Darell Provencher
Time to check those chainrings, cogs, and tubulars and start getting ready
for the first mass start racing of the track season at Alpenrose Velodrome.
River City Bicycles, Team Rose City, and Sports Lab Training Center will be
hosting the Eric Kautzky Memorial Track Race on May 13, 2006.
Eric was a Team Rose City team mate that lost his life tragically last year
on Saturday, June 18, 2005, while out on a training ride about 6:30 am on
Tualatin-Sherwood Road. Just this past Wednesday the accused 19-yr old
motorist was found guilty and sentenced to 17 months in prison for negligent
homicide. Eric was 56. (see Oregonian article dated April 5, 2006 below)
Team Rose City will honor Eric at the May 13th track race by giving our net
proceeds to the Eric Kautzky Memorial Scholarship Fund at Tigard High
School. Eric's Fund is now implemented at Tigard High School. Applicants
must be a THS graduate and planning to attend any institute of higher
education. Preference will be given to students planning to pursue a career
in athletic training and/or sports medicine. Eric was a science teacher and
a well-known athletic trainer at Tigard High School for 24 years.
So even if you don't plan on racing May 13th, come by and watch the
spectator-friendly competition amd make a contribution if you can.
Here's the link to the event flyer. See you on May 13th!
Thanks,
Darell Provencher, Team Rose City
http://www.obra.org/track/flyers/2006/eric_kautzky_track_race.html
For some very useful information about ongoing BTA plans for bike safety:
http://bikeportland.org/2005/08/08/bta-responds-to-cyclist-deaths/
Driver, 19, pleads guilty in bicyclist's death
Negligent homicide - Joel Flores is sentenced to 17 months for hitting a
retired Tigard teacher
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
HOLLY DANKS
The Oregonian
HILLSBORO -- A 19-year-old Washington man who fell asleep driving to work
after a night of partying and veered into a bicyclist pleaded guilty Tuesday
to criminally negligent homicide.
Thomas W. Kohl, Washington County presiding judge, sentenced Joel Brigido
Flores to 17 months in prison in the death of Eric Kautzky, a retired Tigard
High School teacher. Before a plea deal, Flores had been charged with
second-degree manslaughter, punishable by a mandatory minimum of six years
and three months in prison.
During an emotional hearing, Kautzky's family said a good man is dead, and
Flores' friends and family said a good kid is going to prison. Flores, who
nearly committed suicide over the incident, said no good can come of it
except his pledge to try to spare others such pain.
"I am not standing before you today to ask forgiveness because in my heart,
I can never forgive myself," Flores said, turning to look at Kautzky's wife,
son and sister.
Falling asleep "is not an excuse," Deborah Branderhorst, Kautzky's younger
sister, told Flores. "This could have been avoided if you chose not to
drive. You chose to stay out and party. . . . You took a killing machine and
ran over him."
"He is dead, and I feel dead inside," she said.
Flores apologized to the family and said that what occurred about 6:30 a.m.
June 18, 2005, made him look at how he can change his thinking and that of
others.
"I will speak to high school, middle school, driver's ed classes, anybody
who will listen about this tragedy and how I have to live with it the rest
of my life," he said.
Flores, 18 at the time, went out on a Friday night with friends and got
about three hours' sleep before heading out from Vancouver to a construction
job in Sherwood.
Witnesses said he was driving erratically, weaving on Southwest
Tualatin-Sherwood Road at about 40 mph. He drifted into the bicycle lane,
where his car struck Kautzky from behind, throwing the 56-year-old onto the
hood and windshield. Kautzky, whose dream was to ride part of the Tour de
France route, was wearing a helmet.
Sean Lemoine, Washington County deputy district attorney, said Flores' car
continued onto the sidewalk, back onto the roadway and through an
intersection before a driver stopped him.
Police found no drugs or alcohol in his system. But he told them he was "the
most tired he'd ever been in his life," Lemoine said.
About 800 people, including family, friends and former students, attended
Kautzky's funeral, his wife, Lorna, said Tuesday. He was a science teacher
and athletic trainer at Tigard High for 24 years.
"He was a mentor to hundreds and a role model to all," Lorna Kautzky said,
recalling his caring nature.
"We were supposed to grow old together."
Holly Danks: 503-221-4377; hollydanks@news.oregonian.com