Car plows into a group of motorcycles
 

4 Dead, 1 Jailed After Fatal Canton Crash

July 4, 2011 3:40 PM

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canton, Houston, motorcycle, Negligent homicide, prison

CANTON (AP) – A Houston man has been jailed on four counts of criminally negligent homicide after his car swerved into oncoming traffic, killing four people on motorcycles.
Thirty-one-year-old Jose Luis Pena of Rosharon is being held on $2 million bail in the Van Zandt County jail. A jail spokeswoman told The Associated Press that records do not indicate whether he has an attorney.
The collision occurred near Canton, about 60 miles east of Dallas, on Sunday afternoon.
The dead were identified as 51-year-old Bruce Melvin Bricker and his wife, 40-year-old Shannon Rhenee Bricker, 40, both of Highland Village, who were riding one motorcycle. Fifty-three-year-old Steve Austin Claterbaugh of Rowlett and his 52-year-old girlfriend Kathleen Dolores Smith of Wylie, who were on another motorcycle, also died.

ALL VERY SAD INDEED!
Sorry for all of those involved including the driver of the car, regardless of fault, this should never happen, bikes, cars trucks whatever|!

So sad.

sorryto hear of this tragedy. be aware of your surroundings and keep your fingers crossed too.....

Man, that blows. Would be interested in the findings/outcome of this one.

anybody know why he swerved into oncoming traffic? cell phone? road rage? just didn't like bikes?

prayers sent to all the families and friends involved

Driver jailed in deadly crash in Canton

4 killed, including Denton pharmacist

06:59 AM CDT on Tuesday, July 5, 2011
By Jason Trahan / The Dallas Morning News
A Houston-area man is in a Canton jail, accused of four counts of criminally negligent homicide after he swerved his sports car into oncoming traffic, killing four people on two motorcycles Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Jose Luis Pena, 31, of Rosharon was being held in lieu of $2 million bail in the Van Zandt County Jail, authorities there said.

Killed on one motorcycle were Bruce Melvin Bricker, 51, and his wife, Shannon Rhenee Bricker, 40, both of Highland Village. Bruce Bricker was a pharmacist at Walmart on Loop 288 in Denton.

Killed on the other bike were Steve Austin Claterbaugh, 53, of Rowlett, and his girlfriend, Kathleen Dolores Smith, 52, of Wylie.

Pena’s girlfriend, Rosalind Ann Vela, 31, of Rosharon, was in serious condition at a hospital in Tyler with facial fractures. She was sitting in the back seat of his Mustang without a seat belt, along with her 3-year-old son.

The boy had been in a car seat, but his mother had taken him out and the pair had fallen asleep in the back seat, said Trooper Landon Corbett with the Department of Public Safety office in Canton. The boy was taken to Children’s Medical Center Dallas with a skull fracture but is expected to survive, authorities said.

About 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the motorcyclists were leaving the First Monday Trade Days flea market, heading north on State Highway 19 about a mile from Canton, when Pena’s southbound car veered into their lane and slammed into them head-on, authorities said. The car burst into flames.

“It hadn’t been swerving — it just veered into the oncoming lanes,” Corbett said. There are no indications of alcohol or drug use, he said.

The trooper said he did not know yet if the car had a mechanical problem.

Denton resident Jim Hatch said Bruce Bricker had been his pharmacist for at least 10 years, and he was always helpful.

“Every time I had a question, he found the time to get in and find the answers for me,” Hatch said.

Horrific tragedy... I pray for all the families involved...

Sad in deed. There was also a similar tragedy in which members of the Last Chance Motorcycle Club perished.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/slat..._in_fatal.html

I had things to do and left my bike parked for the weekend as it isn't the best weekend for riding due to all the parties and such.

I don't ride on July 4th weekend. Too many stories like this. Prayers to the families involved.