Police cite ‘wheelie’ as crash cause
By STEPHANIE HOOPER, Telegraph Staff
hoopers@telegraph-nh.com
Published: Tuesday, May. 24, 2005
NASHUA – Police say a bad descent from a highway “wheelie” was the cause of a motorcycle crash on the F.E. Everett Turnpike that injured a Massachusetts motorcyclist Friday night.
Daniel Carroll, 20, of Dracut, Mass., who was originally identified as his 24-year-old brother Philip Carroll, was treated and released Friday night from St. Joseph Hospital where he was taken shortly after the 8:25 p.m. crash on the southbound side of the turnpike, police and hospital officials said.
Carroll had been carrying his brother’s identification in his wallet at the time of the crash leading to the mistaken identity, New Hampshire State Trooper Kieran Fagan said.
Friday night, Fagan said Carroll had been traveling south in the second lane of the turnpike when he lost control of his green sports model motorcycle just south of the West Hollis Street overpass.
The bike skid about 200 feet, dumping Carroll next to a Jersey barrier before skidding 50 feet farther south on the turnpike, Fagan said.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Monday, Fagan said an investigation of the crash revealed that Carroll had allegedly been doing a wheelie on the bike when he lost control of it.
Fagan said witnesses at the scene reported that Carroll had been one of a group of three or four motorcyclists who were all doing wheelies on the highway when the crash happened.
Carroll and the other motorcyclists had entered the highway from Exit 5 and all had pulled their bikes up onto one wheel, he said witnesses reported.
It was as he was returning his motorcycle to normal riding position that Carroll apparently lost control and crashed, Fagan said.
“The front wheel came down and that is when the bike slid out from underneath him,” Fagan said.
“He only made it a quarter of a mile before he crashed,” he said.
None of the other motorcyclists were at the scene when state police and emergency crews arrived, he said.
Fagan said Carroll later admitted that he had been performing a wheelie at the time of the crash. Reckless operation charges are pending, he said.
Wow, nice buddies? Will the group you ride with leave you bleeding on the road, or stick around to help?[/quote]
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