Retired New Jersey officer arraigned for motorcyclists deaths

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A retired New Jersey police officer has been charged with two counts of homicide following an accident killing and injuring a number of motorcyclists. It is alleged that the retired officer was in his pickup truck driving drunk at speeds of 51 mph in a 35 mph zone, that he crossed the center lane and ran head on into a pack of motorcyclists. Two of the motorcycle riders were killed as a result of this accident. Five other motorcyclists were injured in the accident. The individual allegedly responsible for the above crash failed a field sobriety test and registered a 0.11 blood alcohol level. If such a blood alcohol level seems insignificant to some, the amount of devastation caused by his driving shows otherwise. Drivers are too often overly confident in their ability to have a few drinks and get behind the wheel. There is little that a motorcycle rider can do in the face of such reckless conduct. Motorcycles share the road with other vehicles and yet are at an enormous disadvantage because of the weight and size of the vehicles that they are operating. A rider involved in such an accident also has little chance of escaping serious injury and the injuries are often catastrophic. Injuries incurred because of a motorcycle accident can lead to long term medical care, rehabilitation, lost wages, extreme pain and suffering and exorbitant medical bills. Such accidents are often challenging because no two accidents are ever alike. However, attorneys that have tried accidents involving motorcyclist injuries often can sort matters out and seek compensation from the party that caused the accident. Source: lehighvalleylive.com, "John P. Heaney, ex-cop, arraigned in Bangor double-fatal motorcycle crash case," by Sarah Cassi, Nov. 10, 2011