What happened on Bond Mill Road Last Night?

[Lisa]

Bond Mill Road was blocked off by yellow tape and police cars for much of last night. When I asked someone what happened, she said there was an auto accident and someone was seriously hurt. Does anyone know what happened?

[Jen]

I have been told that an atv and a car collided and the driver of the atv was killed! There is now a cross at the end of Ashland with the name Rodney on it!! If anyone has more info please post it!!

[DLB]

Jen wrote:

I have been told that an atv and a car collided and the driver of the atv was killed! There is now a cross at the end of Ashland with the name Rodney on it!! If anyone has more info please post it!!

Wasn't an ATV, was a dirt bike.

[Marshall Ness]

Rodney Gantenbein was his name, he loved to surf and he was fun to be around. He loved Hawaii and want to back there one day. I think he will.

We Love you Rodney

[Kane]

Marshall Ness wrote:

Rodney Gantenbein was his name, he loved to surf and he was fun to be around. He loved Hawaii and want to back there one day. I think he will.
We Love you Rodney

Ke ole aloha Rod I miss you more everyday

[Kane]

ke ole Aloha. Aloha wau iâ `oe. i ke ala i ho'i 'ole mai Ali'i Rodney Gantenbein

[Marissa]

Wow, I came across this post when googling Rodney to see if I could locate him. I've looked for him for years. He was a friend of mine in Charleston where we went to school together and an even better friend after we both happened to move to O'ahu. He left to Maryland and eventually we lost touch. My prayers go out to his family and friends. He was a wonderful, kind person who lived life to the fullist. I'll miss you Rodney.

[Jim]

Lisa wrote:

Bond Mill Road was blocked off by yellow tape and police cars for much of last night. When I asked someone what happened, she said there was an auto accident and someone was seriously hurt. Does anyone know what happened?

I've called the police no less than a dozen times in the past 3 months to report dirt bikes and atvs being driven on West Laurel streets for fear that something like this would happen. If the parents of these kids took more responsibility for their actions, maybe this one's life would have been spared. Our streets are NOT for use by off road vehicles!

[Jess]

At least these kids arent selling drugs/hanging out in the streets! Id rather see them riding these on the streets then doing other things on the streets! At least they have a hobby and they are doing something they love. Yes it was tragic for the boy and his family SO why cant the county/state give these kids somewhere to ride. Instead they keep building more and more DOG PARKS! When has our dogs become more important than our youth!

Jim wrote:

<quoted text>
I've called the police no less than a dozen times in the past 3 months to report dirt bikes and atvs being driven on West Laurel streets for fear that something like this would happen. If the parents of these kids took more responsibility for their actions, maybe this one's life would have been spared. Our streets are NOT for use by off road vehicles!

[Ashley]

Drugs and hanging out on the streets aren't the only alternative to not being able to go dirt biking and off-roading.

I'm sure everyone would be happy if there were safe places for them to do this, but while there is not... It's better not to get killed. If doing this means so much, that it is worth people dying or their children... well... I don't even know what to say to that. For instance... I love to drive my car really fast and crazy. But it is dangerous... so I go to the race track for that. It's not close or convenient. But it is necessary... I'm honestly not sure how dangerous off-roading is out there, but it does seem like it possibly could be pretty dangerous.

And as far as the new dog park goes... I LOVE IT!!! It gives me and my dogs exercise. I wasn't aware that they were popping up EVERYWHERE? I think that is an exaggeration unless there are a whole bunch I am unaware of besides the newest. Which is located in a space that is not quite large enough for an off-roading field and no one would want that area all muddied up anyway. It is right by a park. The one at Brockbridge road is nothing more than old baseball fields with a fence slapped around them and some janky old water fountain.

If you feel strongly about this matter... JESS... then you should lobby for an off-roading field. Real action takes real work... I do not agree that because one has not been built, that no one cares about our youth. The park on Harrison Drive (I think that is the correct street name) was just COMPLETELY rebuilt. And the last time that I checked the ratio of parks for kids to parks for dogs is ridiculously in favor of our youth. So, it seems to me that they do come first. Plus many more people have pets than people do mudding vehicles. But if this is your passion... Like I said before... You should most definitely get an action plan started to work towards what you would like to see happen.

[Ashley]

Sorry... Didn't mean to post twice... Was trying to come up with cool "on-line" name... Love rocky horror!

[Bond Miller]

In response to all of the postings about safety and dirt bikers, Rodney had been drinking, was driving a dirt bike at night, no lights, no helmet, and drove into a car that had turned onto a side street as the car nearly completed its turn. Drinking and driving is dangerous, riding a motorcycle without a helmet is dangerous, riding around on the street at night without lights is dangerous.

As for the locals riding around West Laurel streets, the ones at the greatest risk are not youngsters, many are young adults finishing or finished high school. I ride a street motorcycle, and one of these local idiots nearly caused one of my group to crash one day, when he came zipping along, WITH NO HELMET, ran past us on the road and cut a turn from Bauer onto Bond Mill, cutting across in front of the lead rider who was about to accelerate onto Bond Mill. I don't think any of them belong on the street, but the young adults who are drinking and getting high and not moving on as adults who zip around the neighborhood at all hours are the biggest problem, as evidenced by the death of Rodney.

[Candi Brown]

I am floored, may he rest in peace. I too was trying to locate my old friend and found this to be the first listing. Rodney and I were good friends once he moved to Laurel, we went to school together. Such sad news. RIP old friend