Shriner on Harley hits crowd at parade
Accident lands 2 adults, 3 children in hospital
By NICOLE YOUNG
Robertson County Times
SPRINGFIELD — Spectators and participants at the Springfield Christmas Parade experienced a moment of shocked silence when a Shriner who was riding in the parade lost control of his motorcycle and skidded into a group of spectators about 1:15 p.m. yesterday.
Emergency Medical Services Bike Medics Coordinator Chris Rawls said two adults and three children were injured. All were taken to NorthCrest Medical Center.
No names were released, but Rawls said the injuries weren't life-threatening. One child and one adult had already been treated and released by 3 p.m. yesterday.
Several people watched as the Shriner, whose name was not available yesterday, lost control of his motorcycle, which was described as a brand-new, white Harley Davidson, as he was attempting to make a turn.
"The Shriner did a good job of maneuvering the motorcycle," Rawls said. "It could have been a lot worse."
He said the Shriner complained of chest pains after hitting the handlebars of his motorcycle during the accident. The other adult had a leg injury, but Rawls said there was no fracture.
Two boys and a girl were also hurt in the incident. One boy might have a broken leg, Rawls said. Witnesses told officials the child's foot got stuck in the motorcycle after he was hit by it
The other boy was hit in the mouth with a piece of debris from the motorcycle and cut on the chin, which might need stitches, while the little girl had chin abrasions, Rawls said.
The parade was a part of the 19th Annual Christmas on the Square in downtown Springfield.
The accident occurred in the area of Main Street where fences surrounding courthouse renovations have narrowed the street. Vehicles were parked along the opposite side of Main Street, limiting the width of the parade route.
Shriners are a familiar sight in parades in their trademark wine-colored, tasseled fezzes, often riding tiny motorbikes or dressed as clowns. The organization has about 500,000 members in 191 chapters nationwide, according to its Web site, and operates a network of children's hospitals that treat children, free of charge until their 18th birthday, for burns, spinal cord injuries and other problems.
Topic: Shriner takes out 5 bystanders in parade/TN (Read 4271 times)