Local news reports the guy doing the passing had 3 DWI convictions since '99

 

Sad my condolences to both families

 

Least they were wearing "leather and chaps". WTF.

 

I would guess he mis-judged thier approaching speed maybe?
That's a bizarre one.
Very sad

 

damn that is sad

 

I heard a little something about a motorcycle accident on the radio this morning near one of my routes to work. I ride through the next intersection less than a mile east of the accident most mornings. This morning there was was an officer directing traffic...highway 6 was closed. When I got to work, I asked a coworker if she had seen anything on her way in, she had to be detoured around.

A couple hours later a few detail emerged. Another co-worker said that one of the others in the group was related to his wife. All I could think was that I hope I don't know either one of the unfortunate. Pictures emerged along with Mike's name and I thought that he looked familiar.

As it turns out, I didn't really know Mike, but I did ride with him on occasion with the local HOG club, and I've ridden that same road quite a few times when going to the local Harley dealership.

I gotta believe that the morning sun had to contribute the the lone east-bound biker not seeing Mike and his friends. Another contributor is likely all the morning commuters heading east into the cities and this road being a 50 mph 2-lane rural highway with lots of curves and hills resulting in many short passing zones. On a bike, it's pretty easy to get jumpy and anticipate that next pass...especially when you know when the next passing zone is.

This particular spot the road crests a gradual hill while finishing up a slight right curve ending up with a due east heading. When coming out of the curve, the road passes through a line of trees, right about the time when the passing zone starts, as well as the morning sun shining right through those trees.

For those that haven't read any of the Minneapolis news websites or seen the story, Mike was recently retired from the Long Lake, MN Fire Department where he was a veteran of 45 years...3/4ths of his life he survived fighting fires and rescuing others! Now that he had retired, he was looking forward to touring the country on his Harley Davidson. On this trip, he had made it only 10 minutes into his ride.

RIP Mike...you've helped so many...if only someone could've had the chance to return the favor this time. You are missed by many.

 

So sad and unnecessary. RIP Mike Brown and Gary Arens

 

Thanks for the UPLIFTING STORY, makes me want to get on my bike and go for a ride!!!

 

Very sad to see this story... Bad enough when cagers take us down... Prayers and Thoughts for the loved ones of the ones departed

 

http://www.startribune.com/local/50842502.html

A retired fire chief "didn't have a chance" when hit by oncoming biker.
By ABBY SIMONS and PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune
Last update: July 17, 2009 - 11:33 AM


The sun rising behind their backs, the five riders headed out on their Harleys along County Road 6 west of the Twin Cities Wednesday morning; it was the much-anticipated kickoff of their annual cross-country motorcycle trip.


Leading the way was Mike Brown, a 66-year-old retired fire chief from Long Lake, who considered the fire department he had served for 45 years and his bike buddies to be his family. This year's trip was to take them all the way to New Mexico and back.


They had gone only a few miles when, just south of Maple Plain, a lone motorcycle traveling the other direction suddenly pulled out to pass a pickup.


"That bike was coming toward us so fast," said Sue Reed, one of the riders. "We had just come out of a no-passing zone and as soon as it quit, he came out. I saw his headlight and the immediate impact. Mike didn't have a chance."
Ten minutes into the trip, shortly after 6:30 a.m., Brown and the oncoming cyclist, Gary Arens, 51, were dead.
Authorities say that Arens, of Watertown -- who according to relatives was probably hurrying to get to work in the Twin Cities -- was "aggressively" passing on the two-lane road used by many exurban commuters. Arens' driving record includes three citations for drunken driving since 1999.
Arens "wanted to pass the truck, moved into the oncoming lane," and collided with the lead bike, said Hennepin County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Lisa Kiava.


Seconds later, a car struck Brown on the eastbound shoulder, even though its driver took "extensive evasive action," said West Hennepin Police Chief Ray McCoy.


Brown's death leaves a hole in Long Lake, where in his 45 years with the fire department he served at various times as chief, assistant chief, captain and lieutenant. Brown, who was first widowed and later divorced and did not have children, poured his time into serving his community. He retired not long ago but traveled to Luverne just a week ago to help purchase a new fire tanker truck for the city. That trip was part of the last conversation he had with Long Lake Mayor Randy Gilbert.


"It's kind of surreal," Gilbert said. "Our conversation was about life in general and the thin line we walk as we get older. Mike had made the comment that he had everything going for him, and he was going to live his life. How many 66-year-old guys are gonna jump on a bike and drive to Arizona?"


Brown and his companions, members of a club called the Whoop *** Riders, were wearing helmets, but authorities said they weren't sure whether Arens had one on. McCoy said that Arens was seen "pulling out and passing several eastbound vehicles" in the moments leading up to the collision.


Arens' sister, Janice Storm of Milbank, S.D., last saw her brother in March at their mother's funeral. She said he would likely have been on his way to work at a cleaning company. A Minnesota native, Storm went online Wednesday morning and read news of a fatal motorcycle accident in Minnesota.


"I thought to myself, 'I don't know anyone who owns a motorcycle. It's not anyone I know.'" she said.


A short time later her nephew called with the news.


Arens' brother, Roger, said he believed his brother had been sober at least a few years.


"I don't know what time he was supposed to be at work or if he did get in a hurry or was impatient," Roger Arens said. "I can't attest to anyone's state of mind ... I know my brother had some demons, and he was working through it."


Arens was divorced and had a 25-year-old son. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and being outdoors, Storm said.


"He was a good guy, he was a human being, and it's sad that it happened," she said. "He was turning his life around."


Brown's motorcycle caught on fire in the collision. For about three hours, County Road 6 was closed for about a mile between County Road 83 and County Road 90.


Brown's lifelong friend Jim *** joined the fire department at about the same time, and the two retired together. Brown, who rode Harleys since high school, would replace the bike's tires if they were even partially worn down. *** said he can only shake his head at the fate of his friend, whose main focus, he said, was always safety.


"It was a vicious accident, especially with a guy that rides so careful, only to have this happen," *** said. "He always looked out for cars pulling in front of him but never realized a motorcycle would ever pull out behind a car in front of him. How many collisions are head-on between two motorcycles?"


Reed recalled her last conversation with Brown. The riders talked via radios, and Brown shared with them the news story he'd just heard about Olga Franco del Cid, convicted last year of causing a school bus accident that killed four Minnesota children. The news was that she, though imprisoned, recently married.


Reed recalled Brown saying, "Well, at least she won't be on the road for another 15 years."


A few moments later, the oncoming cycle flashed into view.