NY motorcyclist dies on ride protesting helmet law

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,966
113
NY motorcyclist dies on ride protesting helmet law - Yahoo! News

I think this qualifies for automatic qualification in the final round of the 2011 Darwin Awards.


ONONDAGA, N.Y. (AP) — Police say a motorcyclist participating in a protest ride against helmet laws in upstate New York died after he flipped over the bike's handlebars and hit his head on the pavement.

The accident happened Saturday afternoon in the town of Onondaga, in central New York near Syracuse.

State troopers tell The Post-Standard of Syracuse that 55-year-old Philip A. Contos of Parish, N.Y., was driving a 1983 Harley Davidson with a group of bikers who were protesting helmet laws by not wearing helmets.

Troopers say Contos hit his brakes and the motorcycle fishtailed. The bike spun out of control, and Contos toppled over the handlebars. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Troopers say Contos would have likely survived if he had been wearing a helmet.
 

Chuck T

Banned
Nov 30, 2010
723
4
0
"I think this qualifies for automatic qualification in the final round of the 2011 Darwin Awards."

I'm a biker and the loss of life is always tragic however, I second the motion.
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
"Troopers say Contos would have likely survived if he had been wearing a helmet." It always makes me laugh when cops say this stuff. They did not witness the accident, they have no medical training, they never saw the autopsy, yet they say stupid stuff like this. The only person who determines cause of death is the medical examiner following the autopsy. Maybe the guy had a stroke, maybe a heart attack killed him. Who knows??
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
"Troopers say Contos would have likely survived if he had been wearing a helmet." It always makes me laugh when cops say this stuff. They did not witness the accident, they have no medical training, they never saw the autopsy, yet they say stupid stuff like this. The only person who determines cause of death is the medical examiner following the autopsy. Maybe the guy had a stroke, maybe a heart attack killed him. Who knows??
If you've ever seen a motorcycle head injury, it can be quite clear what caused death.
 

DMV123

Bronze
Mar 31, 2010
1,211
114
0
I do not understand how LANDED ON HIS HEAD is not a clear cause of death..... I've seen several friends AFTER they landed on their heads. Seems to me cops see far too much of this and are clearly able to state the case.
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
Autopsies determine cause of death not cops running their mouths. You and the cop are talking about "apparent" cause of death. I am talking about what will appear on the death certificate after a post mortem. I worked in the emergency medical field for 22 years. Saw lots of motorcycle injuries and cause of death is rarely clear despite appearances. Looks can be deceiving at accident scenes. People with medical experience and knowledge know better than to say these things.
It rankles me a bit because I have heard it so much from cops and bystanders who did not know what they were talking about. You can say that if he had been wearing a helmet he would have lessened the trauma to his head. This guy could have died from all sorts of internal injuries that are not apparent at the scene and accompany what appears to be serious head injuries. The fact that he was protesting the helmet law and not wearing a helmet prompts the cop's comment for ironic effect. The fact is that neither you nor I nor the cop know what killed him. The other dumb one from the cops is "if he had been wearing his seat belt he would have been killed." A short time ago the well known wrestler, Macho Man, drove his jeep head on into a tree in Florida. Cause of death was a heart attack just prior to the accident as determined at autopsy not by a cop at the scene or a bystander.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
Autopsies determine cause of death not cops running their mouths. You and the cop are talking about "apparent" cause of death. I am talking about what will appear on the death certificate after a post mortem. I worked in the emergency medical field for 22 years. Saw lots of motorcycle injuries and cause of death is rarely clear despite appearances. Looks can be deceiving at accident scenes. People with medical experience and knowledge know better than to say these things.
It rankles me a bit because I have heard it so much from cops and bystanders who did not know what they were talking about. You can say that if he had been wearing a helmet he would have lessened the trauma to his head. This guy could have died from all sorts of internal injuries that are not apparent at the scene and accompany what appears to be serious head injuries. The fact that he was protesting the helmet law and not wearing a helmet prompts the cop's comment for ironic effect. The fact is that neither you nor I nor the cop know what killed him. The other dumb one from the cops is "if he had been wearing his seat belt he would have been killed." A short time ago the well known wrestler, Macho Man, drove his jeep head on into a tree in Florida. Cause of death was a heart attack just prior to the accident as determined at autopsy not by a cop at the scene or a bystander.
Exactly, specifically and legally true. But if he HAD been wearing a helmet, the probability of death by head injury in a relatively low speed high-side would probably not be mentioned.
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
Agree that lo speed hi side with a helmet is very unlikely to cause death. I watch super bike racing and those riders often have hi speed get offs and walk away. Difference is modern hi tech safety gear. Unless you are hit by following traffic, or t boned there is no reason for a rider wearing a helmet to die in a lo speed crash. Not to worry tho. There is no shortage of harley riders, freak flags flowing in the wind, showing off to the "squares" as Marlon Brando termed us.
 

arp568

New member
Aug 31, 2010
46
0
0
Here in Puerto Rico not only you have to have a helmet you also need goves,goggles,boots,long pants & reflector too after 6:00pm, this is a very pain in the a$$ & the stupid senators & governer that put this law don`t ride motorcycles. Just imagine if you have to buy a carton of milk to the store close to your house yo need to put all this crap just to get you milk.
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
Its possible the lawmakers read the statistic that the majority of highway accidents happen close to the victims home. Yep, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Randy "macho man" is no longer with us. Died a couple of weeks ago in Florida. His wife was with him but she only sustained minor injuries.