Motorcyclist dies after crashing into falling tree felled by Boy Scouts

[accadacca]

http://localtvkstu.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/fatal-moto-crash-garfield-county-via-utah-dps-2.jpg?w=1480

GARFIELD COUNTY, Utah – The Utah Highway Patrol responded to a fatal crash in Garfield County Saturday involving a single motorcycle that crashed into a tree felled by Boy Scouts in the area.

According to information from the Utah Department of Public Safety, the crash occurred on State Route 12 around 12:40 p.m. when the man driving the motorcycle crashed into a falling tree.

According to Utah DPS, “The tree had been felled by a group of Boy Scouts with a permit for cutting down trees for firewood. It appears to investigators that this was a case of unfortunate timing.”

Officials did not provide further details relating to the accident or the sequence of events leading up to the crash.

The victim was visiting from out of state, and officials said his name will not be released until his family has been notified.

The crash occurred in an area officials said was about halfway between Boulder, which is in Garfield County, and Torrey, which is in Wayne County.

FOX 13 News will have more information as it becomes available.

http://fox13now.com/2014/10/11/motorcyclist-dies-after-crashing-into-falling-tree-felled-by-boy-scouts/

[jman]

...I don't get it. Unless there are some facts missing - why on earth would you fell a tree on a highway? Didn't the BSA leaders realize that it was going to fall that way?

During my firefighting days down in St. George, I personally have fell a handful trees and had them line up almost exactly where I wanted it to go. Now, granted I was trained to do so and could do it.

The one thing that is probable in this case, is that their estimation of the height of the tree was significantly off. Therefore the tree "looked fine" until they realized it was too long. Canyoneers will judge heights often IE - "it's about a 80ft rappel", when after they do the rappel, it turns out to be 55 feet.

I don't think in good faith they intended to fell a tree right on the highway. Well, at least I hope so...

[accadacca]

[face palm/]


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[kiwi_outdoors]

I was an Assistant Scoutmaster in S.F. Bay Area, for years. I ride the earlier model of the same motorcycle. I have felled trees from the top down and bottom up. IMO the Utah Scouts are some of the dumbest and most careless beings on the planet. In this instance, a civil suit is in order, since the law is apparently (again) an Ass.

[Iceaxe]

IMO the Utah Scouts are some of the dumbest and most careless beings on the planet.

Speaking as a former scout I have to agree. Looking back on some of the things we did I'm amazed we didn't kill at least a couple people. But in defense of the scouts they are just dumb little kids for the most part. It's the lack of quality leadership that is the real problem.




Tap'n on my smart phone.

[ratagonia]

Motorcyclist killed by tree cut down by boy scouts who were away from groupPOSTED 5:32 PM, OCTOBER 12, 2014, BY MARK GREEN (http://fox13now.com/author/kstumarkgreen/) AND ROBERT BOYD (http://fox13now.com/author/robert-boyd/), UPDATED AT 12:44PM, OCTOBER 13, 2014


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GARFIELD COUNTY, Utah — A man from Colorado was killed while driving a motorcycle on State Route 12 in Utah Saturday when he collided with a falling tree that was felled by a group of Boy Scouts, and on Monday more details relating to the crash emerged.
Allen Endicott, Scout Executive with the Trapper Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America, issued a statement Sunday regarding the incident, which police have described as a case of “unfortunate timing.” (http://fox13now.com/2014/10/11/motorcyclist-dies-after-crashing-into-falling-tree-felled-by-boy-scouts/)
The statement provided by Endicott is reproduced in its entirety below:
“According to all available reports, yesterday’s events were a tragic accident. In Scouting we strive to make every effort to provide a safe environment for all that are involved, both Scouts, leaders, and the public.
As a council, our hearts go out to the family of the person who tragically lost his life in this terrible accident. We express our sincerest condolences to his family and friends. We are also mindful of the Scouts, leaders, and families of this troop at this time and the impact yesterday’s events had on them. As a Scouting community we invite everyone to remember all who were involved in their thoughts and prayers.”
The man was identified by officials Sunday as Edgar E. Rickie, 69, of Durango, Colorado.
Joe Dougherty of the Utah Department of Public Safety said the man had no time to react.
“It probably happened in a matter of milliseconds,” Dougherty said. “Literally this man had no option; there was nothing he could do to avoid this tree falling.”
A press release issued Saturday by the Utah Department of Public Safety states the man, “was traveling north on state Route 12 in Garfield County when he crashed into a falling aspen tree. The tree had been felled by a group of Boy Scouts with a permit for cutting down trees for firewood.”
The press release also said the boys had a permit to cut down trees, and that they were under adult supervision.
“At this point we don’t know everything about where they were cutting down the trees,” he told FOX 13 News. “We know that two boys had stepped away from the main group that was cutting trees, and they were the ones that happened to fell this tree.”
The man was wearing a helmet. A passerby called 911, and a doctor who was with the Boy Scout group pronounced the man dead at the scene, according to the press release.
Dougherty said if charges connected to the case are filed, that decision would rest with the county attorney.
“Any kind of charges that could come from this, that’s something that UHP is consulting with the Garfield District Attorney’s Office and the Garfield Attorney is the one to bring charges if that were to happen, but at this point we just don’t know,” he said. “It appears to be a really unfortunate accident.”
No charges have yet been filed.
The crash occurred in an area officials said was about halfway between Boulder, which is in Garfield County, and Torrey, which is in Wayne County.

[Rob L]

... In this instance, a civil suit is in order, .....

What is the definition of an accident? Or happenstance?

Is it, for example, the coincidence of some unsuspecting motorcyclist being in the wrong place when some kids happen to chop down a tree whilst they happen to be unsupervised by the best-meaning adults for a small moment?

No. Apparently your definition of an accident is: who can be sued? :roll:

In the imaginary trial of the Scout Leader, you may find evidence that the 69-year old motorcyclist was exactly at the speed limit. Had, for example, he'd been doing one mph under the limit, he would have had time to stop. One mph over, he would not have seen the tree drop behind him. He would have survived but been pulled over for speeding and been one unhappy bunny.

Or in other circumstances the tree could have fallen by natural causes. Who gets sued then?

Why is it necessary to place blame upon someone for everything?

[ratagonia]

What is the definition of an accident? Or happenstance?

Is it, for example, the coincidence of some unsuspecting motorcyclist being in the wrong place when some kids happen to chop down a tree whilst they happen to be unsupervised by the best-meaning adults for a small moment?

No. Apparently your definition of an accident is: who can be sued? :roll:

In the imaginary trial of the Scout Leader, you may find evidence that the 69-year old motorcyclist was exactly at the speed limit. Had, for example, he'd been doing one mph under the limit, he would have had time to stop. One mph over, he would not have seen the tree drop behind him. He would have survived but been pulled over for speeding and been one unhappy bunny.

Or in other circumstances the tree could have fallen by natural causes. Who gets sued then?

Why is it necessary to place blame upon someone for everything?

I don't see a civil suit, I see criminal liability. Not quite enough to get the scout leader Manslaughter. Possibly Reckless Endangerment.

Of course, in Utah, not gonna happen. Thus the dead guy's family might do a civil suit. And might win. Hopefully it was an officially sanctioned Scout activity, so there will be insurance to tap into.

Tom

[Scott P]

If Utah is anything like Colorado, when it comes to DOT rules (I used to work for CDOT and did for several years), people aren't allowed (it's actually illegal) to cut down trees in the highway right of way for this very reason. Unless this tree was several hundred feet high (unlikely in Utah), there's no way that they were outside of the right of way.

DOT's do cut down trees in the right of way, so they don't fall naturally or when they become a hitting hazard, but they use traffic control on such occasions.

[Sombeech]

It's not scouts who are dumb, it's adolescent boys who get into a group in the outdoors, any time, anywhere, under any organization name.

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[Tystevens]

It's not scouts who are dumb, it's adolescent boys who get into a group in the outdoors, any time, anywhere, under any organization name.

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Scout in 2 different states (neither were Utah), now scout leader in Utah. Can confirm.

The story doesn't make much sense, though. How and why one would fall a tree on the highway???