HOLLISTER
– An 11-year-old Tracy boy died in a motorcycle accident at the
Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area Saturday – the
first death at the track in its 21-year history, according to the
park’s district superintendent.
HOLLISTER – An 11-year-old Tracy boy died in a motorcycle accident at the Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area Saturday – the first death at the track in its 21-year history, according to the park’s district superintendent.
The boy was participating in a practice run on his dirt bike when he collided with another rider after he lost control going up a jump on the Grand Prix track about noon, said Dan Dungy, district superintendent.
”It was truly an accident,” Dungy said. ”And a tragic one at that.”
Although the boy was immediately attended to by about eight emergency medical technicians he was pronounced dead at the scene. Employees with State Park Rangers, Emergency Medical Technicians, American Medical Response and CALSTAR all attempted to revive him, Dungy said.
The cause of death was determined to be a ruptured heart and ruptured aorta, said San Benito County Sheriff’s Detective Chris Green. The boy also suffered a broken back.
The boy was wearing all the required safety gear, including a full helmet, protective gear covering his shoulders and knees and a thin plastic chest plate, Green said.
”It would protect from branches, but not from any kind of impact,” Green said. ”It was either height or speed to get these types of injuries.”
There is no indication of wrongdoing, but the case is under investigation, Dungy said.
The track is located off Cienega Road in the Gabilan Mountains.
During the practice runs the riders are grouped by size of bike, Dungy said. The boy had been riding for about 18 months and was on a small XR85 Honda.
Because the smaller bikes are usually ridden by the younger riders, grouping them helps to keep the larger bikes ridden by older and more experienced riders away from the beginners, Dungy said.
”Accidents vary – it’s like anything at the skate park or snowboarding – that’s why we really stress safe riding,” Dungy said. ”For people to stay in shape, know their skill level and know when they’re getting fatigued… No amount of safety precautions could have stopped this.”
When the riders accelerate up a jump, there is a person with a flag, called a flagger, standing at the top to call attention to other riders if an accident occurs. If a flag is raised it warns riders coming up a jump that they need to slow down or alter their course.
”There were three (flaggers) in the immediate area, but (the accident) had absolutely nothing to do with flagging,” Dungy said.
The weekend’s race and practice runs were sponsored by Mutant Motorsports, a Tracy-based motorcycle company. Hollister Hills doesn’t require the sponsors to have an ambulance on the scene, but there were first aid units and one ambulance on location anyhow, said Johnny Chavez, Mutant’s owner.
”We take all safety precautions possible,” Chavez said. ”We’re all pretty traumatized by this whole thing. He lived in Tracy, we’re in Tracy, my son went to school with him.”
Chavez said he hasn’t made a decision whether his company will continue to sponsor events at Hollister Hills or not.
The boy was practicing for a competitive race the next day. To honor his memory, Sunday’s race was canceled.
Erin Musgrave can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 336, or at
em*******@***********ws.com.
