October 29, 2009 in City

Motorcyclist involved in crash identified

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The biker killed in a crash Wednesday had been a member of the Ghost Riders motorcycle gang and served time in prison for killing two people.

Michael W. Fraser, 51, died when his bike slid more than 200 feet into an oncoming car on North Market Street, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Fraser was southbound on Market when he tried to pass another vehicle in a no-pass zone just south of Hawthorne Road about 5:15 p.m., according to a news release.

He lost control of his 1985 rebuilt motorcycle and tipped over, hitting a 1994 Mercury Sable driven by a Mead man who had braked “to almost a complete stop,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

“The motorcycle went under the front of the Sable, trapping its rider beneath the car and killing him almost instantly,” according to the news release. The Sable’s driver was not injured.

Deputies said Fraser was traveling about 70 mph in the 45 mph zone.

Fraser, whose nickname among fellow bikers was Herpes, spent several years on the lam after the 1982 shooting death of Ben S. Lawson, 32, at the old Red Robin tavern on North Monroe Street, according to news archives. He was captured in 1989 and spent a year in prison on a second-degree manslaughter conviction before being paroled, according to the state Corrections Department.

News articles say he also was named as one of 11 defendants in a 1983 arson murder of a Wisconsin woman, for which Ghost Rider leader Al Hegge and three others were convicted in 1985. Hegge is serving life in prison for murdering a Spokane police officer in 1983.

Fraser returned to prison in 1992 after a customer was shot twice in the back and killed during a barroom brawl in Arlington, Wash., with several other members of the Ghost Riders, according to a 1996 Seattle Times article.

Fraser was convicted of second-degree murder and released in 2005, state records show. He was not on probation.

Sgt. Dave Reagan said Fraser was still affiliated with an outlaw motorcycle gang but declined to say which one.

Six comments on this story so far. Add yours!

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  Rifleman__Dodd on October 28 at 11:11 p.m.

  I imagine being a member of a “biker” gang was a contributing factor.

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  combat_injuneer on October 29 at 11:32 a.m.

  Hmmm…. so, only members of “biker gangs” ride like idiots, pass in no-passing zones, etc. I find it strange that this bit of information is included, yet no “gang” is identified. Why does this man need to be identified as a northwest motorcycle “gang” member?

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  Crystal on October 29 at 3:34 p.m.

  Mike was such a good man and Iam so very saddened by this tradgedy. Yeah, he had a past criminal record and served his time…EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES!!! How dare anyone speak of him without mentioning how caring and sincere he was, not to mention fun loving!!! Only GOD can judge and GOD loves him!!! Mike will be forever missed by my child and myself…~REST IN PEACE BROTHER~ Love, Crystal and Heather…:(

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  fromonewhoknewhim on October 30 at 4:52 a.m.

  He was a violent sociopathic one percenter who had an MO of shooting people in the back when they stood up to him and his “brothers”. That girl in wisconsin was murdered because she was dating one of the dirtbags he ran with and she made the mistake of knowing about their plan to torch a tavern they owned for the insurance money and they were afraid she’d talk. Being a multiple murderer doesn’t fall into my definition of a “mistake”. He was a coward who sold his soul for the love of the GhostRiders long ago.

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  thatgirl on November 03 at 2:25 a.m.

  THE GHOST RIDERS IS NOT A GANG, THEY ARE A CLUB!!!!!!! MY HUSBAND AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING THIS MAN AND HIS LADY, WHILE RIDING THROUGH IDAHO LABOR DAY. WE ALL WERE CAUGHT IN A RAIN STORM AND HAD TO WAIT IT OUT. WE ALL WAITED IT OUT TOGETHER. AND IN DOING SO WE MET A VERY WONDERFUL PERSON. WE FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE HAD MET THIS MAN, ABIET TO SHORT. FOR THE JOURNALIST THAT WROTE THIS STORY. YOU SHOULD READ A DICTIONARY SOME TIME AND KNOW THE DEFINITION OF “GANGS” AND “CLUBS.” ALSO, DO MORE RESEARCH ON THE MAN AND NOT A RAP SHEET. WE DID NOT KNOW THIS MAN LONG. BUT, WE ARE SURE HE HAD A FAMILY. FOR THE MAN THAT CALLS HIMSELF RIFLEMAN. WHAT WOULD EXACTLY BE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR FOR A MANS DEATH.AND ARE YOU IN A RIFLEMAN “GANG?” FOR THE “ONEWHOKNEWHIM,” ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE THIS MAN. JUST AS HE WILL JUDGE YOU SOMEDAY. AND HE LOVES US ALL, RIGHT, WRONG, OR INDIFFERENT. AND FINALLY TO THE MAN WE KNEW AS” SPOOK,” REST IN PEACE FRIEND. YOU ARE MISSED.

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  ac3 on November 11 at 12:48 p.m.

  So I wonder how many people who honor vets day, will actually honor the vet who had the fatal motorcycle accident on 10/28/09. Considering he was a biker…GR, & has had a criminal past….makes me wonder! I wonder if the woman who wrote the article about his past…not his death, & other things~non-related to him will be honoring vets day….makes me wonder! Since she seemed to know so much about his past, how come she didn’t even know his true nic, or how he was treated growing up?….makes me wonder! Why didn’t she mention that one of the criminal acts was defending a friend from another man who had an axe. How many peeps would do this for you, I, & her? …makes me wonder! I wonder if she, or any of the other bashers even thought to mention in that article that though this man had criminal past…he was a vet, he had saved a life…or 2, & he even spoke with juvenile’s about changing their lives, et, et. ….makes me wonder! I wonder on vets day if she might have ANY regret that after writing that article, @ least 25 + peeps immediately stopped their subscription to the paper because of her …makes me wonder! If she’s so damn mighty & cowardless to write B.S, how come she has deleted so many of the negative comments towards her on her blog…makes me wonder! Who will she & the other bashers be honoring on vets day…makes me wonder! Does she know how many peeps are grieving, but still celebrated his birthday yesterday…makes me wonder! If she knew soooo much, I wonder what kind of degree made her write such a screwed up article, & bring more pain & sorrow to his 1st TRUE love @ 51 yrs. old, as well as his family, & friends….REALLY MAKES ME WONDER!!!

  ~Ride on brother, ride on~ wheel in the sky keep on turnin’!!!

  So Mote It Be…