Spokane7
50°
May 18, 2010 in Idaho
Man killed, another injured in motorcycle crash
The Spokesman-Review
Tags:fatal accidentGarrett KienkeIdaho State PoliceJustin AllenKootenai Medical Centermotorcycle accidentmotorcycle crash
A 20-year-old man was killed Monday evening in a motorcycle accident on Coeur d’Alene’s Lakeside Avenue.
Justin M. Allen, of Coeur d’Alene, was riding as a passenger on a 2005 Suzuki motorcycle driven by Garrett J. Kienke, 20, of Post Falls.
Kienke was taken to Kootenai Medical Center for treatment of injuries where he was reported in fair condition this morning.
The pair was westbound on Lakeside Avenue when the driver lost control of the bike while approaching and braking for traffic at Ninth Street. Both of them were ejected from the bike and came to rest in the intersection, according to Idaho State Police.
An investigation into the accident is continuing.
Sandpoint Arbor Day is Saturday 
monkeyman on May 18 at 9:25 a.m.
Just remembered something that I had thought about before - I have personally never seen two men on the same bike. Man and woman, yes.
(No disrespect intended for the people involved in the incident.)
amk12345 on May 18 at 9:46 a.m.
So how do you say that without being disrespectful! A man just died! Get a life. Don’t talk about my family like that! Your hurting people with your close minded remarks!
rdj86 on May 18 at 10:02 a.m.
My prayers go out to Justin’s family. He was just as fun, energetic, and loving as the rest of this family. I love you guys <3
misjustice on May 18 at 10:24 a.m.
I don’t see anything disrespectful in monkeyman’s comment. He is indeed correct in saying it is unusual for 2 men to be riding a bike together.
Sorry to hear of the loss of another young life and feel the pain of the family. My condolences.
jenilynn on May 18 at 10:25 a.m.
monkeyman, that was pretty lame. who cares if it was two guys, two girls or a guy and a girl. someones family member just died. how would you feel if it was your family member and some idiot made a lame ass comment like that. just goes to show what kind of a person you are.
amk12345 on May 18 at 10:33 a.m.
I agree jenilynn. Why does it matter when a terrible thing like that happens. Monkeyman has no class or respect. And it isnt unusual because these two men were just friends and good friends at that. So what makes that unusual. Dont comment if your going to be disrespectful.
jenilynn on May 18 at 11:07 a.m.
YGBSM you are just as big of an idiot as the other. Freedom of speech is fine, but one should maybe exercise some couth when in fact someones family member has just died. If you feel compelled to leave such hurtful comments for the people who have just lost a loved one, no matter what the circumstances are then maybe you should just keep it to yourself. But obviously you are not such a kind person to think of others.
jencard on May 18 at 11:36 a.m.
I am really sorry to all of family and friends of both these young men. My prayers are with you all at this time…
One thing I do have to say (I have lost a family friend to a similar accident). I think that it is so stupid that Idaho does not have a helmet laws. There is no difference between a seat belt and a helmet. Both are designed to save your life! More people that ride bikes (of any kind) should take their life at value and put a helmet on!
bmurrin on May 18 at 12:25 p.m.
Here are some recent photos of Justin playing Rugby!
http://www.northidahorugby.net/www.NorthIdahoRugby.net/Photos/Pages/Justin_Allen_RIP.html
SugarShane on May 18 at 2:59 p.m.
What a weird comment to make, and the fire it started with its homophobic connotations. I for one have been ejected from a motorcycle and can say, its not fun. Agree with a former poster about Idahos lax helmet laws, I freakin hate helmets but wont ride without one even when Im in Idaho, the story doesnt really make mention of it so leaves me wondering if it was a factor. I really expected to read about someone pulling out in front of them or them being hit by a drunk driver, which in an update Id be surprised to learn that alcohol was not a factor, its so rare that you read about a motorcycle death on a roadway due to operator error. I had at least 6 near death experiences in Spokane last year because people just seem to not notice us. Sad to lose someone with so much life ahead of them, my condolences to the family.
rdj86 on May 18 at 3:06 p.m.
Sugar Shane - Neither of them were wearing helmets, according to the other news stories I have read, and a friend of mine heard on the radio this morning that the brakes locked up when the driver tried to stop.
amk12345 on May 18 at 3:09 p.m.
Alcohol was not a factor in the crash I know this for a fact!
avboden on May 18 at 3:10 p.m.
It’s sad, as a fellow rider I feel awefull for them
hopefully it’ll help some other idaho riders wake up and WEAR A FREAKING HELMET
travack on May 18 at 5:13 p.m.
I agree with Amk12345 on the fact that Alcohol was not a factor, and in regards to monkeyman’s comment if you have to leave a disclaimer saying I don’t mean disrespect, then the comment is clearly disrespectful and you recognize that you just don’t care, lots of people are hurting in this community because of whats happened, including myself, show some respect.
amk12345 on May 18 at 5:26 p.m.
Well said travack
GoViks on May 18 at 6:31 p.m.
From what I knew…both of these young men were great kids growing up, were loved by many and will be missed by all. I am not a fan of our helmet law and hope that if anything this sad story gets a few to open their minds about the small sacrifice it is to wear a helmet in their future rides.
RIP Justin
Stay strong Garrett
BTW
The first comment on this group is most likely from a troll (someone who enjoys bringing pain and suffering by posting that sort of comment) so don’t give them the satisfaction of responding.
monkeyman on May 18 at 9:11 p.m.
Regarding my first comment - it is no more offensive than the news reporting by SR:
1. I never implied what two men on a bike may mean. It was just an observation, and I was thinking why it is not culturally acceptable that we don’t see more if it.
2. If you are reading between the lines into point-1, AND you are offended, then YOU are making assumptions - and also presuming that such an assumption would have been undesirable by the victims.
Given the two above, I tried to be cautious by putting the disclaimer for meaning no disrespect.
However, given the tragedy of the underlying news, I wish I had not posted the comment. And I fully apologize…
jaketoews on May 18 at 9:48 p.m.
With all due respect, without helmets and going 45 in a 25 zone doesn’t seem very safe.
Even if there was a helmet law, they were already breaking a speed limit, why not ditch the helmets? Just because there is a law doesn’t mean people will obey it.
I’m not saying there shouldn’t be a law (because there honestly should be) but it wouldn’t be correct to assume they would’ve been wearing helmets if there was a law.
With that said, I am sorry for the families and friends. It’s sad people die, though it is a part of life.
I also don’t believe that monkeyman’s comment was offensive. It is rather strange, I can’t recall seeing two men on a motorcycle. It’s a fact. It’s not saying anything about the two men, it’s not even suggesting anything about the two men. Monkeyman was simply posting something he observed. It could have been taken either way.
IdahoHoney2 on May 19 at 8:57 a.m.
The law won’t necessarily make people wear a helmet, and even without a law for helmet wearing while driving a motorcycle, they still have a choice to do so or not. There is a law that stipulates the speed limit, and many people disobey that one. It’s a choice.
arkienke on May 19 at 9:07 p.m.
As a member of the family, I would to repeat that alcohol was not a factor and the BAC test level came back 0.0.
I can see that you probably didn’t mean offense, but with a man dead and my cousin in the hospital it wasn’t an especially useful comment in any case. :/
Yeah, they did something stupid. But it’s something that they’ve both paid for, and the families have paid for, and will remember and are going to be hurt by forever.
amk12345 on May 20 at 9:03 a.m.
Well said sister I love you!
eagleproducer on May 20 at 7:46 p.m.
I went to CDA on Saturday and detoured through Post Falls on Seltice Way to avoid the construction on I-90 (big mistake, btw) and saw a father on a big hawg with his very young son sitting on the gas tank. Neither were wearing helmets.
Helmets should be mandatory because of the social costs associated with keeping severely brain damaged people alive. Others should not have to pay for the stupidity of those who don’t realize helmets enhance your chances of survival a hundred fold should an accident occur.
eagleproducer on May 20 at 7:48 p.m.
Okay, if helmet laws don’t work, when is the last time you saw a motorcyclist in Washington not wearing a helmet.
Next!
eagleproducer on May 20 at 7:50 p.m.
I agree, any statement premised with “No disrespect intended” means someone is about to be disrespected.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on November 19 at 9:22 a.m.
I’ve got no real feelings one way or the other about whether helmets should be required by law, but they SHOULD be required by common sense. This tragic story is an example of why. It’s terrible when someone so young “earns” his death by neglecting something that’s so easy to do. It’s like wearing a seat belt, or looking both ways before walking across a street.
Please, please - even if you really are as good a motorcycle rider as you think you are, wear a helmet anyway. No motorcycle is going to win against an Escalade that blows through a red light because the driver is texting. (I know that’s not the scenario of what happened here. It’s just an example.)
P.S. I have seen 2 guys on the same bike lots of times. It’s not *that* unusual. The fact that monkeyman saw the need to say “no disrespect intended” says at least that he saw how it could LOOK disrespectful, even if he didn’t mean it that way. When you catch yourself about to say something like that, it really is better to stop & think before speaking (or clicking “send”). Having said my share of thoughtless things in my time and seen the unintended hurt it caused, and having thoughtless things said to me (and KNOWING the hurt it caused), I can say it’s better to just not say it. It doesn’t cost anything, and you can always congratulate yourself on your tact.