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Sumas teen with new motorcycle license dies in crash

by Associated Press

KING5.com

Posted on December 6, 2011 at 8:57 AM

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- An 18-year-old died in a motorcycle crash in Bellingham a half-hour after passing his motorcycle license test.

Police spokesman Mark Young says David Swift of Sumas lost control Saturday after passing a car. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Whatcom County Medical Examiner Gary Goldfogel says speed and inattention may have contributed to the fatality.

The Bellingham Herald reports Swift was the youngest of seven children. He was a 2011 graduate of Nooksack Valley High School who hoped to join the Air Force in the spring.

Swift and a brother, who was on another motorcycle, had decided to take a curvy road after he passed his motorcycle test.

More than 200 people attended a spontaneous memorial for Swift on Sunday night at Riverside Park in Everson.
 

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Comments: Displaying 1 - 7 of 7

bazwest said on December 6, 2011 at 3:13 PM

How heartwrenching for his family and especially the brother. Until a new rider gets used to leaning into a corner it is extremely dangerous to push the speed up on a bike. It is not a natural feeling to lean into a corner and put leftward pressure on the steering in order to turn right. It feels backwards at first. It is extremely easy for a new rider to have a hard time maintaining a true course through a corner until this begins to feel comfortable. RIP young man.

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dakotanative said on December 6, 2011 at 3:10 PM

Happens all the time. A less experienced rider tries to keep up and is lead to his death or injuries by a more experienced rider. If his brother was leading, he needs to accept responsibility. I spent many years in motorcycle safety for the military, and I never visited an inexperienced rider in the hospital that was leading a ride.

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cheerbase11 said on December 6, 2011 at 2:41 PM

This story is so extremely vague. I live in this area and he hit a curb, purely accidentally and something that would normally NOT kill a person. I have seen motorcycle riders survive being hit by cars but this poor guy hit in the wrong place at the wrong time. I give my condolences to the family for having to loose someone so suddenly in an accident like this.

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agarmy said on December 6, 2011 at 12:07 PM

He probably knew just enough to get himself through the test, got overexcited and got ballsy about having his license, and just got ahead of himself on the road. It happens a a lot with people and vehicles in general. Sad, but safety should have been the main priority, not speeding around.

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Bellcoug said on December 6, 2011 at 11:11 AM

He died on the Horton Rd., a 35mph rd. With one slight curve.100% driver error and no fault of his brother. Google map Horton Rd. And look East of Cordata St. He crashed right in the middle before Guide Meridian rd.

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LisaMarie70 said on December 6, 2011 at 9:27 AM

How tragic! It is even more tragic that his older brother will have to live with knowing that he took his brother down a curvy road and were passing cars, when his younger brother died 30 mins after passing his motorcycle driver test.

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cpenrico24274615 said on December 6, 2011 at 9:16 AM

No comment whatsoever.

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