Rider dies popping wheelie (80 MPH wheelie, no less)

[flvegan]

At Nebraska Avenue, Krone pulled the wheel of his black sports bike into the air. He zoomed for almost a mile along Belcher Road until he spotted a cop at Tampa Road, said Sean Danahey, who was following behind him in a truck.

When the cop fell out of sight, Krone hit his second wheelie. It lasted for half a mile - a mile, perhaps - and it was astounding.

Krone was going 80 mph with one foot on the bike's left rear peg and the other just dangling behind him, Danahey said.

At the intersection of Belcher Road and Andrews Court he lost control.

It was 7:53 p.m. when his bike hit the curb and then the grassy median, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said. Krone was wearing his helmet, but it was not enough to protect him from the violent crash.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/18/Northpinellas/Rider_dies_popping_wh.shtml

I'm never amazed at the dumb things people do. I feel for his family.

[BreweryYardRat]

1. Yeesh.

Feel sorry for his family...and for the guys who had to scrape him off the pavement.

[eyepaddle]

2. Ouch. I saw a griup of guys doing that in rush hour freeway traffic

once. It's sad when anybody dies in such a foolish fashion, but the really surprising thing is that it isn't more common.