Over 200 motorcycle riders met at St. Joe Harley Davidson for a poker run bike ride to raise money for Doug Collins, who was seriously injured in an accident on Interstate 29 last month.
Collins was ejected from his bike after being hit from behind by Tomas McCrery, according to Missouri Highway Patrol crash reports, McCrery is being charged for first degree assault, a DWI with serious physical injury, leaving the scene of an accident, operating a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, possession of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia totaling three felonies and three misdemeanors.
The poker run event included participants driving their bikes to five different locations to draw cards for a poker hand. The event ended with a silent auction and dinner at Amnesia Too on St. Joseph Avenue.
Collins’ longtime friend Michael Fleenor started a Facebook page in support for Collins, who is currently in a coma in a hospital in Omaha, but has shown positive signs of recovery. Fleenor said he was impressed by the support that has been shown since the crash.
“The community has definitely stepped up and helped support Doug, from local businesses to even corporate businesses,” Fleenor said. “We’ve got a great turnout today, and we definitely are doing some good things for Doug.”
Fleenor said that the event showed how much people care about Doug and how close knit the biking community is.
“We are one big family, no matter who you ride for or what you’re writing about, when it comes down to it and the situation here unfortunately, Doug was the wrong place at the wrong time, and that could have been any individual on a bike and that’s something we’d never want to see happen to a brother and sister riding,” Fleenor said.
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Source: News-Press Now by Clayton Anderson