Slush Pile: Highway Wheelie Kills Motorcyclist

2007 Slush Pile

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Highway Wheelie Kills Motorcyclist

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

Note to Darwin: The notable feature of this story is that the subject did it on a 4-lane divided highway in a suburban area - the other similar stories on your site all happened in mere parking lots. Also, according to the obituary he left a fiancee and a young son behind.

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TV report & video clip links:

http://wfmz.com/view/?id=118562

http://wfmz.com/view/?id=118614

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Link: www.mcall.com/news/local/police/all-5fatalyv5n.5925051jul02,0,2446724.story

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From The Morning Call

July 2, 2007

Motorcyclist, 24, Dies Trying Trick, Police Say

Whitehall Township

A 24-year-old Allen Township man died when his motorcycle crashed Sunday afternoon in Whitehall, authorities said.

Justin T. Benninger, of 4223 Howertown Road, apparently lost control while doing a wheelie, a trick in which the biker lifts one wheel off the ground and rides on the rear wheel, police said.

Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim pronounced Benninger dead at the scene.

The crash happened about 5:10 p.m. on Route 145 between Columbia and Chestnut streets, police said.

Benninger was motorcycling north on Route 145 at a high rate of speed, police said. He apparently tried to do the trick, lost control and left the road.

Benninger was thrown from the bike and landed in brush on the east side of the street, police said. He died of injuries suffered in the accident, Grim said.

Police said Benninger was wearing a helmet in the crash.

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Obituary:

Link: http://www.legacy.com/mcall/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStoryPrint&PersonID=90112472

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Justin T. Benninger

Justin T. Benninger, 24, of Northampton, died July 1 in Whitehall Township. Born in Allentown, he was the son of Donald L. Jr. and Sanday L. (Lorah) Benninger of Northampton. Justin was a warehouse specialist at C&S Grocery Wholesale, Bethlehem. He was a member of Hope Lutheran Church, Cherryville. Survivors: Besides his parents, son Aidan Snyder of Bethlehem; brother, Jeremy W. Benninger of Northampton; fiance, Rachel L. Snyder-Jannette of Bethlehem; paternal grandparents, Donald Sr. and Shirley Benninger of Walnutport; aunts and uncles, Todd and Annette Benninger of Northampton, Claudia and Steve Faust of Emmaus, Anna and Mark Solt of Walnutport, Thelma and Edward Hartzell of Slatington, Charles Jr. and Debbie Lorah of Northampton; cousins, Matthew, Melissa, Marcus, CJ, Cassidy, Mitchell and Christian Solt, Erica, Elisa, Tony and Emma Hartzell, Anna Lorah. Services: will be Friday, July 6 at 11 a.m. in Hope Lutheran Church, 4131 Lehigh Dr., Cherryville. Call Thursday 6-8 p.m. in the Reichel Funeral Home, 326 E. 21st St., Northampton and Friday 10-11 a.m. in the church. Pastor Clark Kuntz will officiate. Contributions: In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Aidan C. Snyder Education Fund, c/o funeral home.

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The Easton (PA) Express-Times also had an article about this, but it is not as local as the above 2 sources. However, it does point out that this subject apparently had a PRIOR crash:

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http://www.pennlive.com/news/expresstimes/pa/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1183436632303220.xml&coll=2

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Family recalls biker's passion

Victim of Sunday wreck was father to a 9-month-old son.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007 By BEVIN MILAVSKY The Express-Times

ALLEN TWP. | Justin Benninger loved motorcycles from the time he got his first dirt bike when he was 5.

Donald Benninger said his younger son had seen his dad and uncle ride and fell in love with the hobby. On Sunday, he died doing what he loved.

Benninger's mom, Sanday Benninger, said her son was headed home from an afternoon ride when he crashed at 5:12 p.m. on Route 145 between Columbia and Chestnut streets in Whitehall Township.

Whitehall Township police said Benninger, 24, lost control of the bike while doing a wheelie, veered off the road, struck several trees and was thrown into the brush. Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim said Benninger died of multiple traumatic injuries. Police say he was wearing a helmet.

Sanday Benninger said her son took long rides with friends every couple of weeks, heading toward Philadelphia or Lancaster.

"He was a free spirit. He always lived on the edge," she said.

This was Benninger's second motorcycle crash but his mom said he had never been afraid to ride again after the first one a few years ago.

"He made a full recovery and put (the bike) back together," she said. "He was very fearless that way."

Benninger had worked as a receiver at C& S Wholesale Grocers in Lower Nazareth Township for about 10 months. He grew up in the area and graduated from Northampton Area High School, which is where he met his girlfriend, Rachel Snyder.

In February, he moved from the home he shared with his parents and brother, Jeremy, 29, in the 4200 block of Howertown Road, to Washington Street in Walnutport with Snyder and their 9-month-old son, Aiden.

"He loved Aiden," Sanday Benninger said, adding he is their only grandchild. "He was very easygoing about everything, very forgiving,"

She said her son also loved tattoos and often added to his body art, even helping to design some of the patterns.

Reporter Bevin Milavsky can be reached at 610-867-5000 or by e-mail at bmilavsky@express-times.com.

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http://www.pennlive.com/news/expresstimes/pa/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1183350167243660.xml&coll=2

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Fall after wheelie fatal to 'cycle rider

Monday, July 02, 2007

WHITEHALL TWP. | A 24-year-old man died Sunday afternoon in a motorcycle wreck on Route 145, township police said.

Police said the driver, Justin T. Benninger of 4200 block of Howertown Road, Northampton, was doing a wheelie at a high rate of speed when he lost control of his bike throwing him off the road. The wreck happened between Columbia and Chestnut streets, police said.

The man was wearing a helmet and died at the crash, police said.

Submitted on 07/03/2007

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: The Morning Call, Allentown, PA - 02 July 2007 & others

>> Moderator Scores <<

James said:
Definitely Toss: Too Common
Other than losing control of the bike (which happens quite often regardless of rate of speed), there's nothing to suggest anything above and beyond a tragic accident. The victim WAS wearing a helmet (unlike most of the motorcycle crash incidents we get) which further detracts from whatever stupidity may have been present. Thanks just the same for submitting, we DO appreciate it!

Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Too Common
I agree with James that there's nothing spectacular about this accident compared with some of the others we get. Thanks for sending it in just the same.

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2007 Slush Pile

Highway Wheelie Kills Motorcyclist

2007 Reader Submission Pending Acceptance

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance