Three people, including a former Forsyth County commissioner, are recovering from a weekend motorcycle wreck near Norcross.
A Gwinnett County police report said rainy weather appears to have been a factor in the incident, which occurred about 2:30 p.m Saturday on Peachtree Parkway near Wellington Lake Drive.
The report said Eddie Taylor, whose term on the commission ended in 2004, and Robin Gobble, 54, of Chattanooga, Tenn., were hospitalized for injuries.
Ted Richardson, a member of the North Georgia Mountain Riders, said the wreck happened during a charity ride to benefit the Georgia Sheriff’s Youth Homes and South Forsyth High School.
Richardson said 11 members of the north Georgia group participated in the ride, which included about 100 motorcycles and police escorts. Bo Bice, a former “American Idol” competitor, was riding in front and was not involved in the wreck.
Richardson said Taylor, 59, was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center for treatment of his injuries, which included broken ribs and a concussion.
Gobble, who is a member of the Bice fan club, “Bo’s Peeps,” was taken to North Fulton Medical Center. She was expected to be released Monday, Richardson said.
He said another rider, Bill Oliver, was taken to Gwinnett for treatment. Both Taylor and Oliver were home Monday.
Richardson said the ride started at a Harley dealership in Conyers and was headed to the Concert in the Quarry, a fundraiser for the band programs at South Forsyth High School.
The caravan had broken up into groups along the way, Richardson said. The wreck happened after Taylor, who was leading the middle group, attempted to slow down.
“In trying to brake he lost control of his motorcycle and went down,” Richardson said.
He said Gobble was a passenger on Taylor’s motorcycle.
“As the middle group caught up with the first group we just simply didn’t have enough time to react and the wet pavement contributed to the accident,” he said.
Another rider, Bryan Kilpatrick, then went off the shoulder on the right side of the road. Kilpatrick was treated at the scene for injuries.
“Bill Oliver was behind Eddie,” Richardson said. “He couldn’t stop. He flatspotted his tire and he went down on his right side.”
A message posted on Bice’s Web site asked visitors to pray for the injured.
Gobble responded to the post, saying she would be released Monday and return to Chattanooga.
“Thank you Bo, for your prayers and for the flowers,” she wrote. “I couldn’t share them with Eddie because they took him to a different hospital.”
Taylor could not be reached for comment Monday.
Richardson said the north Georgia group emphasizes safety and will discuss the wreck at its next meeting.
“Regular members of our group are rated on their riding ability,” he said. “We try and make sure nobody rides faster than their comfort level.
“We state you are always supposed to ride your own ride, and the conditions on Saturday were such that many of us were riding above our level.”
E-mail Julie Arrington at juliearrington@forsythnews.com.
A Gwinnett County police report said rainy weather appears to have been a factor in the incident, which occurred about 2:30 p.m Saturday on Peachtree Parkway near Wellington Lake Drive.
The report said Eddie Taylor, whose term on the commission ended in 2004, and Robin Gobble, 54, of Chattanooga, Tenn., were hospitalized for injuries.
Ted Richardson, a member of the North Georgia Mountain Riders, said the wreck happened during a charity ride to benefit the Georgia Sheriff’s Youth Homes and South Forsyth High School.
Richardson said 11 members of the north Georgia group participated in the ride, which included about 100 motorcycles and police escorts. Bo Bice, a former “American Idol” competitor, was riding in front and was not involved in the wreck.
Richardson said Taylor, 59, was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center for treatment of his injuries, which included broken ribs and a concussion.
Gobble, who is a member of the Bice fan club, “Bo’s Peeps,” was taken to North Fulton Medical Center. She was expected to be released Monday, Richardson said.
He said another rider, Bill Oliver, was taken to Gwinnett for treatment. Both Taylor and Oliver were home Monday.
Richardson said the ride started at a Harley dealership in Conyers and was headed to the Concert in the Quarry, a fundraiser for the band programs at South Forsyth High School.
The caravan had broken up into groups along the way, Richardson said. The wreck happened after Taylor, who was leading the middle group, attempted to slow down.
“In trying to brake he lost control of his motorcycle and went down,” Richardson said.
He said Gobble was a passenger on Taylor’s motorcycle.
“As the middle group caught up with the first group we just simply didn’t have enough time to react and the wet pavement contributed to the accident,” he said.
Another rider, Bryan Kilpatrick, then went off the shoulder on the right side of the road. Kilpatrick was treated at the scene for injuries.
“Bill Oliver was behind Eddie,” Richardson said. “He couldn’t stop. He flatspotted his tire and he went down on his right side.”
A message posted on Bice’s Web site asked visitors to pray for the injured.
Gobble responded to the post, saying she would be released Monday and return to Chattanooga.
“Thank you Bo, for your prayers and for the flowers,” she wrote. “I couldn’t share them with Eddie because they took him to a different hospital.”
Taylor could not be reached for comment Monday.
Richardson said the north Georgia group emphasizes safety and will discuss the wreck at its next meeting.
“Regular members of our group are rated on their riding ability,” he said. “We try and make sure nobody rides faster than their comfort level.
“We state you are always supposed to ride your own ride, and the conditions on Saturday were such that many of us were riding above our level.”
E-mail Julie Arrington at juliearrington@forsythnews.com.