Published on Tuesday, November 14, 2006
in the Melbourne Florida Today

Need for speed is deadly

A silver Chevrolet Cavalier with a "Parrothead" license plate on the front bumper and a white-beaded rosary wrapped around the rearview mirror sits in front of James Thomas Parker's apartment at Paradise Cay.

The well-liked Patrick Air Force Base postal worker decided not to drive to Captain Katana's when he went there for dinner Friday. That proved to be a fatal decision.

Parker, 53, was crossing U.S. 1 after dinner Friday night when Eric Maynard, driving a 2005 Yamaha at more than 100 mph, struck and killed Parker, state troopers said.

Parker was one of three people killed in motorcycle accidents in Brevard County during the weekend, and one of two in which the bikes were going more than 100 mph, police said.

"I'd never seen anything like it before," said Brighid Reppert, who came upon Parker's dismembered body while driving to Ascension Catholic Church. "Where could I look?"

Motorcycle fatalities are a growing problem for the state and local law enforcement officers who patrol Florida's streets and highways.

Some 469 people were killed in Florida in motorcycle accidents in 2005. Fatalities have shown a steady increase each year since Florida repealed its universal helmet law in 2000.

While helmetless riders are more likely to die in accidents, officers are more concerned about a growing need for speed on the highways.

A motorcyclist killed a pedestrian in Daytona Beach during Biketoberfest, and a motorcyclist and his passenger were killed in Miami during the weekend when they crashed into a car during a chase with police.

"It doesn't matter what age, people are taking unbelievable risks," Lt. Kim Miller of the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Mike Pope, assistant to the state safety director of ABATE, an organization that promotes motorcycle safety, said it seems the younger and inexperienced riders are the ones who are driving recklessly, endangering themselves and others.

"That's just people being foolish," he said.

There needs to be better monitoring of motorcyclists, said Reppert, who witnessed the Friday wreck.

"They're the ones weaving in and out of traffic," she said. "I've seen people on Japanese bikes pulling wheelies while driving down U.S. 1. I know people who ride motorcycles and are responsible, but you have those idiots out there who don't care about anyone else. It's unfortunate."

Little was known about Maynard, other than his age and Melbourne address, where he apparently lived with an older relative since April, according to public records. Born in Arkansas, he moved around a lot during the past several years, with addresses that include Hawaii and a Marine base. His last address before moving to Melbourne was in Orlando.

He was listed in critical condition at Holmes Regional Medical Center.

Monday was a blue day at the travel office at Patrick Air Force Base, said ticket agent Cheryl Diedrich. She had known Parker for four years, and some of the other women in the office knew him longer. They all were in shock when they heard of his death, she said.

"He was a ray of light, delivering our mail daily, out of the courtesy of his heart, always with a smile and a story or two about his music and passion for it," Diedrich said.

Bob Condon, who lives upstairs from Parker, said he was a nice guy who always was helping people and doing chores around the apartment complex -- picking up stray papers and garbage, sweeping the sidewalk.

Condon said he heard music coming from Parker's apartment around 2:30 Friday afternoon.

"And then I didn't see him anymore."

The Florida Highway Patrol has investigated 14 motorcycle deaths in Brevard County this year and 20 in Orange County. That's already more than the 20 deaths investigated by all agencies last year for both counties, Lt. Kim Miller of the Florida Highway Patrol said.