Motocross Takes 17-year-olds Life

Posted on September 20, 2008

Students at Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns County in north Florida are mourning a senior who was killed this week in a motocross track accident in Flagler County, Florida.

Bennet “Ben” Gordon Geiger Jr. was just 17 years old. He had been riding motocross for two years, experienced at jumping the motorcycle tracks. He was on a practice ride at the Pax Trax Motocross in Bunnell Tuesday when his motorcycle flipped on top of him after a jump.

He was wearing a helmet and had reportedly been on the motorcycle for at least an hour when the accident occurred.He eventually died at Flagler Hospital.An autopsy will be conducted.

First Coast News reports that the Bunnell Police Department reportedly had a hard time putting together the scene because Geiger’;s bike, helmet and clothing were moved before they got there to investigate.

Geiger also helped the school maintain athletic fields. Ben was just a great kid, and a dedicated and involved student , says his principal.

There was a moment of silence for Geiger during the Friday night football game with Creekside High School.

“I think one of the main thing with students this age is because it’;s so final,”the principal said.

Big John Scott who had Ben in his Bible study and in his high school class, said online that Ben was “Quite possibly the funniest kid I ever met. Your friends are just ruined today.”

Friends go on to say how much they will miss Ben and what an impact he had on their life.

“Riding dirtbikes must have been his biggest love, I remember him talking about it all the time. At least he died doing what he loved best. “Only the good die young ,” says Nina Alvarez online.

Broken bones are commonplace with motocross- racing and stunt riding with off-road motorcycles.

Motocross is a combination of motorcycle and cross country.Riders can perform acrobatic stunts while riding in the freestyle motocross done by professionals.

Motocross-related injuries tallied about 53,000 in 2002, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.But the popular sport hosts thousands of racing events every year. American Motorcycle Association stresses that safety is built into clothing- high boots, helmets and gloves.

In one story, when an orthopedist from California was going to allow his 12-year old son into the sport, he and a former professional rider consulted on how to make the track safer. They reduced injuries in half by making jumps more rounded, and stocked the track with emergency flaggers as well as segregating races by age and ability.

According to the CDC in a 2006 report, most people injured from off-road motorcycle riding among children and teens are male.A report says that more than 23,000 young people, under the age of 19, were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for their injuries each year from 2001 to 2004.

During that same period of time, 245 died. Most of the injuries were fractures to the head or extremities.Our condolences to his family and friends.