thing has to stop.

Car manufacturing should be forced to make cell phone devices unable to work as soon as the car engine is on.
Only emergency calls should go through .

Do you have to txt ?
Stop the car and your phone will be able to do so.

Business men must call/receive phone calls ? Only voice speaker should be active, no txt allowed unless car if shut off.

ppl life is more important that txt messaging/facebooking and all that BS.

Although it would be great to make it happen, it won't happen for two reasons:

1) The value of the time of the people who text and drive is SO ####### IMPORTANT to a degree that you can't possibly understand, that they cannot be expected to not text and drive.   Just ask them.   

2) Lawmakers and their wives and families are as addicted to texting and smartphoning as everyone else is, and would never support such a law.

There's no telling what the butcher's bill will have to be before people will wake up.   It took 50 years and probably a quarter of a million lives before "drunk driving" stopped being acceptable (and the basis for a good living by comics like Dean Martin and Foster Brooks) and a jail issue.   Texting probably kills more on an ongoing basis, but is still perfectly socially acceptable ....

Lannis

[Tom]

$297.00 ticket out here.  The PD here will do checkpoints just for seat belts and phone use.

[Cam3512]

I asked him anout police and EMS response.  He said both were there at the same time.  As they were hauling him away, he had the presence of mind to tell the cop to check the kid's cell phone.

It will be a miracle if he ever works again.  Mark is such an integral part of the Guzzi community.  His knowledge and advice always took priority over making a buck.   

[bad Chad]

"It will be a miracle if he ever works again."   I don't understand.  His injuries sound substantial, but broken bones heal, even for us past 50.  Is he more injured in a way I missed?

I hope the best for him, I have never met him, but I know he is held in very high regard by many good people.

[Cam3512]

"It will be a miracle if he ever works again."   I don't understand.  His injuries sound substantial, but broken bones heal, even for us past 50.  Is he more injured in a way I missed?

I hope the best for him, I have never met him, but I know he is held in very high regard by many good people.

 He works for himself. Six months when you have your own business is a lifetime  of lost work and wages.

[Chuck in Indiana]

He works for himself. Six months when you have your own business is a lifetime  of lost work and wages.

He's been hand to mouth for some time. There are fewer and fewer loops and old Tontis to work on. I've tried to talk him into doing computers and FI, but he's not interested. <shrug> Maybe a bad business decision, but it is what it is. He has beaten Hep C. The crash and totaling of his record holding drag car really hurt. He can't afford to rebuild it.
I've personally seen him turn down business by not selling "defective" Guzzis to unknowing people. One had the trifecta.. triple tree, single plate clutch, and hydro. Really looked nice. He parted it out. Saw him not sell a small bike to a girl that didn't know how to ride. (!) He taught her first, on his own time.
Mark is salt of the earth, and I'm proud to call him a Guzzi brother..

[jas67]

All reasons why self driving cars will be forced upon us.   We can't make people be responsible when the drive, so, we take away their rite to drive their own cars.

Where does this leave motorcycles?    They're such a small percentage of vehicles on the road, they'll just outlaw them for the greater public good.   

Although it would be great to make it happen, it won't happen for two reasons:

1) The value of the time of the people who text and drive is SO ####### IMPORTANT to a degree that you can't possibly understand, that they cannot be expected to not text and drive.   Just ask them.   

2) Lawmakers and their wives and families are as addicted to texting and smartphoning as everyone else is, and would never support such a law.

There's no telling what the butcher's bill will have to be before people will wake up.   It took 50 years and probably a quarter of a million lives before "drunk driving" stopped being acceptable (and the basis for a good living by comics like Dean Martin and Foster Brooks) and a jail issue.   Texting probably kills more on an ongoing basis, but is still perfectly socially acceptable ....

Lannis