Over the weekend I received the letter below. Casey shared with me that his wife Michelle is still in the hospital but should recover. I want to thank Casey for writing this letter and sharing with us all the importance of being prepared. Casey hopes as do I that his letter will help all of us recognize the need for our program and how we collectively need to support each other. We are all quite thankful that Michelle was given a second chance. Will you or someone you love be as fortunate? Please join the Rescue Riders and Ride for a Reason. You can learn more about our program at http://www.rescueriders.org/.

Dean,
I contacted you about a year ago on the Rescue Riders. As I was just coming into a sitting board seat for the local POW*MIA organization I decided that I didn't have enough time. God I wish I would've kept going.
My wife was in a terrible motorcycle accident while we were riding with a few of our friends the day before Mother's Day. She is still in the hospital after surgery on her spine and a closed head injury. Her passenger almost lost her foot. I felt so helpless sitting there protecting her spine while we waited for the ambulances to arrive. (40 minutes in the middle of Wyoming) I didn't have anything better than a Band-Aid and sun block to help.
I have just purchased your Trauma PAC and some other supplies. I will never again be without supplies or training to take care of someone in need. I have my CPR card and am signed up for EMT training. I've been involved in Radiology for over 20 years, but need to bone up on emergency medicine.
Thank you for starting this program. As someone that could've benefited from having the proper equipment and help onsite I think it is a wonderful idea. I ride with several healthcare workers and I'm going to try to get them all interested.

Casey Jackman RT(R)(MR) Casey & Michelle Jackman
Director of Radiology
Mountain View Hospital
2325 Coronado Street
Idaho Falls, ID 83404

God Speed Anita

In a split second it was over… How could this happen? Anita Zaffke was enjoying some quality two wheel time in Lake Zurich IL Saturday afternoon, May 2nd and noticed the light was turning red. Zaffke stopped and waited for the light to change so she could resume her ride. The light never did turn Green for Zaffke.
Zaffke was struck by Lora Hunt, 48 who admittedly was painting her nails at the time she hit Zaffke with her Chevy Impala. According to Lake County Sherriff Mark Curran, Hunt conceded that she was not paying attention and did not see the motorcycle stopped in front of her.
Zaffke was wearing a helmet and reflective vest when struck. The impact was so violent that it threw Zaffke and her Honda Shadow about 200 feet up the road. Think about it, 200 feet is the height of a 20 story building. Zaffke died about an hour later at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington IL. In just a split second Hunt took away everything that Zaffke was and could be. For Anita Zaffke, life was over.

The Lake County State’s Attorney is investigating the accident and will decide if criminal prosecution is warranted. Unfortunately, under existing statutes, proving felony vehicular homicide may be a difficult case to prosecute based upon the existing definition. State Rep. William Black (R-Danville) sponsored the "negligent vehicular homicide" bill which would carry a penalty of up to 3 years in prison. Black introduced the bill this year after a bicyclist in his district was killed by a motorist downloading ringtones to a cell phone. Under the proposed law, distracted drivers who cause deaths would face a prison sentence as well as a $25,000 fine and revocation of their driver's license for at least one year upon conviction.
This tragedy has renewed the debate in Illinois whether a momentary distraction amounts to criminal behavior, comparable to drunken driving.

Let’s face the facts. Motorcycle accidents and fatalities are a major concern. "Our nation’s greatest traffic highway safety challenge is motorcycle fatalities," says U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, noting that biking deaths are rising while other vehicle fatalities are declining”. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2007, 5,154 people died in motorcycle crashes, the highest level since NHTSA began collecting data in 1975. The 2007 figure represents a 6.6 percent from 4,837 the previous year. Motorcycle crash fatalities have increased every year for the past 10 years. Motorcyclists were 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash per vehicle mile traveled in 2006 and eight times more likely to be injured, according to NHTSA.
Zaffke’s accident is a fairly rare occurrence. According to the NHTSA, Only 5 percent of motorcycle fatalities were struck in the rear. 78 percent of the motorcycles fatalities involve two vehicles were struck the impact is in the front. So what can my 7.1 million biker brothers and sisters do to help address this epidemic? As bikers we need to be seen and heard. I hope you join me in supporting legislation like the negligent vehicular homicide bill that would allow us to effectively prosecute those who do us harm.

I would also ask you to join me in developing your skills to provide emergency medical assistance to the victims of accidents. What we do immediately after an accident until professional emergency response personnel arrive can and does save lives. I invite you to visit the Rescue Riders http://www.rescueriders.org/ and ask yourself if you are ready to “Ride for a Reason”.
If you are, I am happy to share with you that the Rescue Rider program once again has received grant support from the Allstate Foundation and the law firm of Hupy & Abraham. This support will help train another 500 Rescue Riders this year. Please visit the Illinois Blog Spot http://www.illinoisblogspot.com/ for details on how our new grants can help pay for your training.

Well, that’s it for this month. When I am not sharing my wisdom with you via my Thunder Roads editorials or running the Rescue Rider program, I run an insurance agency West of Chicago. For the past two years I have been working with the Allstate “pointy heads” to reinvent motorcycle insurance. I am happy to share with you that starting June 11th, Allstate will roll out our newly designed motorcycle insurance policies. As a lifelong biker myself, I wanted to create a policy that not only protects your possessions and liability but also you. Our new policy is the first ever to pay you should you have an accident which keeps you from working for as long as you are disabled. That’s right, protection for the rider… It’s a first so if you want the best policy in the industry there really is only one choice… Allstate.. I enjoy working with fellow bikers helping you protect what matters most. If I can help you with your insurance please drop me a note at deanakey@allstate.com or give me a call at 877-232-9899. I would love to hear from you. Until next month, enjoy the ride.