We have lost a good friend, Mark Eggers

[Tourmeister]

Howdy,

I finally got the chance to speak at length with Kim, Mark's wife. According to her, he left to meet up with the Wednesday morning group at King's cafe. She speculated that he got there a little early and then made a run up through the forest to Richards and back. He was heading back towards King's on FM 149 when he left the road and struck a tree. No skid marks. No witnesses.

According to the DPS that Kim spoke with, he was found just before 9:00am. This means that he could not have been there more than a few minutes before someone found him. He was dead on the scene. Kim is taking some small comfort in the knowledge that he died on one of his favorite roads doing what he really loved, and that he appears to have died quickly.

Kim is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. Mark had just been laid off Oct. 31st, and with that he just lost his $250K life insurance coverage. They were in the middle of building their dream home together just off of Egypt-Honea road a few miles South of 105. It is likely she will complete the construction and be forced to sell the house. They were not in debt, so her income is sufficient to provide for herself and their son, Andy. Right now, there is not much anyone can do for her. She is still a little in shock and denial. I will be staying in touch with her and will let everyone know if there is anything needed.

There will not be a funeral. He is to be cremated per his wishes. Rather than a funeral, she wants to throw a big party where we can gather and share our stories and reflect on Mark's life, a celebration. To that end, I am looking for a good place on the North side of town, in the Woodlands area, that perhaps 100 people can get together for an evening meal. Time and date will be announced once we get it figured out.

Please do not try to visit the funeral home as she has done nothing regarding viewing arrangements. She's a little overwhelmed right now because she has never lost anyone this close and is a bit numb. If any arrangements are made, I will pass along the details.

Mark was 36 and is survived by his wife, Kim and their son, Andy. Those of you that have met him know what a warm and caring person he was, always willing to help anyone in need, and with an infectious fun nature. He truly loved riding and the people that he got to meet because of it. I'm really gonna miss him.

Here are a few shots from one of our rides this past summer:

The Man and His Machine


Packed and Ready For The Ride


Kicking Back With Paul at Hodges Gardens This Summer


Vittorio, Mark and Paul


Doing What He Loved!


This life is all to fragile. Please try to keep that in mind when you are out there, even when not on two wheels.

Adios,

[bbray01]

Scott,

Please see my post over at the HSN site. I don't want to be redundent but please call me at 713-823-3494.

Bill

[elliott_p]

I never met Mark but, as impersonal as this medium can be at times, you still somehow get a sense of friendship with people that you interact with in a forum such as twtex. I've read his posts, seen pictures and read stories. I feel like I knew the guy.

Things like this remind me that I need to be careful and that noone is immune from the danger of the sport.

I'm very sad today.

[buck000]

Man, that sucks, please pass my condolences on to the family.

[Snoopster]

I've only met Mark a few times but immediately knew that he was a great guy. He was very down to earth and easy to talk with. I was fortunate to see him with his wife and son at a recent bike night in Montgomery. This has shaken me up a bit being a new rider and traveling FM 149. Just a reminder that this can happen to anyone. My prayers go out to his family.

[Greeves TFS]

I didn't know Mark or his family. It saddens me to lose such a young man to a horrible accident. Mark was doing what he loved to do. Ride! He could have waited at King's for everyone to show up. Instead he did what he loved to do. Ride! There are no words that will comfort his wife and son right now. I pray for her comfort and her heavy loss. I pray for his son that he will be lifted up and continue as he dad would want him to do. If anything we can learn from Mark, is be careful and think of the consequences that may follow. We all have someone in our lifes that would be devasted if we would have the same results as Mark. Please be careful each and every one. I don't know you but you cherish what I do. I'd hate to loose another brother or sister.

[irondawg]

I've met Mark a couple of times. He was a very comptent rider. The times I've chatted with him you could tell how much of a good person he was and his passion for riding. He was a true motorcyclist in every sense of the word.

He will be missed. This is a sad day.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Be safe out there.

[Blue Bomber]

I am very sad that this has happend to anyone let alone someone as nice as Mark. I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet him and ride with him on several occasions. My thoughts and prayers are with Kim and Andy in this terrible time. I hope they realize just how much Mark has affected the lives of others. We will miss you, Mark.

[Desmo]

I don't know what to say that will make anyone feel better. This is such a tragedy.

I too was at the recent bike night at Kings. As Debbie said, Mark was there with his wife and son (how may of us have done THIS?). I could tell he was a real family man. He talked about his new house with a garage big enough for many bikes.

How did this happen? Obviously he was a competent rider and wore proper protection. The weather was relatively clear. Was an outside force involved (deer, auto, etc.) or mechanical failure (blowout, etc.) or even medical problem (heart attack)? We may never know.

I look forward to the get together to celebrate his life and love for motorcycling.

[Shortline]

I didn't know Mark. I don't think I have even had "post" conversations with him. But a fellow rider is a friend, thats why we all wave to one another when we pass. From the comments posted here, it is obvious what kind of man mark was, and that in itself is a wonderful thing to have achieved. I think the fact that him and his wife decided to forgoe a funeral, and instead celebrate his life, says a lot about what they believed, and how they lived. I can only hope she can find some comfort somewhere in all this tragedy, and can manage to go on with her life, and raise their son well, as Mark would. My prayers are with the family, and friends of Mark.

[Mark's Gal]

Thank you for all of your support and prayers and in the coming days Andy and I will need the strength of others to help us through. We are having a small service and viewing and the time and place are as such:
Addison-Smith Funeral Home
10129 W. FM 1097
Willis, TX 77318
936-890-0454

Viewing is Monday the 10th 5-8pm

Services are Tuesday 11th at 2:00pm

After the service Mark will be cremated as he wanted and brought home with his family and when I get things sorted out we will have a huge party at the location of our dream home he was building with such love for his family to celebrate his life. I will keep in touch with Scott to as all the details as they come up.

Thanks again for all your prayers and love.
Kim Eggers

[FLUFdriver]

Our prayers are with you Kim.

Mark, godspeed.

[brd]

I never had the honor of meeting Mark, but I am saddened by this
horrible news. My condolences to his family.

[red_m]

I didn't have the pleasure of meeting Mark, but did have the pleasure in conversing with him via the ceracing forum boards. The news of his passing came as a great shock, you never wish this type of tragedy on anybody. :|

On behalf of everyone who posts on Colin's forum from Australia, Kim and Andy, our condolences, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

[Tourmeister]

Howdy,

What a day :| I have to thank God for giving me the peace of mind to get through it and for the privilege of being able to stand by Kim during such an ordeal. I made it down to the funeral home this morning and spent some time visiting with the man that picked up Mark at the scene. He was refreshingly frank with me when I asked questions. Mark and Kim are in good hands in this department.

Afterward I ran over to King's Cafe and spent a brief time visiting with the owners. They were quite distraught to find out one of our group had been killed. It made the front page of the local paper. These people have been really great to us over the last few years.

The brief article in the paper stated that Mark was an experienced rider, his speed was estimated at just over 60mph, and the posted limit was 60mph. Their detailed analysis simply stated that he failed to negotiate a curve, rode the bike in the ditch for a hundred feet or so, separated from the bike, and then he slid another 300 feet before impacting a tree. They did not portray him as some kind of lunatic speed freak squid.

I ran up 149 to the accident scene just to have a look for my own peace of mind. It has only raised more questions for me. The "curve" was so slight as to be difficult to capture in a picture. From the direction he was traveling, he crested a gentle hill, the road made a very gentle long right hander, basically a gravy curve. Looking at the point where the bike left the pavement, there was no indication that he made any attempt whatsoever to make the corner. He simply continued in a straight line into the ditch, rode the bike about 150 feet, the rear slid out to the right and he immediately highsided onto the right side. The bike veered off a little back to parallel with the road, he continued straight towards the only tree within a hundred yards. The bike missed the tree by five or six feet coming to a rest about 30 feet beyond the tree.

From the looks of the bike, Mark came down quite hard. We will never know if he was conscious after the fall. An instant later, his head made contact with the trunk of the tree. The visor was split down the middle. The chin bar was completely severed through on one side and mostly crushed on the other. He suffered pretty severe head trauma. There was very little blood despite the severity of the injury, leading to the conclusion that his heart had stopped beating almost instantly. I truly believe he was gone the moment he hit the tree and did not linger or suffer, a blessing in the middle of the tragedy. From the point where he and the bike parted ways, he slid maybe another 100 feet.

This is a road that Mark knew intimately. The police opined that he crested the hill and was surprised by the "sudden" right turn and simply failed to make the corner. Having ridden with Mark, I firmly believe this to be a total load of B.S.!! He knew the corner, the road itself held no surprises.

While I was out wandering the accident scene, Keith Curtis drove up in his truck. You may remember that he made the first post letting us know someone had gone down. We spent more than an hour just mulling over the site looking for clues. All we found were his glasses and a few bits of fairing pieces. The mechanics of what happened once he left the road seem fairly clear. We just cannot figure out what would have caused him to leave the road.

There is a four way intersection at the crest of the hill. FM 149 does not have a stop. It may be possible that someone pulled out from the left side into his lane and he had to swerve to miss rear ending them, which would have put him right at the point where he left the road. However, He would have easily been able to see any vehicle on the left or right side and would have been watching for something that dumb. So while this may be possible, I just don't think it likely.

Many people have suggested that a deer may have run out in front of him. While this is also possible, again, I think it unlikely. The area around the intersection is clear and there really isn't anywhere that a deer could have been hidden from his view as he approached. So if there was one, he would have had ample opportunity to slow down. Even if he didn't have time, I don't think Mark would have swerved to avoid a deer. The best chance for survival is to brake really hard and hope the deer moves to either side. There were no skids marks at all. Swerving puts the bike into an unstable position making the potential for disaster even greater if impact occurs. With a big bike, taking the deer broadside would be the best chance for survival. Mark was an experienced rider and deer were nothing new to him.

I believe that short of some kind of major mental lapse or sudden health impairment, the most likely cause was an oncoming vehicle. An oncoming vehicle would have been coming up a steeper incline and would not have been able to see as far through the corner. There are tons of large trucks hauling hay and cattle trailers on this road, as well as logging trucks. My experience, as recent as this morning, is that these folks are quite lazy when it comes to making sure they stay on their side of the road. If an oncoming vehicle met Mark in the corner and it was over the double yellow and he swerved right to avoid it, this too would have put his bike right at the spot where he left the pavement. Unless the driver of the vehicle did an immediate mirror check, he probably would never even have noticed that Mark left the road. Mark was headed down the backside of the hill and the oncoming vehicle would be headed down the front side, the hill top blocking the view between them.

Please realize that this is just an educated guess on our part. We will never really know as there were no witnesses. We don't know who found him or made the call to the police. While Keith and I were at the site, a lady drove up in a truck. She told us that she arrived moments before the police, checked Mark for a pulse and he was already dead. When the police arrived, she immediately went home, called her Pastor and they spent some time praying for Mark and his family.

Keith and I headed back to King's for lunch. Then I went back to the Funeral home to meet Kim. She finalized the details for the viewing and services. Then we went to Conroe to get Mark's bike from the towing company. Mark and Kim's friend, Andy, arrived with a truck and trailer. The towing company wanted to charge $600 for towing the bike a whole 30 miles!! : They were trying to charge for services they did not render, for use of a truck that was not used, and for supposedly having to wait two hours before towing the bike!! I cannot believe this was outright fraud!! Then they "graciously" lowered the price to $412 and acted like there were doing Kim a favor. Despite what Kim has been going through, which they were fully aware of, the guy behind the counter starts copping some serious attitude

After Kim has to spend thirty minutes going off to get the title transfer notarized so she could take possession of the bike, the guy tells her the price. She offers her credit card and he tosses it back at her saying they take cash ONLY, no exceptions. When we asked why we weren't told this before when speaking with them on the phone, he flatly stated it was because no one asked!! Fortunately, Andy's bank was nearby and he got enough to cover the cost. Beth came down later and met us with money so we could repay Andy as he could not afford to have the money out for more than a few days and fortunately we can afford to wait for her death benefits to pay us back.

Long story short, they will be hearing from an attorney, the state body regulating towing services, etc,... We got the bike and loaded it up. The right side is pretty much trashed. The front right side of the dash is completely shoved over to the left, the forks are bent slightly, and the grips are banged up. There was nothing to indicate that there may have been a mechanical problem with the bike, no leaking oil or radiator fluids, the tires looked perfect. Just more unanswered questions. Beth met us at the Cycleshack in Conroe and we took the bike back to Kim's.

After making sure she was okay and that everything was taken care of, Beth and I left and headed back up to Kings for the Bike Night. We had a nice turn out. We spent the evening reflecting on the accident, talking about Mark, and just generally keeping each other company. It was nice and I know Mark really wanted to be there. Debbie had a really nice group shot of all of us from the Hodges Garden ride in July of this year. Mark really had a fantastic time on that ride and was looking forward to doing more in the future.

I have to tell you that it is really amazing to see the outpouring of support and offers of help from all the people I've been hearing from. I have tried to let Kim know that she has a lot of people standing with her even though she doesn't know them and has never met most of them. I really think it makes a difference. Thanks.

Adios,

[afterburn]

Just read about this on ceracing.com. My condolences to Kim and Andy for their loss and I'm glad to see they have such good friends to take care of them in these hard times.

[vessmech]

I was at a recent bike night event at Kings with Mark and his family present. Even though I never really got a chance to speak with him, I felt I had known him through his postings here. This is sad day for everyone here.

My thoughts and prayers for the family.

God speed Mark.

[VFRinAustin]

This really sucks

All our condolences to Kim and Andy, and can only wish godspeed to Mark.


Scott, its really nice to hear that they have such good friends in yourself and Belth that you can help out as much as you are.


All, please take care out there. As we are apparently seeing here, you can be a very compitent rider but, you never know what might be on the other side of the rise.

[AggieVFR]

Having lost an uncle through a freak accident this summer, I can somewhat understand the questions that are going through everyone's heads right now. I truly feel for Mark's family and hope that they can find some comfort through these trying times. Through our e-mails and banter on twtex and on the VFR list, I really felt like I got to know Mark without ever meeting him face to face. I hope Kim and Andy take comfort in the fact that he will be missed by all and that we will celebrate his life the way he would have wanted us to.

Godspeed Mark.

[Anonymous]

He once owned a Harley Davidson and a Triumph Bonneville.
Counted his friends in burned-out spark plugs
and prays that he always will.
But he's the last of the blue blood greaser boys
all of his mates are doing time:
married with three kids up by the ring road
sold their souls straight down the line.

And some of them own little sports cars
and meet at the tennis club do's.
For drinks on a Sunday work on Monday.
They've thrown away their blue suede shoes.

Now they're too old to Rock'n'Roll and they're too young to die.

Godspeed Mark.