I copied this from George Burt's FB. He was the 4th rider the day my mother-in-law was hit by the drunk IMPD officer.....Thankfully George suffered no physical injuries due to the crash that day but as you can read, what he saw that day will forever be burned into his mind's eye. Obviously the "she" he refers to is my mother-in-law, Mary.....
It’s a Beautiful Day,
Or it would have been!
10:50 a.m.
She asks her co-worker/friend if he wanted to go eat Chinese.
He asks if her boyfriend had ridden his bike in that morning and she replies yes
She also laughs and thanks him for hiding her shoes and calls him a crazy ole fool
He laughs, and givers her a Hell Yeah, Bikes and Food, you can’t beat that
Plus,
It is a Beautiful Day!!!!
At that same time and not to far away
He takes his third big sip from the Speedway cup to make room, He pours more from the bottle into the cup
He takes another sip and decides it is again now strong enough to make him feel right
He returns the bottle back to the Black Bag
He sits back and continues to slip on his drink,
He looks in the rearview mirror to check on his partner, his dog and best friend
He is pleased he has his own patrol car, no checking on him
He takes another big drink feeling better and better and so he takes another
He only wished it did not take as much as it did, to make him feel like he did now
11:05 a.m.
They walk down the hallway to meet her boyfriend
He notices there is another with her boyfriend
He is bald and pretty stout, and he smiles as they approach
Introductions are made, handshakes, hugs, and pats on the back
A common bond made through the thought of being on their bikes with the wind in their faces.
It is a Beautiful Day!!!!
At that same time and not to far away
He takes another long drink, and does it one more time
He looks again at his rearview mirror
He turns the volume up on his radio
He hopes he doesn’t receive a call
He turns up the air, for his partner in the back
He takes another drink, knows he should stop, but he is feeling is too good
11:12 a.m.
They have left the building
They are on their bikes
They feel the wind on their faces
They are talking at each light when they had to stop
Saying,
It is a Beautiful Day!!!!
At that same time and not to far away
His radio blares
He is disturbed
He has to throw his drink away, but has time take one more sip
He tosses the cup out the window, along with the others he has left before
He puts his Patrol car in gear
He reaches for the switch activating siren and lights, don’t need them for this call, but who will know and who would tell
11:14 a.m.
They have gone through Six lights and now have just stopped for the Seventh
They all say to each other one last time,
It is a Beautiful Day!!!!
At that same time and not to far away
His adrenaline makes his high, even higher, as his car goes faster and faster
He passes left and then right and is pissed nobody is moving out of his way,
Don’t they hear his siren?
11:17 a.m.
He hears the siren loud and clear, but he can’t determine from where it comes
He stands up from his bike
He looks left and right, and straight ahead
He looks over his shoulder and finds the source
It is a Patrol Car, moving fast and heading their way
He sits back down, and looks for away to get out of its way
He finds he can’t go forward or to his right
He finds he is blocked both ways
He can’t go left because where would IT go
He follows the Patrol car by his mirrors; first looking at the right one and then the left, boy does IT’s image grow.
At that same time
His heart pounding faster, listening to his siren wail
His siren loud announcing to all, to watch out and part the way
He looks down the road, and wonders why
He sees the images to his front are growing so quickly and why won’t they move
He finally breaks his car hard, the pedal to floorboard
He jerks his car to left,
He hits the concrete barrier where his car would slide on for a hundred feet to rest
It’s damage done to all
He curses and wonders,
Didn’t they hear my siren?
11:18 a.m.
He hears the screech of tires
He hears the sound of metal on metal
He feels the wind of the car and bike as they pass by only inches from him
He sees through the dust and wind
His friends tossed and thrown like Rag Dolls tossed in the sky
His friends land in different places from where they were
His friends all maimed
At that same time
He watches in horror
He has hit the bike and its rider sending them to collect the other two.
He is mad and confused asking himself,
Didn’t they hear my Siren?
11:19 a.m.
He sits stunned on his bike, wondering what has just happened to his friends
He then reacts to their needs, by leaving his bike right where it stood
He went to his new friend he just met
He found him on his back, looking up in the sky
He feels for his friend’s life, and then finds another looking for life too
At that same time
He shakes his head to help clear his thoughts
He calls on his radio
He has been in a wreck and it is with injuries but not to him
He is scared now and will demand from them an answer to his question,
Didn’t you hear my Siren?
11:20 a.m.
He goes to her boyfriend and finds him the same
He sees him breathing but still, his life pours out
He hears a moan and a cry
He looks back to see her move
He moves to her, a body conscious
He kneels by her side
He calls her name
He tells her to hold on helps on the way
He wonders why he is left alone to attend to his friends
At that same time
He steps out of his car out into the mayhem
He shouts to the Rider next to his friend
He yells to him,
Didn’t you hear my Siren?
It was suppose to be a Beautiful Day, but an individual decided to drink and operate his patrol car in an unauthorized manner.
His decision cost the life of a new friend I just met 15 minutes prior to the mayhem he caused that day. His decision also caused two of my friends to spend weeks in hospital in pain and continued grief. We almost lost her twice that day, as the doctors worked on my friend. We found him in a coma, not knowing when he might come out and whom we would have when he returned and that is still and known.
I had to attend my new friend’s funeral not knowing how his family would feel about me attending.
Thank God, for they opened their arms and wrapped me in their love. Their love has given me strength to try being their rock during their time of need.
My nights are not my own, only the drugs I take tend to make them quick. I have found myself crying and not really knowing why. Daily, I ask myself why did I survive and not my new friend. Or, why was I spared the injuries my friends received.
The News media has interviewed me so many times, and I accept their request hoping by doing so will make that day less painful each time I recant that horrible day.
You know most Police cars have a motto or creed that says, To Protect and Serve, that day he decided his habit was more important.
I write, talk, and take up causes because of that day, in hope that I might lessen the pain of my grief of that August day. It seems to work somewhat but not fast enough. I still find myself crying for no apparent reason. Triggered by who knows why.
I am but a Man hoping what he has written above, people will understand, though physically injured I may not be, but mentally can I ever heal from what I witnessed that day? I seen a new friend’s life ebb away, and two others maimed, having to endure what no other should.
I know my writing skill is poor and I probably broken every English law of writing, but I felt I had to find away to express that day. So, I say to all, Sorry to those who have taken their time to read the ramblings of an old man. May God grant you and yours the Peace I seek each and everyday.
George “Diablo Lobo” Burt
A new friend of Eric Wells
An old friend of Mary Mills and Kurt Weekly
George Burt Please note this is a work of fiction.. I dont know if he did drink that day, until it is proven he did, it is fiction...
*This post brings tears to my eyes when I imagine what George saw that day....
I am thankful to report that Mary is getting better every day...
She is now walking with a walker!!
Tomorrow (Saturday) I will be helping her friends here in Charleston who a putting on a benefit ride in honor of Eric, Mary, Kurt, and George.
Kurt's mom, Karen, has been wonderful about keeping everyone up to date on how Kurt is doing. The way I understand it is he is now speaking in some simple sentences. Sometimes they dont understand anything he is saying and other times it comes out plain as day. It is very enouaging for him to be speaking now considering when it first happened no one knew if he would even come out of his coma. His therapists play cognitive games with him to exercise his brain. He is also getting better everyday and hopefully will continue to do so. Please keep him and everyone in your thoughts and prayers!!
