Man Charged After Hit and Run Left Veteran in Road

Police make arrest in hit-and-run that left local veteran injured

KWTX News

August 15, 2017

WACO, Texas (KWTX) Bellmead police made an arrest Tuesday in a hit-and-run crash in June on an I-35 access road that left a local veteran seriously injured.

Cody William Jones, 25, was charged with failure to stop and render aid.

Boone Barott, 45, of Riesel, the vice president of the American Legion 121 Elm Mott riders group, was riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle shortly after 10 p.m. on June 25 on the Interstate 35 access road next to the Texas Department of Transportation offices when an SUV whose driver was headed the wrong way hit the bike.
read more here

Sad update

Man charged in hit-and-run that left local veteran injured found dead

Barott sustained a broken pelvis and a number of lacerations and scrapes and bruises over all his body.He was later released from a local hospital, but faces several months of rehabilitation before he’s able to get back on a motorcycle.Police located the vehicle involved in the crash in early July.“We sure didn’t want this to happen,” Barott said after learning of Jones’ death.

Marine Veteran Left in Road After Hit and Run

Waco: Car involved in hit-and-run that injured Marine veteran found
KWTX News
By John Carroll
Posted: Jul 03, 2017

WACO, Texas (KWTX) A Marine veteran who was seriously injured when a car whose driver did not stop hit his Harley Davidson motorcycle says he’s been told the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run has been found.

“The police believe that they have the vehicle in custody, so I think we're headed down the right road for an arrest,” Boone Barott, 45, of Riesel, said Monday.

“I’m still disappointed that nobody has come forward.”

Barott, the vice president of the Elm Mott American Legion 121 riding group, is recovering at home after suffering a broken pelvis and severe cuts and bruises in the June 25 hit-and-run on the Interstate 35 access road near the Texas Department of Transportation Office in Waco.
read more here

Disabled Veterans Still Able to Zoom

Leon's Triathlon honored to serve disabled military veterans

North West Times

Jim Peters

June 4, 2017

Just back from a deployment in April 2008, Navy hospital corpsman Gabriel George went out for a motorcycle ride one night off base in Jacksonville, Florida.

Gabriel George of Jacksonville Florida trains for Sunday's Leon's Triathlon during a camp Friday at Munster High School (John J Watkins/The Times)

The driver of a car making a U-turn pulled in front of George, causing an accident that resulted in horrific injuries.

George suffered two fractured vertebrae, bruised and collapsed lungs, a broken collarbone and scapula, six broken ribs, a traumatic brain injury and paralysis on his right side. He was on a ventilator and in a coma for three weeks.

The fact that he'll be competing in Leon's Triathlon today at Wolf Lake Park is a testament to the strength of the human spirit, a motivating force for race founder and director Leon Wolek.

"A lot of disabled veterans use triathlons as a means to cope with their challenges," Wolek said. "What they've done is an inspiration. There are absolutely no words."

read more here

1,000 Motorcycles Escorted Wall into Wickham Park and Officer Hurt by Hit and Run Driver!

Cocoa Police officer injured in hit-and-run speaks out
Traffic homicide officer said he thought he was going to die
Click Orlando
By Nadeen Yanes - Reporter
May 03, 2017

COCOA, Fla. - A Cocoa police officer injured in a hit-and-run crash this week told News 6 he saw the Jeep coming and had three options: he could go left into oncoming traffic, go right into the procession, but he went straight and sacrificed himself.

"I had about, I would say, about three seconds to respond," Cocoa police Officer Rickford Leitch said.
read more here
UPDATE
Arrest made in hit-and-run that injured Cocoa Officer

Cocoa officer injured in hit-and-run during Traveling Wall procession
FLORIDA TODAY
J.D. Gallop
April 30, 2017

A Cocoa police traffic officer is recovering Sunday afternoon after authorities said he collided with another vehicle during the annual procession escorting the Traveling Vietnam Wall to Melbourne.

A countywide alert was also issued for the driver of a blue Jeep Cherokee who was not a part of the escort but fled the scene moments after the collision left the officer briefly unconscious, officials reported.

The officer is currently in the hospital being evaluated after sustaining several injuries, according to Yvonne Martinez, spokeswoman for the Cocoa Police Department.

Police said Cocoa Police Officer Rickford Lietch was assisting with the escort along with several other police agencies when the incident happened. The procession of over 1,000 motorcycles and other vehicles had just cleared State Road 520 when Lietch headed toward the next intersection at Rosa Jones Boulevard.

The officer was traveling at 50 mph hour when a blue Jeep suddenly pulled in front of him. “He hit the driver’s side of the Jeep and flipped several times before landing on the pavement. He was briefly knocked out,” Martinez said.
read more here

Please keep Officer Lietch in your prayers as he recovers. Just stunning a thing like this would happen with a 1,000 motorcycles escorting The Wall!

This turtle showed up crossing the road just before the bikes pulled in.

Murray was trying to figure out what it was.

Stickers from inside a golf cart we borrowed from a friend and yes, Murray got a ride on it.

The video will be up by tomorrow, so check back. Until then, go to the above link at Florida Today for the video they did.

UPDATE...Video finally done!