Motorcycle crash prompts plea for safety

By Kelli Stegeman

CREATED Nov. 8, 2012

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  • A rush of support for a motorcyclist seconds after the bike he’s on collides with a car. One of the first people to help out on the scene has a warning for other drivers. Dr. Michael Driekorn was right behind the car that hit the motorcyclist at th Video by fox4now.com

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FORT MYERS, Fla. - A rush of support for a motorcyclist seconds after the bike he’s on collides with a car. One of the first people to help out on the scene has a warning for other drivers. 
 
Dr. Michael Driekorn was right behind the car that hit the motorcyclist at the intersection of Royal Palm and Summerlin. He quickly sprung to action and now the man who called 911 is now calling on Southwest Florida to help. 
 
“It was like here we go again,” said Michael Dreikorn. He’s seen his fair share of motorcycle accidents. 
 
“I'm watching this happen and I knew that the motorcycle was not going to be able to stop,”
 
After watching yet another crash Wednesday on the congested seasonal roads of Ft. Myers, he turned to FOX 4 for help. 
 
“So what do you think it’s going to take for people to wake up and say ‘I really need to pay attention?' Four in Your Corner’s Kelli Stegeman asked him. 
 
“Unfortunately it is our society,” Michael answered. “There's no silver bullet. I think the best thing we can do is continuously sound the advisement that people be aware, that driving is a privilege and that we understand the rules of driving.”
 
“It's a new era of motorcycles,” said Ralph Galietti, Sales Director for Harley Davidson in Ft. Myers. “You've got a lot more distractions out there. You got people Facebooking, Tweeting, texting. There's so much technology in the cars nowadays that people are doing everything but driving.”
 
Ralph has a unique perspective on the rules of the road as a former sheriff’s deputy turned motorcycle salesman. 
 
“Some states like New York have gone to texting or using your phone without a headset; it's a 250 dollar fine,” he said. “Here in Florida, we're still battling with the legislature. Until we do that you're going to see not only motorcycle crashes but more car accidents and fatalities.”
 
To put it simply, Ralph says slow down. Michael’s message is just as clear. 
 
“For the seasonal residents who are here this time of the year, my message to you is to please pay attention to those you are sharing the road with,” Michael said. “Those on 2 wheels don't have the security that you may have in your 4-wheel vehicle.”
 
Michael says he got a call Wednesday night from an officer with the Ft. Myers Police Department. The driver in the crash injured his leg, but is expected to be fine.