Riverside Drunk Driving Accident Kills Motorcyclist
It was to be a great weekend for Bob Ybarra and his fiancée, as they participated in the 2008 American Heat Motorcycle Weekend in Palm Springs, but instead it ended abruptly in a Riverside County motorcycle accident involving an SUV and Bob’s motorcycle.
52-year-old Bob had been a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, and along with thousands of other bikers, had been participating in the bike fest in Riverside County. He was with his 34-year-old fiancée, Nadine Patek, and the two, family members say, were engaged to be married in May. As Bob cruised through the intersection at Camino Real and East Palm Canyon Drive, a Toyota sports utility vehicle driven by Max Moorehouse suddenly turned in the motorcycle’s path. With no time to react or slow, Bob couldn’t help broadsiding the SUV, and was thrown off his motorcycle from the impact. He received severe injuries in the motorcycle accident, and was taken to the hospital for treatment. He died on Monday. Patek, meanwhile, suffered minor injuries and was released from the hospital after treatment.
The driver of the SUV, 76-year-old Max Moorehouse, a Boise resident, has been arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving. This was before Bob’s death on Monday, and the charges will now likely be amended to include vehicular manslaughter. Moorehouse, who had been held at the Palm Springs jail, posted bail on Monday.
Meanwhile, fellow bikers, family and friends remembered Bob as a loving, caring person, always ready to help anyone who needed him. He loved motorcycles, his fiancée and his family. Nicknamed “Big Bob” for his larger-than-life personality, Bob was looking forward to his May wedding with Nadine.
Why on earth would a 76-year-old man be careless enough to drive drunk, you wonder. It’s not as if Moorehouse got his license yesterday. This is a 76-year-old man. During those 76 years, you would think he’s learned, read, and experienced enough to know the dangers that come with driving in an inebriated state. It’s bad enough when callow youth are found drinking and driving. But to have senior citizens who, should simply know better, indulging in this behavior seems even more unacceptable. And for some, it may seem there is something wrong about being free and out on bail, while the victim of the drunk driving accident you caused, is dead.
Bob Ybarra is going to be sorely missed – that’s obvious from the number of his friends posting messages of sympathy and condolences at online forums. We urge the family to contact a Riverside motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible to explore their legal options against Moorehouse.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of motorcycle accidents and drunk driving accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
