Ride for the Fallen 7 this weekend

Columbia, New Hampshire, USA (July 4, 2019) — Thousands of bikers are expected to ride this weekend in honor of the seven members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, whose lives were taken from them in a tragic crash last month, in an event that organizers say has grown from a “small ride” to a “movement.”

“We all come together, that’s something I expected, but I could have never imagined this magnitude,” organizer Brian DeSimone told the Herald. “The outcry of support has been unbelievable.”

Members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, salute the casket outside St. Peter’s Church during the funeral for Michael Ferazzi on June 28, 2019 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Photo: Matt Stone

A Facebook post about the event, dubbed the Ride for the Fallen 7, went viral as motorcyclists across New England wanted to pay their respects to the seven bikers who died in a collision with a West Springfield trucker on June 21. Another three were hospitalized. DeSimone estimates anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people will ride Saturday, traveling from as far as California.

Related | Driver charged in deadly motorcycle crash

“We might not know them, but we are touched by them,” Jim Desrosiers said. “All of us bikers are a family, so when one of us falls, we all fall.”

Desrosiers, of Oakham, is planning to ride out of his original hometown of Worcester on Saturday with 14 other bikers from Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York to meet at the event’s starting location in Laconia, N.H. He visited the site of the crash four days after it happened.

“I had chills,” Desrosiers said. “The first cross I saw, it brought me to my knees.”

Rides this size can take up to a year to plan, DeSimone said, but they pulled it together in just 10 days. DeSimone, of Derry, N.H., didn’t know the members of the Jarheads clan but felt compelled to get involved after his own near-death experience three years ago.

“I almost died in a motorcycle accident and the first thought in my mind was the victims’ family and friends, what they’re going through,” DeSimone said. “The support — the outcry and support I got — I wanted to give back.”

Jackie D’Alio, a member of the Massachusetts Patriot Guard riders, felt “tremendously sad,” but also “angry,” after hearing about the investigation into the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, which found that trucker Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, accused of crashing into the pack of motorcyclists, should have been under an automatic suspension after a May 11 OUI arrest in Connecticut. His was one of tens of thousands of alerts on out-of-state driving infractions that sat unprocessed in the RMV for more than a year.

“These vets fought for our freedom to even be able to ride. The least we can do is ride in their honor. In the biker family, they will never be alone,” D’Alio said.

The crash in Randolph, N.H., killed Jo-Ann and Edward Corr, both 58, of Lakeville; Michael Ferazzi, 62, of Contoocook, N.H.; Albert Mazza, 59, of Lee, N.H.; Desma Oakes, 42, of Concord, N.H.; Aaron Perry, 45, of Farmington, N.H.; and Daniel Pereira, 58, of Riverside, R.I.

SOURCE: Boston Herald

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Truck driver charged in deadly motorcycle crash

Columbia, New Hampshire, USA (June 24, 2019) — The driver of a truck in a collision that killed seven motorcyclists was charged Monday with seven counts of negligent homicide, authorities said.

Volodoymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, was arrested Monday morning at his home in West Springfield, Massachusetts, on a fugitive from justice charge related to Friday’s crash, the New Hampshire attorney general’s office said.

He was expected to make a court appearance on the charge Monday afternoon in Springfield.

A man who answered the phone at the home of Zhukovskyy’s family and would identify himself only as his brother-in-law said Monday that the family is in shock and feeling the same pain as everyone else but couldn’t say whether the driver was right or wrong.

Related | Bikers bid goodbye to 7 killed in crash

Zhukovskyy’s pickup truck towing a flatbed trailer collided with a group of 10 motorcycles Friday on a two-lane highway in the northern New Hampshire community of Randolph, investigators said.

The victims were members or supporters of the Marine JarHeads, a New England motorcycle club that includes Marines and their spouses, and ranged in age from 42 to 62.

The circumstances of the wreck have been mysterious.

The uncle of one of the victims said Sunday that he was trying to comprehend how so many bikers died in one accident.

“The truck was coming in the opposite direction. It’s hard to figure how he could hit 10 motorcycles without getting out of the way,” Joseph Mazza said. “Right now, the details are very vague. I’m very confused ... I need more information.”

Authorities identified the dead as Michael Ferazzi, 62, of Contoocook, New Hampshire; Albert Mazza Jr., 59, of Lee, New Hampshire; Desma Oakes, 42, of Concord, New Hampshire; Aaron Perry, 45, of Farmington, New Hampshire; Daniel Pereira, 58, of Riverside, Rhode Island; and Jo-Ann and Edward Corr, both 58, of Lakeville, Massachusetts.

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Bikers bid goodbye to 7 killed in crash

Columbia, New Hampshire, USA (June 23, 2019) — A long-planned Blessing of the Bikes ceremony for motorcycle enthusiasts became a scene of mourning and reflection Sunday as about 400 people paid tribute to seven bikers killed in a devastating collision with a pickup truck.

The victims of the wreck Friday evening were members or supporters of the Marine JarHeads — a New England motorcycle club that includes Marines and their spouses — and ranged in age from 42 to 62.

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“When they fall, we all fall,” said Laura Cardinal, vice president of the Manchester Motorcycle Club, adding that fellow bikers will support the families of those who died. “Those families, they’re going to go through a lot now. They have a new world ahead of them.”

A motorcycle passes as a woman leaves flowers at the scene of a fatal accident on Route 2 in Randolph, N.H., Saturday, June 22, 2019. (Paul Hayes/Caledonian-Record via AP)

A pickup truck towing a flatbed trailer collided with a group of 10 motorcycles on a two-lane highway in the small town of Randolph, leaving victims strewn on the grass amid their shattered bikes. The cause of the crash was under investigation, and no immediate charges were filed.

Blessing of the Bikes ceremonies are held in many locations as a way to give prayers for a safe season. Sunday’s event, situated about an hour from the accident site, was expected to draw maybe 100 or 200 people before it was transformed by tragedy.

The Rev. Rich Baillargeon presided, blessing the bikes using a branch dipped in holy water as they filed by, and held a moment of silence and prayer for the victims. One biker got up to say a prayer but got choked up and couldn’t finish. The ceremony also included a bugle playing of taps.

Many of the bikers wore jeans and leather jackets with their club patches and rumbled in on their Harley-Davidsons. The outdoor gathering took place on the property of a former church, with bikers parking in rows in the parking lot and on the grass on a warm, sunny day as vendors sold corn dogs, french fries, pizza, sausage and lemonade.

Gary and Sheila Judkins came from Sumner, Maine, in part because of the crash, saying being there was a way to feel connected to other riders.

“It’s a positive thing for bikers. And if anything, bikers need something positive,” Gary Judkins said.

Authorities identified the dead as Michael Ferazzi, 62, of Contoocook, New Hampshire; Albert Mazza, 49, of Lee, New Hampshire; Desma Oakes, 42, of Concord, New Hampshire; Aaron Perry, 45, of Farmington, New Hampshire; Daniel Pereira, 58, of Riverside, Rhode Island; and Joanne and Edward Corr, both 58, of Lakeville, Massachusetts.

One person injured in the wreck remained hospitalized in stable condition.

The tragedy left the close-knit motorcycle community in shock, with many remembering their own close calls on the road.

“Seven people. C’mon. It’s senseless,” said Bill Brown, a 73-year-old Vietnam War veteran and motorcyclist, who visited the accident scene Saturday to plant flags. “Somebody made a mistake, and it turned out to be pretty deadly.”

The pickup driver, Volodoymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, an employee of a Springfield, Massachusetts, trucking company, was not seriously hurt. The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating, said he was interviewed at the scene by police and allowed to return to Massachusetts.

A man reached by phone who identified himself as Zhukovskyy’s father said his son is cooperating with the investigation and was not available to talk to a reporter.

Authorities asked for the public’s help in the form of videos, photos or other information about the accident or the vehicles.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu ordered flags to fly at half-staff Monday in memory of the victims.

SOURCE: Boston Herald

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Veterans ride attracts over 850 bikers

Plainfield, Connecticut, USA (June 10, 2019) — A Reason to Ride, a veterans charity, has been organizing their Flag Day Run yearly since 1999. Dominic Rutigliano, the group’s treasurer, said that it’s raised at least $25,000 this year.

The run itself lasted about an hour and a half, said the charity’s chairman, Dan Martin. The route took riders from Plainfield to plenty of local towns, such as Griswold and Voluntown. Once the riders reach Norwich, they start to make their way back to Plainfield from the west.

Motorcycle riders begin the charity Flag Day Run for A Reason to Ride on Sunday at the Plainfield Veterans of Foreign Wars. Photo: Matt Grahn

At the Plainfield Veterans of Foreign Wars, the ride’s meeting point, it appeared there was a sea of motorcycles in the parking lot. Bikers paid $20 to ride in the event, which included lunch afterward. Behind the VFW building, there were stands from bike dealers, apparel vendors and other biker causes, such as Bikers Against Child Abuse.

Before the run started, there was an opening ceremony on the VFW’s back porch. that included words from the sponsors, a rendition of the national anthem, and a blessing of the motorcycles. After the ride, Redlight, a local band, would entertain during lunch.

Even with all the entertainment, Martin says that helping with the veterans is the best part. He also likes meeting the people that A Reason to Ride has helped out.

“It’s rewarding, of course. They’re appreciative of what we did. Sometimes, they even want to give back,” he said.

That want to give back applies to other veterans as well. John Koch, who served in the Navy from 1981 to 1987, has come to event almost every year for the “camaraderie.”

“Everyone comes here to have a good time, with a common goal and purpose to raise money for veterans,” he said.

Gary Crawford also feels the camaraderie, saying “We all do our parts in every way everyone can.”

Crawford, who served in the Coast Guard from 1980 to 1984, said there is a connection between veterans and motorcycle culture.

“After you’ve been told what to do every single day for however long your stint was, it’s kind of nice to be able to choose your own direction, your own speed,” he said. “Pure examples of freedom we can share in these United States.”

Rutigliano started working with A Reason to Ride 12 years ago, when he moved next door to another committee member, Dan Barber. After attending a couple meetings, Rutigliano was “hooked.”

Rutigliano, who also served in the Air Force during Vietnam, likes the event because the only administrative costs are insurance related, as the entire group is volunteer run.

“You hear a lot of bad publicity about some of these giant fundraisers. I’m not trying to knock anybody, but I don’t like it when someone is promoting an organization and they’re going to get paid for it,” he said.

Motorcycle are parked before the charity Flag Day Run for A Reason to Ride on Sunday at the Plainfield Veterans of Foreign Wars. Photo: Matt Grahn

Rutigliano plans on helping out for as long as he can. Rutigliano is hopeful the event can continue for years to come.

“Every year, we get a couple of new people coming onto the committee. I can’t see why we can’t continue for the next 10, 15 years,” he said.

SOURCE: The Bulletin

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