The Scene of the Tragic Head-On Crash.
A 25 year-old man from the Village of Hilbert will face criminal charges as a result of the tragic May 31, 2012, crash in Fond du Lac County, in the Town of Taycheedah. The unidentified Hilbert man allegedly ran head-on into approximately 10 of 12 motorcyclists from Michigan as they were traveling northbound on U.S. 151. The motorcyclists were members of the Muskegon Motorcycle Gang and were participating in the annual “Bridge Run” to the Mackinac Bridge and back, when tragedy struck.
Authorities have sent the 25 year-old man’s blood to the state crime lab, but they did not suggest he had been under the influence of alcohol. At the time of the crash, the man had two pending criminal charges in Calumet County involving felony bail jumping, possession of THC, possession of narcotic drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. Authorities have not disclosed whether they believe the man was under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash, but Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office Captain Dean Will did say the following:
“It’s customary to send in the blood. But we have belief that there may be other conditions that may have contributed to the crash.”
Many of the surviving crash victims remain hospitalized. Doctors have indicated that many of the victims would not have survived had they not been wearing helmets and safety gear. Our condolences go out to the friends and family of Daniel Winsemius, 59, of Twin Lake, Michigan, who unfortunately did not survive the crash. Hopefully, the others that are still hospitalized will pull through and begin the road to recovery.
On June 1, a beautiful candlelight vigil was held at Heritage Landing in Western Michigan. At least a hundred motorcyclists from the Muskegon Motorcycle Group, the M-46 Posse, other motorcycle groups and many other non-motorcycle members of the community attended the vigil, offering their prayers and support to the victims of the crash and their family members. A fund has been set up with PNC Bank in order to raise money for mounting medical bills. Donations can be made to the “MMG Motorcycle Tragedy Fund” at any PNC Bank nationwide. For more information contact Ame Matuzeski, a lifelong friend of many of the 12 riders involved and the woman responsible for setting up the fund.
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Contact an Experienced Wisconsin Motorcycle Accident Attorney.