R.I.P, Close friend made a very bad choice.

[DeviantTurtle]

A Lawrenceville man was killed Friday night on Old Hog Mountain Road in South Hall County after speeding through a Georgia State Patrol checkpoint and crashing his motorcycle, state patrol officials said.
Joshua Clark, 29, was driving a 2006 Suzuki motorcycle when he came to the checkpoint at Old Hog Mountain and Wade Orr Road, according to the state patrol.
Sgt. G.R. Harper said Clark briefly slowed down but then accelerated past the checkpoint, and at about 9:50 p.m. he crossed the center line and struck a 2005 Mazda hatchback.
Patricia Ann Oropeza, 56, of Buford and her son Joseph Oropeza, 12, were in the Mazda and not seriously injured. Clark was dead at the scene.
“He almost hit us as he was going through (the checkpoint),” Harper said.
“And just north of our location he crossed the line and hit that Mazda in the right front side ... He was traveling at an extremely high rate of speed.”
Harper said troopers were heading after Clark but that he was going so fast he likely had crashed by the time troopers got to their vehicles.
“He was so far ahead of us we never regained sight of the motorcycle ... there was no pursuit,” Harper said.
Another motorcyclist traveling with Clark did stop for the checkpoint and was arrested for DUI, Harper said.


This was a close friend of mine. I can say Josh was a very skilled rider who made a very bad call, but riding with him I can also say he did push his luck way too much, cutting into blind corners to pass cars and hitting excessive speeds on back roads way too often. What they did not mention in the article was the estimated speed he was traveling 150+mph before laying the bike down in front of the car and his body actually went under the car. He was riding a 2006 Suzuki GSXR1000 which he only had maybe less than month. In short I hope everyone takes this to heart to continue to ride smart and strive to make good decisions always. Not only has this affected his family and friends, Patricia who was a innocent bystander is probably going to be scared for a very long time!

[Motofool]

A very sad story !

Motorcycles, alcohol and excessive speed make a terrible combination.

Condolences to his family and friends.

[JELY1990]

I'm so sorry for your loss man.
RIP Josh

One of the many reasons I got a 250 is because I don't trust myself with that much power at a twist of the wrist... I generally have good self control, but every once in a while I don't and it only takes one time.

[Joshorilla]

That's my full name also, makes the read seem a little more real to me, kinda spooky.

Sorry for your loss.

It's too late for him, but for everyone reading take heed and ride safe.

[csmith12]

rip

[ryan.chin]

Rest in piece.

[evoaz92]

rip man sorry for your losses

[skilletmo]

RIP Bud.

[Z300]

was he wearing any gear?

[gsxrninja250]

Originally Posted by ninja yas

was he wearing any gear?

Even if he was wearing gear, it likely wouldn't have helped at 150+

[gsxrninja250]

RIP

Very sad to hear indeed, it takes one wrong mistake, and we could be called back home
I'm sorry to hear about your friend. My prayers go to him and his family.

This kinda reminds me of mitch lucker from suicide silence's death on november 1st, they said alcohol was possibly involved (no tox screens yet) and speed was involved, rumor also has it his helmet wasn't dot certified, and he didn't ware any gear.

Guys, if your gonna drink, please please please don't drink and ride, or even drink and drive, call someone, your mom/dad, a sister or brother, a family member, a friend, a cab, take a bus, anything, the risk of taking your own life, or taking someone else's life isn't worth it.


RIDE SAFE OUT THERE GUYS, and ride smart

[BlackNinja8]

We all know it never a good idea to ride anywhere when you are consuming any amount of alcohol. If that wisdom fails you and you do make the mistake of riding be willing to live with the legal consequences and stop if the police catch you. The friends and family of the man with the DUI are much happier than the friends and family of Mr. Clark. Think about your loved ones...

[chef]

Sorry for your friend & his family,RIP.

Just this morning i see this.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/201...-drunk-driving

Be safe & smart.

[Lychee]

Ride in Paradise, Joshua Clark.

[psych0hans]

what a terrible price to pay to avoid a ticket/jail

[DeviantTurtle]

He did have gear on, had he not hit a car he might have survived. As mentioned before he went under a car and came out from under the car, most likely his body was still traveling over 100mph. I did talk to the lady he hit, she is a complete mess, even though we told her in no way was this her fault, she just kept repeating ‘he was traveling so fast’. Did see the Bike last night which was split into three pieces and his helmet was literally split in half. It’s unknown if he had actually been drinking or not, will not know until after I read the toxicology report. Knowing Josh he most likely had not been drinking. I am still debating if I want to look at his gopro card which his camera was on when the accident occured. cant help but wonder if that might have been the reason he ran, to show off which Josh loved to do.

psych0hans I agree, he was completly legal to be on the street, had he just stopped he probably would not have got into any trouble.

[dfox]

RIP.

I agree with everyone, drinking and operating a vehicle is extremely dangerous, please don't do it, in a car, or on a bike. I want to see extremely stiff DUI penalties, loss of license for life from one offense sounds good to me. Driving on public roads is a privilege, not a right.

Sorry for your loss. Hopefully everyone here can learn something, and maybe someone's life will be spared because of it.

[himynameisjoe]

At the risk of everyone hating me. What a ****ing moron. I love when people don't think of all the others that they effect when they decide to go out and be a complete idiot and get themselves killed. 150MPH? Really? Really? And now you're saying he wasn't even drunk more than likely, just showing off? That makes him an even bigger moron. Seriously, I honestly can't even fathom words.

I wish his friends and family the best, I really do. Because those are the people I feel bad for, those are the people that lost someone. He lucked out and got to leave this **** hole of a planet early. Hopefully that lady is alright, but somehow I doubt she will be from the sounds of it.

[rjones91]

Wow. My condolences. I couldn't even fathom pushing my bike to 150 even if it could hit 150. That's just too much speed for me.

[adouglas]

Terrible, tragic story.

We don't know if he had been drinking, so it is unfair to speculate on that point. What we do know is that he acted irresponsibly and paid the ultimate price for that action. This is indisputable. He was the one who twisted that throttle and ran.

Running from the police is never, ever a good idea. Decades of high-speed chase film that never ends well should have taught us this by now. At best you wind up getting in more trouble than you would have. At worst... well, this is an example, isn't it?

Even if he'd gotten away with it, ultimately the outcome is likely to be bad. Getting away with it leads to the belief that you can do it again with impunity... leading to more high-risk behavior that will eventually catch up with you one way or another. There are several ways this kind of thing can play out and none of them are good.

As you read this in the cold light of day, spare a minute to play out the scenario for yourself. Assume you have had a couple and may be over the legal limit but "okay to ride." Let's not kid ourselves... anyone who drinks, even moderately, has felt that way. I have in the past, though I stopped drinking entirely three years ago.

Now, what happens when you come on a checkpoint? You get stopped and busted. You spend a few hours in a cell. Someone comes to bail you out. You pay a fine, you get your license suspended, you pay thousands in legal fees, your insurance rates go up, you damage relationships with your family. Maybe you even lose your job. All bad, but a DUI is far from the worst thing in the world. It does eventually go away.

Now, what happens if you run? You could easily die, especially because your judgment and reflexes are impaired. Or you could cause an accident that injures or kills an innocent bystander -- something you'll have to carry with you the rest of your life. Or you could get caught anyway, in which case you get whacked with seriously heavy -- possibly even criminal -- charges on top of the DUI.

The smart choice in that situation is to take the lesser penalty. Suck it up and take your medicine. The smarter choice is to not put yourself in that situation in the first place. Don't drink and ride. Period. Experience night life without alcohol... it can be a lot of fun, amazingly enough.

The lesson for me? Ride responsibly at all times. No excuses. Obey the rules or face the consequences. Had he not run, he'd be alive. Had he not been traveling at such a high rate of speed and not crossed the center line, ditto because he would not have crashed.

[himynameisjoe]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Terrible, tragic story.

We don't know if he had been drinking, so it is unfair to speculate on that point. What we do know is that he acted irresponsibly and paid the ultimate price for that action. This is indisputable. He was the one who twisted that throttle and ran.

Running from the police is never, ever a good idea. Decades of high-speed chase film that never ends well should have taught us this by now. At best you wind up getting in more trouble than you would have. At worst... well, this is an example, isn't it?

Even if he'd gotten away with it, ultimately the outcome is likely to be bad. Getting away with it leads to the belief that you can do it again with impunity... leading to more high-risk behavior that will eventually catch up with you one way or another. There are several ways this kind of thing can play out and none of them are good.

As you read this in the cold light of day, spare a minute to play out the scenario for yourself. Assume you have had a couple and may be over the legal limit but "okay to ride." Let's not kid ourselves... anyone who drinks, even moderately, has felt that way. I have in the past, though I stopped drinking entirely three years ago.

Now, what happens when you come on a checkpoint? You get stopped and busted. You spend a few hours in a cell. Someone comes to bail you out. You pay a fine, you get your license suspended, you pay thousands in legal fees, your insurance rates go up, you damage relationships with your family. Maybe you even lose your job. All bad, but a DUI is far from the worst thing in the world. It does eventually go away.

Now, what happens if you run? You could easily die, especially because your judgment and reflexes are impaired. Or you could cause an accident that injures or kills an innocent bystander -- something you'll have to carry with you the rest of your life. Or you could get caught anyway, in which case you get whacked with seriously heavy -- possibly even criminal -- charges on top of the DUI.

The smart choice in that situation is to take the lesser penalty. Suck it up and take your medicine. The smarter choice is to not put yourself in that situation in the first place. Don't drink and ride. Period. Experience night life without alcohol... it can be a lot of fun, amazingly enough.

The lesson for me? Ride responsibly at all times. No excuses. Obey the rules or face the consequences. Had he not run, he'd be alive. Had he not been traveling at such a high rate of speed and not crossed the center line, ditto because he would not have crashed.

Good post. This is basically what I was thinking, but not exactly what came out of my mouth...

I just get pissy with this subject, because then friends and family read about this sort of thing and think that everyone that rides a motorcycle goes 150MPH and dies. That's just not the case. The majority of riders (imo) are sensible people who ride well within their limits. But obviously those people don't get front page articles about them.

[bdavison]

Originally Posted by himynameisjoe

At the risk of everyone hating me. What a ****ing moron. I love when people don't think of all the others that they effect when they decide to go out and be a complete idiot and get themselves killed. 150MPH? Really? Really? And now you're saying he wasn't even drunk more than likely, just showing off? That makes him an even bigger moron. Seriously, I honestly can't even fathom words.

I'm with you. I have very little sympathy for someone who possibly could have been intoxicated while running 150mph on a motorcycle through a police checkpoint, then traumatizing and almost killing an innocent lady with his reckless driving.

My sympathy for the family and friends who lost someone close, but I wont shed a tear for that moron. I'm just glad he didn't take anyone else with him.

[akima]

Sorry for your loss @DeviantTurtle. Your friend made some terrible mistakes and paid the ultimate price.

Originally Posted by DeviantTurtle

I did talk to the lady he hit, she is a complete mess, even though we told her in no way was this her fault, she just kept repeating ‘he was traveling so fast’.

I really feel for her. She is a victim in this event. I hope everyone who speaks to her is like you and explains that it's not her fault.

[80MPHdownhill]

The type of people who would flee from the police at 150 mph generally don't have very long life spans.

[headshrink]

Not the time to wag fingers; all the possible criticisms are kinda obvious, and this is a personal loss for a fellow member. Responsible or not, we can all end up dead on a motorcycle, either from our own direct actions, or actions of others.

Although I was always a cautious kid and rarely took risks, I don't think I was ready for a motorcycle in my 20's, or early 30's for that matter. There's always that moment for just about everyone where you push it just a little too much. Perhaps we (really speaking to myself) can all be reminded that every ride should be practice, and every ride COULD be our last.

I'm sorry you lost a friend.

[bfpower]

Sorry for your loss.

[Trailerboy531]

Originally Posted by 80MPHdownhill

The type of people who would flee from the police at 150 mph generally don't have very long life spans.

The truth in this can be argued but this is neither the time nor place for these kind of comments. Keep them to yourself.

[psych0hans]

@bdavison @himynameisjoe It's called empathy my friends, none of what you guys said was wrong, but just maybe the wrong place to say it? Like @headshrink said, s#*t can happen to anyone, it can be a bad call or just damn s#*t luck!!!

[snot]

RIP.

[Daks]

I don't think we need to be tearing into someone who died, especially considering that Josh will never be able to see your arguments---only his loved ones will.

And regardless of mistake, a mother may be out there now, googling her dead child's name for solace and could be reading this thread right now about people saying her baby is a "****ing moron" and deserved to die.

Stay classy.

[akcalhoun]

Originally Posted by himynameisjoe

Good post. This is basically what I was thinking, but not exactly what came out of my mouth...

I just get pissy with this subject, because then friends and family read about this sort of thing and think that everyone that rides a motorcycle goes 150MPH and dies. That's just not the case. The majority of riders (imo) are sensible people who ride well within their limits. But obviously those people don't get front page articles about them.

so true. he made a very bad judgement call. sucks he died and i dont believe he deserved it, but if you take risks like that you outa be ready and aware of the consequences. i rly hate reading about this type of accident because its 100% avoidable and it makes others believe all motorcyclists drive like this. condolences to his family and those effected by this accident. people learn from this and dont drive like a maniac, keep safety first and foremost, and ride because you love it not because you want to show off or for the image.

[ai4px]

Originally Posted by himynameisjoe

At the risk of everyone hating me. What a ****ing moron. I love when people don't think of all the others that they effect when they decide to go out and be a complete idiot and get themselves killed. 150MPH? Really? Really? And now you're saying he wasn't even drunk more than likely, just showing off? That makes him an even bigger moron. Seriously, I honestly can't even fathom words.

I wish his friends and family the best, I really do. Because those are the people I feel bad for, those are the people that lost someone. He lucked out and got to leave this **** hole of a planet early. Hopefully that lady is alright, but somehow I doubt she will be from the sounds of it.

I hate to speak poorly of the dead, but your post is right on the money. I worry about the friends, family and the how the woman who hit him will feel knowing she was involved in the death of another. She should not feel bad, but if she does, my thoughts are with her.

Seems to be a trend these days... this current generation of young'uns coming along only seem to worry about themselves and give no thought to how their actions could affect others.

I'm just glad he didn't kill anyone in the car.

[DeviantTurtle]

Originally Posted by himynameisjoe

At the risk of everyone hating me. What a ****ing moron. I love when people don't think of all the others that they effect when they decide to go out and be a complete idiot and get themselves killed. 150MPH? Really? Really? And now you're saying he wasn't even drunk more than likely, just showing off? That makes him an even bigger moron. Seriously, I honestly can't even fathom words.

I wish his friends and family the best, I really do. Because those are the people I feel bad for, those are the people that lost someone. He lucked out and got to leave this **** hole of a planet early. Hopefully that lady is alright, but somehow I doubt she will be from the sounds of it.

Even though this is my oldest childhood friend, the first words that came out of my mouth when I heard what happened was ' I told his stupid ass to stop riding like an idiot on public roads'. I have been so pissed off about the poor decision he made that I have had a hard time even grieving his death. It’s always a struggle when you lose someone close, I didn’t realize how much worse it is when you lose someone to such a (as you said) moronic decision that should of never happened in the first place.
Recognize that a lot of people out there do ride like this without thinking of the possible outcome and affect it could have on others. Maybe some of these same people will read what has been said on all the post and step back and think about how they have been acting on their motorcycle!

[csmith12]

Disbelief>Shock>Extreme Sadness>Anger>Acceptance>Rationalize>Reflection>Forgiveness

While it's not particularly always respectful, it's common to be angry at the dead and part of the healing process and shows you cared enough to be mad.

Godspeed.....

[DeviantTurtle]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Disbelief>Shock>Extreme Sadness>Anger>Acceptance>Rationalize>Reflection>Forgiveness

While it's not particularly always respectful, it's common to be angry at the dead and part of the healing process and shows you cared enough to be mad.

Godspeed.....

And I hope everyone does understand that I do care about josh very much. I just wish it had not been his fault and I think that is what makes it so much worse knowing that it was his fault.
I would like to say thank you all for taking the time to comment. If family or friends do read all of what has been said, I know some comments might seem heartless but please understand that it is a sensitive subject to other riders. Nobody wants to hear about a fellow rider losing their life like this.
I would like to say Josh was a very talented rider who was a successful flat track racer and motocross racer. Not many people can go out on a track for their first race against experienced riders and place first and second. Being on any track is not going to be same without banging handle bars with Josh. A lot of kids really looked up to Josh for riding tips and I know Josh was very proud to help every new racer who came out to the flat track/motocross track. Even though he made a very bad choice he really was a great son, brother and friend. Sucks none of you on this forum got to meet him

[Soujyu]

Oh my goodness. That is horrible.

I can understand the lure of a bike of opening up on the throttle of a bike that is capable of going 170+ mph is very difficult to resist. This was horrible all around, and throwing blame is not the way to go.

[NinjaBoyEddy]

Dam.. well.if you going to.drink.and ride. Use the 250. It can't go that fast. Still.kill yah but ehh you probably won't lose control from acceleration.

Bs aside tho. This sucks man. Its tragedy and an example of what not to do.

[Ugafan30542]

Originally Posted by DeviantTurtle

A Lawrenceville man was killed Friday night on Old Hog Mountain Road in South Hall County after speeding through a Georgia State Patrol checkpoint and crashing his motorcycle, state patrol officials said.
Joshua Clark, 29, was driving a 2006 Suzuki motorcycle when he came to the checkpoint at Old Hog Mountain and Wade Orr Road, according to the state patrol.
Sgt. G.R. Harper said Clark briefly slowed down but then accelerated past the checkpoint, and at about 9:50 p.m. he crossed the center line and struck a 2005 Mazda hatchback.
Patricia Ann Oropeza, 56, of Buford and her son Joseph Oropeza, 12, were in the Mazda and not seriously injured. Clark was dead at the scene.
“He almost hit us as he was going through (the checkpoint),” Harper said.
“And just north of our location he crossed the line and hit that Mazda in the right front side ... He was traveling at an extremely high rate of speed.”
Harper said troopers were heading after Clark but that he was going so fast he likely had crashed by the time troopers got to their vehicles.
“He was so far ahead of us we never regained sight of the motorcycle ... there was no pursuit,” Harper said.
Another motorcyclist traveling with Clark did stop for the checkpoint and was arrested for DUI, Harper said.


This was a close friend of mine. I can say Josh was a very skilled rider who made a very bad call, but riding with him I can also say he did push his luck way too much, cutting into blind corners to pass cars and hitting excessive speeds on back roads way too often. What they did not mention in the article was the estimated speed he was traveling 150+mph before laying the bike down in front of the car and his body actually went under the car. He was riding a 2006 Suzuki GSXR1000 which he only had maybe less than month. In short I hope everyone takes this to heart to continue to ride smart and strive to make good decisions always. Not only has this affected his family and friends, Patricia who was a innocent bystander is probably going to be scared for a very long time!

I am sorry for you loss. I know Patricia, she is my mothers best friend and she had to go to the accident to pick her up that night. Patty is definitely pretty shook up. The night of the accident my mother called me to make sure it was not me. I ride as well so it had them terrified if was me. My sympathy goes out to the friends aNd family of josh. On a side note I noticed the cops said they "we're not chasing him" which from what I heard is a lie. I am pretty sure they banned high speed chases in Georgia a few years back. Party said there were 6 state cars flying behind him trying to catch up.

[Miles_Prower]

Sorry for your loss. Great reminder.
I have made a pledge not to operate a vehicle after drinking at all...not one drop. Ill now only buy it and take it home, or I'll drink on vacation when I don't have to drive, but that's it.
It's just not worth it..

[n4mwd]

RIP fellow rider.

I think we are all assuming that this was a DUI checkpoint in which ALL vehicles are stopped - and not the kind where they only stop motorcycles. Correct me if I'm wrong. It does seem strange that the drunk guy stops, but the sober one runs. I would definitely like to see the video.