Okay, that sounds better thank you.

Truecitizen: Happycamper's comment had to do with something totally off this subject. It involved an item found in the court records, an incident between a man on a bike and a police vehicle. Her comment was slander/libel (in my opinion). The Gazette must have agreed. As far as this story about the motorcyclist pursuit, I agree 100 percent with Evansvillemom's comment.

Seems to me that this guy was an accident waiting to happen, with or without the police. To me, the officer was just doing his job in trying to stop someone, who shouldn't have been driving a motorcycle that fast in a 30mph zone, let alone driving drunk if that were the case. I guess I don't understand why alot of you are blaming an officer for doing his job. His job is to keep the highways safe and seeing someone going that fast on a bike at that time of night, could of caused more damage to someone else, other than himself. Besides the officer didn't even get a good start on chasing this guy, before he crashed anyway. The only one to blame is the biker himself for his stupidity. I hope he is alright, but he screwed up. Hope he learns something from this, because the next time, he could severly injure someone else that just happened to be in his path.

rep_of_1...You say innocent until proven guilty, so by saying cover up aren't you pronoucing the Milton police officer guilty? Why not wait until after the State Patrol is done with the reconstruction before pronoucing Milton of doing a cover up.

The arguement bewteen 'rep' and 'glock' is a good one.....mainly because it is entertaining! SarahB...you seem very forgiving and too trustworthy. Do you ever criticise anyone other than the people who are fed up? Being fed up can be an attribute also. I would like for you to finally acknowledge some of the non-lemming points of view. I don't know what the 'camper' post said though. But I liked evansvillemom's blunt answer. I know I would've pulled over. But then again, I would not drive like that and drinking.
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For everyone...what the heck was this cop supposed to do. Maybe he should just let the guy go by and forget about even attempting to follow, just in case it gets misconstrude into a chase...which never even became one. Then the cop will be seen by someone (who's probably watching to see if the cop screws up), and then everyone says "He didn't even try to prevent the accident!" This cop may have even saved the rider's life by finding the accident. Don't know his condition but I hope the rider lives to learn from it.

Happycamper: If you're lucky, the Gazette will delete your comment before daylight. If not, you might be facing a lawsuit from Mr. Clark. I know I'd go after you if you'd posted a similar comment about me.

What? The speeding and drinking and no helmet had nothing to do with the accident...it was the cops fault....try living without police...and then try living without drunk drivers...

Besides always jumping to the cops defense, why not actually acknowledge that cops do cause accidents and even deaths. Thus, the choice isn't always between preventing deaths and having them, but between choosing between the deaths caused by cops and the deaths there would be without them. Same thing with social services, etc. We always assume that state intervention is the answer, but the state also causes problems when they, for example, remove children from homes.

"Good thing the internet provides you with anonymity because if I was a cop I would be hard pressed to help you out."

So if you were a cop which you asked of me. Being hard pressed is any different in the context of your story than not wanting to help?

rep, not once did I say I would not help someone in distress or need, talk about putting words in ones mouth.

Hmmm, speeding, alchohol, and no helmet once again....how many more, until we learn?

...mmmmm oreos.....

the 'eviler of two evils' strikes AGAIN. to bad consuming alcohol doesnt make you a bit lazy, or make you giggle as you rip thru a bag of oreos. wait, i guess then itd be illegal....

"Rep, cops are human and are capable of making mistakes. You seem to think ALL cops make mistakes and then cover them up. I would like to see you do their job for one day, see what they see and then get your nuggets of wisdom."

Never did I write that nor do I think that. Thanks for putting words in my mouth to support your view.
Those nuggets are shared by me daily as my neighbor is an officer as well as another old friend from my younger days.
As far as doing their job I would be no more or less qualified as the next guy with out training, however I do have the compassion to help people when they need it irregardless of there own actions. Which you made quite clear in your earlier comment that you would not.

Molly5 The one thing I could come up with, was they bicyclist was "J-walking". He might not of had the right away. There for it wouldn't be the officers fault.

Rep, cops are human and are capable of making mistakes. You seem to think ALL cops make mistakes and then cover them up. I would like to see you do their job for one day, see what they see and then get your nuggets of wisdom.

happycamper-
On what facts do you base the assertion that he is "an addict looking for money"?

markr good assumption. No need to assign guilt until the case is in the legal system.
I have no remorse for either party in the accident. I do however very much dislike the attitude that cops do no wrong mentality. If you think cops are human beings capable of mistakes or covering up mistakes your considered a cop basher.

“Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.” - Dean Wormer.
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“Fast, drunk, and stupid is no way to ride a motorcycle, especially at 12:32 a.m.” - Northman

rep-
The problem with your argument is that, while you correctly do not want anyone to assign unwarranted guilt to the cyclist, you seem to have no problem assuming the cop's guilt.

He did use his head...to break his fall. Sorry, had to be said. I do feel bad for the guy. But he is still an idiot.

Ok so now as someone who lives right where this tiik place. This was not a cover up, this was not a chase, I heard it happen. I heard the bike, sounded as it was going fast, then it stopped just like that. Then the cop sirens go off a few seconds later. I watched it all right from my home. The guy never went to turn on Arthur. As he hit the ground before it, by far. Anyone who knows Milton and where Arthur is, can say the same. Anyhow when the helicopter came it sounded like it was coming through my place as went right over me. But my take on it is that this guy was stupid, for one drinking, for two speeding and on a bike is number three. Some people need to learn to use thier heads!

gocrew~I agree with you. He was probably just trying to get away from the officer. I'm sorry to see a fellow rider down whether he was breaking the law or not. I hope he recovers well.

This is just my opinion, but it seems like the motorcyclist saw the officer, knew he was going to get pulled over, and decided to try and turn on Arthur Dr. and wind through the resedential area to avoid the police. I highly doubt that the MPD is trying to cover anything up. The fact is the guy was speeding, possibly under the influence, and knew it and was trying to avoid prosecution.

According to Google Maps, it's about 1 mile from High St to just past Arthur Drive. If the rider averaged 60 mph it would take him about 1 minute to cover that distance:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sadd...

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I assume the reason the State Patrol reconstructed the accident is due to the involvement of a Milton PD officer, however minimally it may have been. In the end, there is a man who has been seriously injured and there needs to a proper investigation. Personally, I put the blame squarely on the motorcycle rider, regardless if he knew he was being followed. As long as the Milton PD officer followed established procedure, the State Patrol will likely agree.

on a side note.....
how is this for a kick in the face.no tickets issued? you strike a pedestrian(in a crosswalk)and no ticket for inatentive driving or failure to yield.does not matter if he was on a bike or not,SHE DIDNT LOOK!!!!!hope he gets a good lawyer and sues.

Accidents

-- NORTH FRANKLIN STREET AND CENTERWAY in Janesville at 4:50 p.m. Sept. 11, a Janesville police squad car driven by officer Amber L. Thompson, 25, turned right and struck a bicycle ridden in the crosswalk by Kenneth B. Clark, 48, of 106 Cherry St., Janesville. No injuries were reported, and no tickets were issued. Minor damage to the bicycle was reported.

rep of 1, having the State Patrol do the investigation is just MPD covering their butts, if they conduct their own investigation you and all the other bashers would be screaming COVER UP!!! It is policy. If someone tries to sue the MPD and they conducted their own investigation they would be in a heap of trouble.

By the way, rep_of_1 - let me keep it simple for you.

Action=reaction. Don't speed (regardless of alcohol), and you will not find a Milton PD officer driving after you.

Correlation (accident by motorcycle) does not always equal causation (police responding to excessive speed).

Do you understand now?

Yep.. never misunderstood that in the first place.
You must admit a tittle that states "Pursuit didn't cause motorcycle crash" but yet have the state patrol reenact the scene, there is doubt of what really happened. If there is a clear cut case, no state patrol reenactment needed. Don't waste my tax money on needless procedure. I don't condone what the man did. But any of you that posted here that have a bill of rights are hypocrites if it happened to you even under different circumstances, you would want to see both sides of the story not guilty till proven innocent. I don't put being a police officer on a podium. They are human beings with a sworn oath to follow procedure with check paid at the end of the week. Police officer is a choice, not a thankless job some of seem to make it out to be.
The comment about Mother Theressa or any thing like her, she worked for charity, not a salary.
Lets see how many officers would work for free.

The distance between the intersection of HWY 26 and High St. and Arthur Dr. is about 1/4 mile at the most. At worst, the officer spooked the guy by turning on his lights and he crashed because he realized he was SOL. Whenever something like this happens, there are some who will blame the police for pursuing someone who is breaking the law. At the time of the incident, there was no reason not to pursue as there is very little traffic, if any, at that time of night in Milton on a weeknight. I hope the driver is ok and has the opportunity to learn from this mistake. Being 30 and having graduated from Milton HS, I'm wondering if it's anyone I know.

I don't care if the cop chased him for miles or not at all. It is his job to pull someone over if they are going 30 miles over the speed limit. The long and short of it is - if the cherries are flashing behind you pull over. If you don't the consequences are no ones fault but yours.

This is how I understood it, the driver didn't know he was being followed or pulled over because the driver crashed before the officer was able to get catch right up behind him. They said it was only 30 seconds from the initial call about the speeding to the call about the crash. The driver was going 60+ when he passed the officer sitting still. Doesn't seem like a long enough time frame to be pursuit related. Regardless if it was or not it isn't the officers fault, he was doing his job. It is sad though, that the man crashed and is now in the hospital. I hope he recovers and learns a valuable lesson.

By the way, rep_of_1 - let me keep it simple for you.

Action=reaction. Don't speed (regardless of alcohol), and you will not find a Milton PD officer driving after you.

Correlation (accident by motorcycle) does not always equal causation (police responding to excessive speed).

Do you understand now?

That is the beauty of our police forces (all around the country). They get bashed for doing thier job (somebody speeds by using excessive speed), yet they would still protect/rescue the same persons who bashed them, or violated the law due to their own stupidity. This is what makes them great public servants. They are committed to their job regardless of the mindless idiots out there.

The cop bashers don't even suprise me anymore...these same people could find something wrong with Mother Theresa.

because in todays society no one is responsible for their own actions. God forbid anyone put the blame where it belongs!! Speed kills, drinking and driving kills!! Put them together and what do you get?? Oops it must be the cops fault!! God forbid anyone of you cop bashers actually need one someday! Good thing the internet provides you with anonymity because if I was a cop I would be hard pressed to help you out.

No offense, but I guess this drunken idiot learned a lesson this morning didn't he? There are speed limits for a reason, helmets for a reason and warnings on the label of alcoholic drinks for a reason....he chose to ignore all those reasons, and now he is in a real predicament. I just hope he pulls through to have learned his lesson, and to pay for his crime.

It's pretty alarming to come out ad say "I never suspected that suspect knew I chasing him with lights and sirens activated" guilt admission number one. Police officers make mistakes just like any one else.
I have no sympathy for the guy who got hurt(no helmet=organ donor) he was operating under the influence than fine however, NO where in the story does it say the guys level of BAC. Guilty till proven innocent with all your responses. Has every one here forgot how the constitution and bill of rights are written? You could say the suspect had one drink and alcohol was involved. The rules are strict in the state of WI not just when Milton PD wants to play copper involving chasing motorcycles. Give the guy a break when you call him drunk this may or may not be the case.

Cover up? Are you kidding? The guy was (presumably)intoxicated, driving double the speed limit, and it is the police department's fault? You people slay me with your 'pass the buck/responsibility' theories. How about the real facts, like explaining why the motorcycle driver did what he did. It is always somebody else' fault.

a cover up? right. it MUST be a cover up, since it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that a guy on a bike doing over 60 in a 30 MPH zone would crash...especially loaded up on booze. yeah. it's likely there was a cover up. sounds to me like the officer was just the unfortunate one who attempted to get another speeding drunk driver off the road but didn't get there in time. my condolences to the people involved.

You know what? Even if the cops were pursuing the motorcycle, whose fault is it the accident happened? I'm sick and tired of people blaming the cops for doing their jobs and of people not taking responsibility for their actions. The motorcyclist was doing 30 over, apparently intoxicated and he crashed. His fault, not the cop. You drive drunk, especially on a motorcycle and speed in the dark, things aren't going to turn out for the best.

Why do you think it's a cover-up? I don't live in Milton but my recollection is that it's relatively a short distance from E. High St. to Arthur Dr. on Hwy 26. For the officer to call it in, turn from High Street onto Hwy. 26 and increase speed to catch up (even with a cop car engine) to the motorcycle going 60 mph only to find the driver had crashed seems like a logical time frame to me. Sounds like the only problem here was speed and possibly alcohol. Some people around here are so "conspiracy theory" it's sad.

Nice cover up, now what are the real facts..."Schuetz said the officer involved appeared to have followed the departmental policies"