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A
NASCAR Busch Series driver was killed July 18 when the motorcycle he
was driving left the road and slammed into a tree.
Andy
Kirby, 41, died at
11:30 p.m.
in White House, Tenn. , when he lost control of his motorcycle while
driving at high speed in a curve.
The
motorcycle slid 174 feet on the pavement before leaving the road and
skidding another 42 feet before slamming into a tree.
Kirby
died at the scene.
Although
Kirby was wearing a helmet, he was traveling at a high rate of
speed. No drug or alcohol involvement was suspected and weather was
not a factor. There were no witnesses to the crash.
The
Army’s “Combat Aggressive Driving Campaign” key messages
revolve around eliminating negative high-risk behavior when driving
your personal vehicle.
This
tragic example of a professional racecar driver killed while driving
his privately-owned vehicle is a lesson for all of us.
Even
though professional drivers are experts at driving fast, they can
still make bad decisions and take risks that lead to fatal
consequences. Andy Kirby, at work on the track, would take positive
high-risk decisions while racing his car.
Unfortunately,
off the track, he chose to make a negative high-risk decision that
ended his life while driving his motorcycle. That choice also has an
impact on the lives of his wife, three sons, his family and his
friends who will feel his loss for the rest of their lives.
Like
racecar drivers, soldiers are trained to take positive high-risk
decisions in the line of duty. The problem is soldiers have a
tendency to take negative high-risk decisions in their personal
lives and while driving, just like Andy Kirby did.
Do
not choose to make negative high-risk decisions when driving your
POV. It is just not worth putting your life, or the life of loved
ones, at risk for that type of behavior. The choice to take positive
risk decisions is yours. Make the right choice and keep you and your
family safe while operating your POV.
Remember,
it is not only your life, what you do affects everyone else you
touch in your life. If you are killed or injured in a POV accident
everyone you know suffers from your loss.Kirby was ranked 36th
in the NASCAR Busch Series this year and had started 12 races during
2002.
Add
to your driving attitude “TOOL KIT,” eliminate negative
high-risk behavior, IT’S JUST NOT WORTH IT! |
