Police say several motorists from the group ABATE (American Bikers Aimed for Education) of Onondaga County had come together to make a point that they didn't need their helmets. The group was driving south on Route 11 in Lafayette at around 1:30 p.m., headed toward Lake Como, just south of the Finger Lakes.
Police say Contos suddenly hit the brakes and lost control of the motorcycle. According to troopers, Contos was thrown over his handlebars and hit the pavement as his 1993 Harley Davidson motorcycle skidded toward the guardrail. Contos was still alive when crews arrived at the scene and was transported to Upstate University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to police, Contos was not wearing his helmet, as required by law. Witnesses say this decision was part of the protest. Police say that based on evidence at the scene and from doctors, Contos would have survived if he had been wearing a DOT-Approved helmet.
10 comments:
Should I be saddened that a man is dead? Should I be glad that in a twisted way he got what he wanted? Should I be amused by the heavy irony of the whole thing?
Maybe all of the above?
Where does the T in ABATE come from?
I ride a bike and even in summer, it's All The Gear, All The Time. Of course the antithesis to that is SQUID - Stupid, Quick, Underdressed and Inevitably Dead. Like the kind of people you see riding a bike in a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops.
There was a great advert for bike leathers: "Tarmac, the world's fastest tattoo remover".
I never ride my bike (as in bicycle) without my helmet on, just like I never travel in a car without a seatbelt. I was very glad of my helmet the one time a car nearly ran over me in an intersection and the helmet prevented me from studying the hardness and frictional qualities of the asphalt with my face.
andiscandis, the group is just aimed for education, they aren't there yet.
Darwin just sat up in his grave and LAUGHED....
(I never rode without my helmet; I had too many friends hurt)
When my kids see someone riding a motorcycle without a helmet, they say, "Look! An organ donor!"
I'm with TimO. This guy is a shoo-in for a Darwin Award.
Coincidentally, we saw a helmet-less biker kill himself just last night while waiting for the fireworks to begin. Turns out that no helmet + alcohol + motorcycle + parked car is a real losing combo.
Actually, A.B.A.T.E. is an acronym for "A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments."
HERE is a link to A.B.A.T.E. of Oregon's history page.
:^)
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