When fine weather returns to the mountains, so does the inevitable roar of engines that have a need for speed. The problem, aside from the illegal high speeds of these vehicles, is that the drivers are a bit out of practice. Every April and May, several dangerous accidents occur along the Hardscrabble region of Highways 96 and 165. Last weekend continued the yearly tradition.
On Sunday, April 19, Custer County Deputies were finishing up impounding a Corvette that had been going 104 miles per hour on the S-Curves on the Hardscrabble at mile marker 17 when a motorcyclist arrived, telling the officers there had been a crash just around the corner.
While officers were responding to that crash, another rider approached and reported a second crash farther up. With EMS and a medical helicopter rushing to the scene, deputies helped one of the riders with a splint for a broken ankle. After closer inspection, one of the deputies saw other injuries that the rider said were from a previous motorcycle crash the week before.
While the riders were both wearing helmets and protective gear that limited the injury, both were severely hurt in the crashes.
Other locals noted groups of speed bikes blowing past the highways at over 100 miles per hour. Interestingly, a group of Mini Coopers was also thrill-seeking and proved that little cars can break speed limits just as easily as sports cars.
Hopefully, these speedsters learn to drive because following the laws is beyond their ethics. But these accidents take a toll on local Emergency Crews at a time when budgets are running thin due to ongoing inflation.
â Jordan Hedberg
