Bike rally draws 400,000 to island

GALVESTON — Vendors started packing leather merchandise and T-shirts into boxes Sunday afternoon, while visiting bikers made their last round
on The Strand at the Lone Star Rally’s final day.

Attendance estimates neared 400,000 for the entire weekend, with bikers from all
over gunning their engines to the island for the ninth annual event.

“Every year is something new,” said Jada Broussard, who comes to the rally
every year. “There are different bikes and different people. It’s like a
reunion when you’re all together like this for a few days.”

About 275 vendors, including motorcycle-enthusiast favorites and celebrity
bike builders, set up in the downtown area throughout the weekend.

“The rally was incredible this year,” said Melissa Penland, president of the
Lone Star Rally. “With the economy the way it is, to have it with that
kind of attendance is just amazing.”

Biker brawls and mayhem was minimal Saturday night with only a handful of fights, said Lt. Joel
Caldwell, of the Galveston Police Department.

There were only about 10 arrests for traffic violations and disorderly conduct Saturday night.

“For as many people as we had, it was a very, very good crowd,” he said.

There were no major motorcycle accidents on the event’s last night in town,
said Capt. Jeff Heyse, of the Galveston Police Department.

The only motorcycle-related accident in the county happened in Hitchcock.

A woman was Life Flighted to Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital after
the motorcycle she was on collided into a truck carrying a trailer. The
truck was hit by another truck pulling out of a restaurant Saturday
night.

The woman was a passenger on the motorcycle. Her condition was listed as critical, Hitchcock police said.

The couple was traveling on state Highway 6 when the accident happened around 7 p.m.

The man driving the truck with the trailer, the man driving the motorcycle
and the woman who pulled out into traffic all were transported by
ambulance for injuries, police said.

No other information was immediately available.

The motorcyclist in Saturday afternoon’s accident downtown still is listed in critical condition from a head injury, Heyse said.

The driver clipped another moving bike at 25th Street and Avenue M, lost
control of his motorcycle on a trolley track and hit his head.

He was not wearing a helmet and was transported to John Sealy Hospital, Heyse said.

He had a female passenger who suffered minor injuries in the accident.

Bike rally draws 400,000 to island

Bike rally draws 400,000 to island

Replies to This Discussion