Downtown Cody sees plenty of visitors on their way to
Yellowstone and Grand Teton every summer, including bikers who tour the Parks,
and other scenic areas of Northwest Wyoming.
Unfortunately, some die here
In June, 2016, three German bikers were killed when a pickup
truck driver veered into their lane and hit them head on.
The new Biker Memorial in Wapiti Wyoming
“This was a tragedy that still haunts people in the Cody
area. These were visitors in the Cody area.” Said Wyoming Department of
Transportation spokesman Cody Beers. Beers remarked too many bikers are dying on Wyoming
highways.
“In the last 22 years, there’s been over 360 motorcycle
fatalities in Wyoming. 17 last year in Wyoming, and so far 15 in 2018.” He
explained.
Michel Degleau is a biker, and he’s lost biker friends on
Wyoming Highways
He decided to build a memorial to motorcyclists who have died, and friends offered to let him use their land in Wapiti, directly across from the site of the 2016 triple fatality.
“It’s just pure coincidence that that is there, but that
just adds to the nostalgia of the memorial.' Degleau remarked. "That just
shows people we got a memorial, and we got three fatalities right across the
street.”
Degleau held a fundraiser to buy the materials, and got some
help from friends to build it. He put the final touch of a flag two weeks ago. Even while he was building the memorial, Cody businessman
Joe Boydston died in a motorcycle accident north of Cody. Deglau turns on flashing lights at the memorial when a biker
dies. He heard about Boydston’s and another biker’s death at the
same time.
“So, I had the lights flashing for Joe and the other guy.
And I put pictures on the Facebook page. I was out here working and I looked up
and there was a double rainbow.” He said.
Beers said the memorial may help remind drivers to watch for
bikers, and remind bikers to drive safely. WYDOT posted signs near the Memorial to encourage drivers to
visit it.
SOURCE: KCWY 13
