MURRAY, Utah, May 3, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — The mother of a 21-year-old man killed while riding his motorcycle wants her son’s tragedy to serve as a reminder for both riders and drivers to pay attention and be more aware of their surroundings.
Carolyn Milne lost her son, Artem Milne, on June 15, 2015, when a woman pulled out of a parking lot on Redwood Road and directly into his lane of travel. In an instant, her son’s life was gone.
“The woman who hit him recently pleaded guilty to failure to yield. Said she just didn’t look back to the left when she pulled out of the parking lot,” Carolyn Milne said. “She was distracted, and now my son is gone, all because of something preventable.”
She wants others to always be aware, especially of motorcycles and bikes.
“If people really understood the pain they cause by not paying attention, maybe more would take a few extra seconds to make decisions,” Carolyn Milne said. “Not seeing them soon enough does not leave enough time to react.
“We also have such a problem with distracted drivers and people using their cell phones. It really is a big problem that needs to be addressed more.”
Artem Milne was adopted by the Milne family from Ukraine after living nine years in an orphanage from the age of six to 15.
“He had such a rough start in life and been through so much as a child that it seems so unfair that he did not get more time to experience more of the good things life has to offer,” Carolyn Milne said. “He loved his new life here. He was a cadet with Murray City and was hoping one day to become a police officer.”
Milne says while the pain of losing her son is unbearable at times, she often finds herself thinking about the woman who hit her son and cannot imagine the guilt and regret she would feel if she was in her place.
“The consequences of her actions that led to the loss of someone’s child, how that must feel,” she said through tears. “Nobody really understands the heartache and loss of losing a child unless they experience it, as a parent, you just go over and over it and want to fix it.”
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So far, six motorcyclists have been killed on Utah’s roads since the beginning of the year. In some cases, drivers of larger vehicles didn’t see the motorcyclists until it was too late.
In other cases, the motorcycles misjudged road conditions or the capabilities of their machines. Millard County Sheriff Sergeant Brett Nielson, an experienced rider, died on April 22 when he lost control of his motorcycle on I-15 near Kanarraville.
Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Jeff Nigbur, who oversees the UHP Motorcycle Squad, and rides a bike for both work and recreation, wants to get the safety message out to riders as well.
“The minute you disrespect your bike, it can hurt you, if not kill you,” Nigbur said. “Crashes can be prevented and taking precautions while you ride could save your life.”
Nigbur said a lot of the crashes he sees involve riders who are speeding too fast for their own abilities, take corners too fast and too wide, or accelerate too quickly when first starting out from a stop.
Nigbur also urges motorcycle riders to be aware of cars and trucks whose drivers may not spot them. Motorcycles are smaller and harder for people to see, so being a defensive rider can also help avoid a collision where someone else is not paying attention.
In addition, Nigbur asks riders to wear a helmet and appropriate clothing, which will lower the number of fatalities, he said. He also suggests riders take a safety course, like the one offered through Salt Lake Community College.
Milne was wearing his helmet, and it was confirmed by South Jordan Police investigators that he was not speeding.
Thank you Carolyn. More people need to know what messing with their phones etc while driving can do. I feel for the lady that hit Artem. She will have to live with this the rest of her life. I know however, that Artem has forgiven her.