Open Season On Riders

Police ID motorcyclists killed in crash with dump truck

by Jennifer Thomas, Catherine Holland and Alicia E. Barrón

Posted on March 25, 2010 at 1:37 PM

Updated today at 5:20 PM

PHOENIX -- Three people were killed and several others, including a Phoenix Fire captain, were injured in a collision involving a sanitation dump truck, eight motorcycles and five vehicles near 27th Avenue and Carefree Highway Thursday afternoon.

The names of those who died were released by police. They have been identified as 67-year-old Clyde R. Nachand, 52-year-old Stephen Punch and 35-year-old Daniel L. Butler.

Phoenix police Officer Luis Samudio said the truck driver, identified as 46-year-old Michael J. Jakscht, failed to control his speed and collided with eight motorcycles from behind and four other vehicles that were in front of the bikes. Aerial video showed several motorcycles wedged underneath the truck.

Firefighters had to put out a fire in the truck, which reportedly is owned by Blue Sky Sanitation.

In addition to the three fatalities, six victims were transported to local hospitals, including Phoenix Fire Capt. Ernie Lizarraga, who was off-duty. The captain and another motorcyclist were airlifted from the scene.

Among the injured individuals is a 47-year-old woman who is in critical condition. A 35-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman and a man whose age has not been provided are all listed in serious condition. A 48-year-old man was treated and released.

Lizarraga, a 22-year veteran of the department, underwent surgery and is listed in critical condition.

None of the people in the cars or the driver of the dump truck were transported.

According to a 3TV viewer, the motorcyclists are members of Phoenix M.C. Kruzer's from Meetup.com, but that has not been officially confirmed.

Christel Werlau and her husband were in the car in front of the motorcyclists.

"I saw some happy riders behind me," she said. "Next we got hit from the back and flung back and forth and my husband yelled, 'Get out of the car, you're on fire!'"

"I saw the bodies lying underneath burning and, oh my God ... horrible," said Werlau's husband.

"I got out and they all were lying...nobody was moving," Werlau said.

Carefree Highway was shut down in both directions between 27th Avenue and Interstate 17 all afternoon and through the night. It finally reopened early Friday morning.

Phoenix police tell 3TV there was no indication that Jakscht was impaired at the time of the collision. No charges have been filed at this time.

The investigation into the wreck continues and is expected to take quite some time.

Some witnesses have reported the driver saying he was looking at paperwork and didn't see the riders. One guy apparently did some research:

Check this out, Jakschthas had THREE tickets in the last 6 months, including TWO this month 3/15 and 3/23, just two days before the accident. March 23, 2010 - Case No. CT2010-149007 (Maricopa County Justice Court) March 15, 2010 - Case No. M-0751-TR-2010007600 (Scottsdale Municipal) November 17, 2009 - Case No. CT2009-668939 (Maricopa County Justice Court) This guy should NEVER have been driving a truck professionally.

 

This was a horrible accident, and if you haven't seen any pictures or video, you should.

2 Arizonans, 1 Louisianan Killed in Motorcycle Crash

A group of fellow riders out for what should have been a great ride on a gorgeous AZ day, and it ends in tragedy. My heart goes out the family and survivors.

Can't wait to hear the official report on the driver.

 

Always close to home for those of us that ride. My heart goes out to those we would have had a good ride with and the families that are left behind.

 

Tragic. Just tragic.

 

My heart goes out to them all.

 

sad to hear, our condolences go to the families of whom these riders left behind.

 

If I stop at an intersection and can not see clearly what coming from behind me with my mirrors, I pull away from the intersection. If I get ticketed, I GO TO COURT and plead my case. Very Very sad day for these riders and there families, I hope and prayer for them.

 

UPDATE: A fourth victim involved in Thursday's motorcycle crash in North Phoenix has passed away.

Dayle Veronica Downs-Totonchi, 47, died at the hospital Friday evening from extensive injuries suffered in the multi-vehicle crash.

The investigation into the crash continues.

 

I just heard about this from My brother....I guess at least one of the other riders is also a fireman, a friend of my brothers and his roomates.... I know this intersection well too.......the individual driving the truck has not been charged with anything? that is my understanding? why? I feel for the family's of all involved.......

 

Lets collectively give the investigators some time to sort this out. Especially when there is a fatality involved, serious time and consideration needs to be put in to ensure that anyone who is charged, is charged with the correct offence. As tragic as this collision is, more tragic would be failure to hold someone properly accountable for their actions.

The investigators need to thoroughly go through the evidence at hand. They need to dig very deep to see if there is more evidence not readily apparent at the scene. They need to put this evidence in a package to take to their prosecuting attorneys in a manner that makes a conviction likely. And they cannot leave anything out.

If there had been charges laid immediately after the collision, I would only wonder if a proper investigation had been carried out.

My thoughts really go out to the family, friends and co-workers of those who passed or are injured as a result of this collision. May justice be found.

 

I'm waiting for the investigation too but given the way the "accident" happened, it's hard not to go ballistic.

 

string 'em up by his balls!

 

Badbilly I have one question for you HOW MANY TIMES HAS SOME IDIOT TALKING ON A CELL PHONE OR LOOKING FOR PAPERS JUST ABOUT RAN OVER YOU ASS. I guess because it HASN'T happen to you or else you would at least try to understand WHY were so pissed OFF about it. Next time your stop at an intersection, if you really do ride which really don’t think you do, and hear that sickening sound of air brakes right behind you REMEMBER this incident, it could have been any of us.

 

To answer your main question, about every third time there's a close call when I am on any one of my four running streetbikes. What you need to do my friend, is to get my POV on cellphones, two way comm systems, IPods, GPS units and all that other distracting shit that some dudes think they have to have to ride a bike. That would take some work though and my question to you is. are you up to it or are you just as fucking nuts as this cyborg dude?

Does it piss me off? Yes. Do I want to go out and beat the crap out of of some woman in an SUV yakking on a cellphone who has her kids on board? Nope. I lobby and use every oppportunity I can to get all this shit banned while any vehicle is moving.

Do I have any of that hardware on any of my bikes? Nope.

Your new job is to wait until this whole tragic incident has been investigated by the many sides that will be doing same and then publish it right here so we can have the objective view and not some nutcase shit from some dude who will likely be going away one day with the guys in the white suits and the big nets.

 

Thats what I thought YOU DON'T RIDE.

 

Thanks for the lecture. I am going for the stringing the guy up by his balls bit too. No investigation, no defense, no judge, no jury. After all. the driver did get some tickets and that should be enough to prove anyone guilty. I hope we can maybe drive some bamboo slivers under the driver's nails before we string him up. Maybe do a video and sell some copies too.

 

Saw this on the news, then posted the internet link here http://vfrworld.com/forums/general-vfr-discussions/29650-sorrow.html#post249443
All I can say is watch your back side no one else will, this is a sad day of affairs. I'm all for kicking folks, I see idiots on their cell or other gadgets at least a dozen times a day, if some one calls me while I'm on the road I bump em to voice mail, folks just don't get it. this isn't all that difficult to figure out. any one for a good lynching?

 

I guess what I was thinking Randy was , as far as it is known, the driver didn't even get a ticket issued, I have seen accidents that noone was charged even when there was a high dollar damage and physical injury. I am just surprised that he wasn't taken into custody and at least held overnight or something like that. If you've ever dealt with Phoenix PDthey like to do that sort of shit..