OCEAN CITY, Md. - OC Rock and Ride has come to an end, but a series of motorcycle crashes during the event, including one that killed a rider, has some attendees concerned about what the incidents could mean for its future.
The Ocean City Police Department says they responded to two motorcycle crashes during the day on Thursday.
The first happened at the intersection of 37th Street and Coastal Highway. Police say that a motorcyclist pulled onto Coastal Highway and was struck by another motorcyclist. The rider who was turning was killed, while the other motorcyclist suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening, according to police.
Later on Thursday, police responded to another motorcycle crash near 118th Street.
Police say a motorcyclist failed to stop at a traffic signal and struck another motorcycle carrying two people. All three people involved suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
“I just hope it doesn’t ruin it because we do enjoy coming here,” says OC Rock and Rider Charles Teets.
Charles and Meredith Teets have attended the Ocean City motorcycle event for more than five years. They say they were glad to see a strong police presence throughout the weekend but worry serious incidents could lead to additional restrictions.
“You hate to see it, you know, because there’s always the possibility that they shut it down or shorten it or put more restrictions on everybody,” Teets says. “There’s always that one person that ruins it for everybody.”
Sean Chenworth says he believes Ocean City does a good job trying to keep visitors safe during large events but acknowledged that not every incident can be prevented.
“When you have large crowds of people, whether it’s bike week, whether it’s, you know, the busiest week of the year for vacationers, unfortunately bad things happen,” Chenworth says. “You can plan for ’em the best you can, but you can’t eliminate them 100%.”
The weekend that brought motorcyclists to Ocean City for riding and entertainment ended with another reminder about the dangers riders and drivers can face on the road.
The Ocean City Police Department tells CoastTV that it plans to hold a debriefing meeting later this week to review the event and its statistics.
