Families mourning death of biker while fiancé remains in ICU

Chantel Wolfaardt remains unaware of the death of her fiancé, Wayne Lendrum, the president of the Valhalla Motorbike Club, as family and friends mourn his loss.

Wayne died after the motorbike he and Chantel were riding was involved in a collision at about 10:30 on May 4, at the intersection of Rietfontein Road and Bentel Avenue.

Chantel sustained serious injuries and was rushed to hospital after Wayne’s customised three-wheel BMW motorbike and a double-cab Isuzu bakkie collided.

Lendrum was an amputee and had a prosthetic right leg, hence the customisation of his motorbike.

The driver of the bakkie was also taken to hospital.

According to Wayne’s friend, Francios Breytenbach, national sergeant in arms of Valhalla MC, no funeral arrangements have been made yet.

“Chantel is still in the ICU and sedated. She is unaware that Wayne has died. We’re waiting for her to wake up and will have to then share the sad news before proceeding with funeral arrangements.”

Francois explained that he and the couple were on their way to a biking event at the Garrison Driving Range, Pub and Grill in Anderbolt when the accident occurred.

Boksburg Advertiser contacted the driver of the bakkie for comment, but he declined.

Boksburg North SAPS station commander Colonel Mack Mngomezulu confirmed police are investigating a case of culpable homicide.

“Nobody has been charged yet as investigations are still ongoing,” said Mngomezulu.

Francoise said Wayne was the biggest man with the biggest heart.

“He will be missed by everyone at the club.”

Wayne, who is from Pretoria, leaves behind children, grandchildren and other family members.

The Crusaders MC South Africa said bikers should focus on the following 10 risks:
1. Oncoming traffic
Maybe a driver is texting on his cellphone. Maybe a driver is eating a burger. Maybe a driver is just daydreaming. It doesn’t matter what causes it, but all it takes to cause a serious accident is for one driver to drift into the other lane. A driver doesn’t even need to hit a rider directly since even being clipped by an oncoming car can knock a rider off his bike. Sadly, keeping a constant eye on traffic and riding like everybody is out to kill you is the only way to minimise your risk of colliding with oncoming traffic.

2. Cars waiting to turn and making U-turns. Intersections are about as dangerous as it gets, and part of that has to do with drivers making careless right turns. Motorcyclists all have stories about narrowly avoiding a collision with a car pulling out in front of them and, sadly, far too many have stories about actually being hit. Drivers need to put down their cellphones and pay better attention to what’s going on around them, but riders need to also pay extra attention while riding through intersections. Vigilance could save a life.

3. Panic stops
There’s always potential for an accident when someone has to slam on the brakes, but it’s always more dangerous when you’re on a motorcycle. Since your front brake provides 70% of your stopping power, you have to use it, but if you grab the brake too hard, locking up your front wheel and throwing yourself off the bike are always risks. Buying a bike with antilock brakes will help mitigate this problem, but if you don’t have ABS it’s even more important to learn how your bike handles under heavy braking. That way you’ll be ready the next time you have to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of you.

4. Gravel/oil/diesel on the road
Motorcycles are very good at going around corners in normal situations on normal roads, but when you start throwing obstacles into their path, that’s when things get tricky. Sticks, dirt and even roadkill can be difficult to handle, but the worst road obstacles are gravel, oil and diesel. These kill your grip, causing your bike to behave unpredictably and easily causing an accident. If you’re going to go down, a low-side fall is about as good as it gets. Unfortunately, riders trying to recover from hitting gravel can easily high side as well, which is much more dangerous.

5. Too much speed through a corner
One of the best things about motorcycles is that they’re fast. For the cost of a new VW Polo, you can buy a bike that will hold its own against a supercar. Experiencing raw, unbridled speed for the first time is intoxicating, but it’s also dangerous. In a straight line, most riders don’t get themselves in too much trouble, but learning to take a corner is much more difficult. New riders are especially at risk of taking a corner too fast, but even experienced riders occasionally make mistakes.

6. Lane splitting
This isn’t usually a problem once you’re out on an open road but in cities and especially during peak hour traffic, riders have to be on the lookout for people making sudden lane changes. You have to be on the lookout for jealous drivers who don’t like that lane splitting is legal.
Even though they’re putting someone else’s life at risk, those drivers have no problem cutting off bikes. Also, lane-split responsibly. Flying through the middle of a lane at 120km/h is only asking for trouble and leaves you no response should a vehicle lane. Be smart, not brave. Bikes have a nasty of biting those who become overconfident and cocky.

7. Cars changing lanes
Unfortunately, two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. When a car hits a motorcycle while changing lanes, it’s the rider, not the driver who loses every time. But again as a rider, be smart. Learn to read the traffic. Don’t just watch the car in front of you, watch the guy 10 cars in front of you. Cars will always give a slight hint that they are going to change long before the driver indicates (or not at all) before the car moves across lanes. But at highway speeds, even being lightly clipped by a car can easily be deadly even if a rider is wearing proper gear. On a crowded highway, it’s even more dangerous.

8. Drivers behind you
Riding through an intersection is dangerous, but so is being stopped at one. Drivers who aren’t paying attention have a habit of rear-ending other vehicles, and in most cases, it’s unfortunate, but at least cars have crumple zones and seatbelts. When a distracted driver rear-ends a motorcycle, there isn’t much to protect the rider even in a low-speed crash. Even when you’re not stopped at an intersection, other drivers can still be a threat. Slow-moving traffic may even be more dangerous than stopped traffic.

9. Inclement weather
Be very cautious in the rain. The roads get slicker, visibility is reduced and drivers rarely adjust their speed, making the road a dangerous place for motorcycle riders. The risk of riding a bike greatly increases in the wet.

10. Drinking and riding
Unlike cars, motorcycles offer riders the illusion that they’re safe to ride even while intoxicated. At speed, they’re self-stabilising, and with so much room in the lane, a little swerving will sometimes even go unnoticed by the rider. Mix that with the drinking culture that surrounds motorcycles, and you have a recipe for disaster. No matter how safe it feels at the time, alcohol slows your reaction time, impairs your judgment and is a factor in an unnecessarily large number of wrecks. Simply not drinking and riding reduces your risk of wrecking drastically.

Also Read: Biker killed in crash with bus

Also Read: Family wants justice after cold-blooded murder of Mr D biker