Murder and Mayhem at Traailsend Full Throtle event

Wow this was bad....
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/05/24/man-facing-murder-charges-after-suv-rampage/27900541/

That is beyond any words.
There is no punishment strong enough.

I am thankful that my family was not at the concert. There were other club members who were there and witnessed it firsthand. One club member was with the family praying as they watched their husband/father die.

I'm not so sure we are going to come back for any of the big event weekends. There's just too much uncertainty about what some drunk asshole is liable to do. I am pretty good at watching out for myself but now that the kids are with me it changes things. You want to be assured that they will be safe and not get run over by some dipshit acting foolish in the campground. It's the same reason why I have vowed to stay off the lake on holiday weekends. More than once I have nearly been run over by some drunk bastard. I've been thinking about why it bothers me that the guy got killed and have decided that it's too easy for me to put myself in his shoes. As I understand the whole altercation started because he was protecting his wife from some scumbucket playing grabass and later protecting his son from the scumbucket's buddy. I'm not sure I would have done anything any different. I'm not sure that anyone in our club would have done anything different.

Saturday night while watching the kids we counted five ambulances going up River Road with sirens on, and that is not counting the helicopters airlifting people out. I'm all about having fun and Lord knows I'm not opposed to drinking, but I also understand and know my limits. It's obvious that some people don't.

I send my prayers out to that family. I also hope all my southern side by side brothers and sisters are ok.

I have been in shock, but knew something like this would happen. I have seen the drinking get out of control on our club rides, including the last one at Trails End. One club member was so drunk he drove his sxs all the way to I-75, down the highway, by being drunk and lost. Then got into a fight with his girl friend at the campground. That could have turned bad for anyone who crossed his path while he was DUI. It happens to often. Last year while we were gathered at the campground one person was so drunk he thought everyone needed to hear 3 or 4 hundred watts of his music. We had to just put up with it. We have lost some good members and their family on recent rides due to the drinking getting out of control.

God Bless those who have been affected by the recent display of events, including Trails End.

Both of those incidents I was unfortunate enough to have been camped right next to the guy with my kids. It was the same guy each time. I do understand that he has quit drinking again though and that when sober he's a really good person, I just hope it stays that way.

That is the main reason I quit riding. Although I was a drinker years ago, I never took it to the trails. I have ridden with a lot of drunks once, but never again.

Ive seen many close calls by guys drinking and riding, one trip to scott county, a guy who had been sipping moonshine all day and took a curve wide open in a rhino, god felt sorry for him that day and put the only tree in 50 yards right where it would catch him and save his life from sure death over a 300 foot drop off a mountain side. If you feel you cant have fun riding without drinking please do it responsibly.

It was very sad to witness. I pray for peace and comfort for his family and friends. Also for Steve and Marla and their family.

Kind of same for me. I got down there Friday night about 7. By midnight I had enough and went back to the camper. Woke up Saturday morning, loaded up and went home. For the better part of two decades I have stayed off the trails for holiday weekends but thought I would give this weekend a try. Should of saved the diesel fuel and 4 hrs drive time.

I feel so sorry for that man and his family, and like others have said, I am sure I would have done the same thing.

GunRunner wrote:

Ive seen many close calls by guys drinking and riding, one trip to scott county, a guy who had been sipping moonshine all day and took a curve wide open in a rhino, god felt sorry for him that day and put the only tree in 50 yards right where it would catch him and save his life from sure death over a 300 foot drop off a mountain side. If you feel you cant have fun riding without drinking please do it responsibly.

I was there GunRunner. It was one of my first club rides. He was riding my butt most of time that day and had the music so loud we could not even talk in our sxs. Me and MUDHOE thought, if this is what club rides are about we might not want to do this. But we looked at the rest of the responsible drinkers and non drinkers and based our future commitment on their behavior. I am glad we did or we would not have so many close friends today. Some we only see once or twice a year, but stay in contact on here or on the phone.

They Scott co sheriff's deputy told us that as of Sunday they had 26 reported wrecks and I can't remember how many life starred out.

So does this mean y'all aren't going to attend the RZR Forums Ride?

No, it means I have some decisions to make whether or not I'll attend next year's Full Throttle or the Ridin' Dirty event on Labor Day. Those are the big events that draw in the hordes.

I will say that once we were out on the trails there was very little traffic on the TWRA land and the riding was very enjoyable, including the two night rides. We were camped at the old campground at ground zero for all the action, however the new campground seemed much quieter. Should we
decide to go I believe we will be camping out there and ride TWRA again.

We will be there for the weekend of the Fourth of July and we will be there for the RZRForums ride no doubt. Even with the concert last year it seemed to be much more subdued.

Club rides are different. I know the drinking for a few people has gotten out of hand on occasion. However I know most everyone and I trust everyone I know. The campground is full but it is almost 100% club members. I don't fear for the safety of my family on the club rides.

I've been reading what everyone has to say and it think you all are reading to much in to this. You have no control as to when it's your time to go out. So it don't matter if you are at a full throttle event or southern sxs ride or driving to church. If its your time than there's nothing you can change. There are drunk drivers everywhere at all time you not going to avoid them. There on the roads the water and the trails. This death was caused but a sick person on some drugs not just alcohol. this Is the last think Marla and Steve need to be seeing on this site is people saying they won't be coming to another trails end event because where this accident happen at is irrelevant.

There are people getting killed on the roads every day by drunk driver so are you all never going to drive on those road ever again because something happen that you can't control

Its a bad deal and several of us were up at the concert area when it happened. I feel sorry for the victim's family, and really hope they stick that d bag under the jail.
As far as the big events go that's why we don't bring our 8 year old. It is what it is. I know there is going to be crowds, I know there will be crap drivers and I know there will be drinking and drunks. But I mean that's a holiday weekend anywhere. Like others said the river is the same way. hell so are the roads for that matter. Expecting to go out riding, boating, to a concert ,ect and not be around crowds or drinking is a bit unrealistic.

TFrye wrote:

This death was caused but a sick person on some drugs not just alcohol. this Is the last think Marla and Steve need to be seeing on this site is people saying they won't be coming to another trails end event because where this accident happen at is irrelevant.

This death was caused by an idiot that had no self control. The problem is that he wasn't the only one up there. There's also a thing called hedging your bets. Yes, you take chances every day when you get out on the road that there may be a drunk driver. But if you put yourself into a situation where at least half the people around you are drunk driving then your odds will increase that something bad will happen. Listen, I love Marla and Steve, and they have my deepest sympathy for what they must be going through right now. But as Gimpy said, I too am shocked that something like this is just now happening. Shall I be blunt? Put a bunch of drunk rednecks together and testosterone level goes through the fricking roof. I will continue to support Trails End with my patronage, hell, I'll be back up there again in 5 weeks! And again a month after that. In fact Trails End will probably be the only place I ride and camp this year. But there is no way in hell you can blame me for not wanting to take my family back up there for another big event weekend.

That's not the way to be about what happen. I've road with you when you have been really drunk and have your boy with you. So how is that any different anything can happen

You can't take this one crazy thing that happen and think it's going to happen all the time at every event. And talking about load music or some one having a argument after it has happen on here is out of line. If you have a problem with what some one else is doing and you don't tell them about it you have no right to get on the form and start bad mouthing them. There was lots of us at the camp sit the night of the loud music and no one ever said turn it down or we would have. Big R was right next to me that night and we had a good time and that's why we all go riding with the group

$500,000 reduced to $50,000 by a judge and he is now OUT. What a slap to the family.

Dude, you are so full of shit it isn't even funny. Maybe when you grow up a bit you will understand just where the hell I'm coming from. Number one, you have NEVER seen me drunk, you've seen me drinking, but as I said before, I know my fricking limits. Number two, does it really take somebody telling you that blasting your mfing Bob Segar music at 3 am is not a good idea, or cussing out your girlfriend in the middle of the gd campground at the top of you lungs? Third, I have every right in the world to get on this forum and call out stupidity when I see it. If you go back and look it wasn't even me that pointed that out, but I will gladly tell you that that kind of crap is not for family events. And not only that but I defended the perpetrator by stating that when he was sober he was a good guy. Now if you want to continue this I will be more than happy to take it to pms and tell you how I really feel.

njcraddock wrote:

TFrye wrote:

This death was caused but a sick person on some drugs not just alcohol. this Is the last think Marla and Steve need to be seeing on this site is people saying they won't be coming to another trails end event because where this accident happen at is irrelevant.

This death was caused by an idiot that had no self control. The problem is that he wasn't the only one up there. There's also a thing called hedging your bets. Yes, you take chances every day when you get out on the road that there may be a drunk driver. But if you put yourself into a situation where at least half the people around you are drunk driving then your odds will increase that something bad will happen. Listen, I love Marla and Steve, and they have my deepest sympathy for what they must be going through right now. But as Gimpy said, I too am shocked that something like this is just now happening. Shall I be blunt? Put a bunch of drunk rednecks together and testosterone level goes through the fricking roof. I will continue to support Trails End with my patronage, hell, I'll be back up there again in 5 weeks! And again a month after that. In fact Trails End will probably be the only place I ride and camp this year. But there is no way in hell you can blame me for not wanting to take my family back up there for another big event weekend.

I ve seen so many threads debating drinking and riding ...I love to ride and do not have time to stop and pee every 10 mins and am not babysetting a drunk ...
I hate this has happened to this family and pray for them ...I hope they throw this guy in jail forever ...there s a time and a place for a drunk ...its not at an event or behind the wheel of anything...I can tell you ....if this guy or you hurts my family by a drunken act ...they will need to call the funeral home ...not the police

There is a reason that there are family rides and if you want a quite time go to windrock