Another quad death

[Bird of Flames]

They had a picture in my local paper (newsday) it was a 400 or 300ex and a suzuki 250r

 

ATV DEATH

 

A ride turns deadly

Mineola man, 41, killed after his vehicle collides with another all-terrain at quarry site in Manorville

 

Six months ago, Robert Calderone, a free-spirited Mineola plumber, joined the growing ranks of Long Islanders who enjoy off-road trail driving in their all-terrain recreational vehicles.

 

When family members worried about possible dangers, Calderone assured them he wore a helmet.

 

"He told me it'd relax him," recalled a cousin and close friend, Ken Calderone of Garden City Park. "He worked pretty hard all week, and this relieved the pressures."

 

On Sunday afternoon, the 41-year-old's yellow Suzuki four-wheel-drive vehicle collided head-on with another ATV in a Manorville sand quarry, where visibility was poor because of the dust kicked up by the vehicles.

 

Robert Calderone was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he later died, according to Suffolk police.

 

The driver of the other vehicle, Tyler Greenwood, 29, of Manorville, was taken to the same hospital, where he was reported yesterday in critical but stable condition.

 

The driver of a third ATV also involved in the accident, Kenneth King, 32, of Bethpage, suffered injuries described at the time as minor and was undergoing an X-ray examination yesterday, a family member said.

 

All three ATVs were impounded for safety checks, but no criminal charges were filed and a police investigation is continuing.

 

Calderone's death shocked representatives of trail-riding enthusiasts on Long Island, who are campaigning for designation of local park areas where members can drive motorcycles and four-wheel "quads" safely. The vehicles can be driven legally only off roadways.

 

Laws now bar such activities on public lands, out of concerns over noise, risk of injury and possible environmental damage.

 

A task force representing drivers, environmentalists and Suffolk County government leaders is expected to start tackling the issue in about a month.

 

"What happened Sunday is a horror and shouldn't have happened, but it has to do with where they were driving," said Tom Riker of Miller Place, secretary of the 4-year-old Long Island Off- Road Vehicle Association.

 

The group lists more than a thousand quad owners in Suffolk, Nassau and Queens counties. Engaged in the same campaign are local representatives of the American Motorcycle Association, who estimate there are about 10,000 drivers of all- terrain motorcycles in Suffolk and Nassau.

 

A major problem, according to Riker and other off-road enthusiasts, is that a lack of public vehicle trails on the Island has left drivers with only two legal options: ride on private property with the owner's written permission, or leave the Island to pursue their passion.

 

Many opt for a third choice: ride illegally at sites where collisions are likely because of a lack of marked trails and directional signs.

 

Suffolk police said Sunday's death was the first at the Manorville site, but said accidents have occurred there before. The site is described by police as a 115-acre quarry off South Street in Manorville operated by the Ranco Sand & Stone company. Police add that off-road drivers frequently slip into the quarry without permission on Sundays and holidays through a break in the fence, though signs are posted warning against unauthorized visitors.

 

There was no answer at Ranco's phone yesterday.

 

James Power, a detective assigned to Suffolk's Seventh Squad, which covers Manorville and other parts of Brookhaven Town, says trail riders should be aware of potential dangers and proceed with caution.

 

"I think people get these quads, watch what they do on TV, think they can do these things, and don't realize how powerful these quads are," Power said.

 

At the Calderone home, grieving relatives yesterday remembered Robert Calderone, who was 6-foot-1 and known as "Big Bob," as a fun-loving and versatile handyman, equally adept at home and auto repairs.

 

Ken Calderone said his cousin bought the all-terrain vehicle in used condition about two years ago, disassembled and rebuilt it, then started driving off-road about six months ago.

 

Ken Calderone added that Robert was the sort of person who was always quick in responding to requests from friends and relatives to help with car repairs, as well as with plumbing, carpentry and electrical problems.

 

"He'd be the first one they would call," the cousin said.

 

A graduate of Mineola High School, Robert Calderone was associated with C&L Plumbing in Lynbrook. He lived with his parents, Nicholas and Marie Calderone, who survive him, and is also survived by a brother, Steve Calderone of Westbury.

 

Visiting is scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Cassidy Funeral Home, 156 Willis Ave., Mineola. A funeral Mass will be held Friday morning at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Mineola, though the exact time has not yet been scheduled. Burial will be at St. John's Cemetery.