‘We Want To Prevent This From Happening Again’ Witnesses Describe Deadly Collision Between Fire Truck And Dirt Bike Rider In Baltimore As Advocates Call For Solutions

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — WJZ reviewed the exigency dispatch calls that came retired conscionable earlier 7:30 p.m. Thursday erstwhile a occurrence motortruck collided with a ungraded motorcycle rider successful Southwest Baltimore’s Carrollton Ridge vicinity astatine Pratt and Payson. It was initially reported arsenic a pedestrian struck.

Witnesses told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren the rider was dragged respective feet. His footwear was near successful the mediate of West Pratt Street. “He was conscionable riding down the thoroughfare for real. I conjecture helium wasn’t paying attention.”

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The occurrence motortruck was yanking connected the horn and ran consecutive into him. His caput was nether the tire. It dragged him crossed the full street,” said 1 eyewitness who spoke connected camera but declined to springiness his name.

A witnesser to past night’s deadly collision successful SW Baltimore betwixt a occurrence motortruck and a ungraded motorcycle describes what happened and however the young antheral was dragged. @wjz pic.twitter.com/va9RuF9iDh

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) October 22, 2021

“The motortruck had its siren on?” Hellgren asked. “It was hitting the horns. Definitely doing its job,” the witnesser said. He noted loved ones showed up astir immediately. “Once we told them that was him nether that achromatic sheet, they started to interruption down crying.”

“This was thing I’ve been saying for years was going to happen, and I don’t similar to beryllium close successful these situations” Brittany Young from B-360 spoke to maine contiguous astir the decease of a ungraded motorcycle rider who collided with a occurrence motortruck past night. https://t.co/UxqkJDCItD. @wjz pic.twitter.com/Gk9yyaUBjg

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) October 22, 2021

Another witnesser told Hellgren the country was gruesome, thing helium volition ne'er forget.

“You tin suffer your beingness successful the substance of a 2nd for real. It’s crazy,” helium said. “Shocking. That’s however I felt. Shocking. I haven’t seen thing similar that. I spot weapon unit astir each day, but thing similar that, I haven’t ever seen thing similar that.”

The occurrence motortruck was headed to a telephone astatine the time. Counseling was provided for those involved.

Union officials were astatine the country and person ensured that our members are being cared for. The Critical Incident Stress Team has been called and are helping retired those successful need. Please commune for everyone progressive and their families, #BMORESBravest and civilian. This is simply a tragedy. pic.twitter.com/UvkRieOzkD

— Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734 (@BCFDL734) October 22, 2021

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Dirt bikes person agelong been a portion of Baltimore’s civilization adjacent though they are amerciable connected metropolis streets. The politician tells WJZ this is astir much than constabulary enforcement.

“Our constabulary section is engaged with ungraded bikes each the time. It’s overmuch deeper than that. It’s astir however we’re moving with the ungraded motorcycle riders and getting them to bash that successful a controlled, successful a harmless place,” Mayor Brandon Scott said. He besides referred to what happened arsenic a “tragedy” but said helium was incapable to speech astir circumstantial details of an “ongoing investigation.”

Brittany Young with the nonprofit enactment B-360 works with riders and is trying to acceptable up a imperishable ungraded motorcycle park. She managed to unafraid a impermanent abstraction for riders astatine the B&O Railroad Museum’s parking lot.

“People should deliberation astir this arsenic somebody’s child—somebody’s brother, somebody’s sister,” Young told Hellgren. “This was thing I’ve been saying for years was going to happen, and I don’t similar to beryllium close successful these situations.”

She said ungraded bikers request their ain abstraction and should not beryllium criminalized—and pointed to efforts to marque harmless spaces for skateboarders. “What we’re not looking for is radical to constituent fingers and blasted the rider but alternatively to person empathy and to springiness that household immoderate clip to grieve.”

You tin work much astir B-360 here.

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