Man killed when motorcycle crashes, ejects him into Tellico River

Knoxville News Sentinel
April 6, 2010

Jeff McWaters' Last Ride at Bald River Falls with finacee Amy Berry, to check wedding locations. Clean and sober for 8 years, Jeff's friends at Alcoholics Anonymous in Savanna Georgia are planning an Independence Day Memorial Ride in his honor on the 4th of July. The motorcyclists will depart from the Walmart in Madisionville at 2pm and ride to New Providence Baptist Church in Tellico. Jeff will be buried at the feet of his grandmother, Emma Lee.

TELLICO PLAINS — A Madisonville man was killed Monday night when his motorcycle blew a rear tire, skidded over an embankment and ejected him into the Tellico River.

Jeffrey L. McWaters, 48, was riding a 1981 Honda G11 about 6:13 p.m. on River Road in Monroe County when the tire blew near the intersection of Ranger Station Road, according to a report by Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Bryan Martin. Posted speed on the road is 25 mph.

The motorcycle turned on its left side and slid several yards before going over an embankment, according to Martin.

The bike came to rest against a tree, but McWaters was thrown into the Tellico River where his body was later recovered.

A passenger on the motorcycle, Amy O. Berry, 37, of Madisonville was injured.

Both were wearing helmets.

Routine drug and alcohol tests were requested for McWaters.

More details as they develop online and in Wednesday’s News Sentinel.

Comments

TN_Engineer writes:
sorry to hear about this. I've been on river road many times; it's the same road that goes to Bald River Falls. If the tire blew, I'm curious if he ran over something, or if the tires were old and dry rotted. It's a 29 year old bike, so it's possible the tires are older as well.

Krystiana writes:
My husband and I ride a 1974 Honda 750. We get new tires every year. We just rode through Madisonville a couple of weeks ago. So sorry to hear about this tragedy. Prayers go out to Amy and the families. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my husband this way.

contact#242281 writes:
Don't hear about a motorcycle crash being caused by a blown tire very often. Sorry to hear that Mr. McWaters was killed in the crash. Glad that Ms. Berry made it through the crash alive.

Monroe Co. motorcycle accident kills Madisonville man

WBIR TV
4/6/2010

Jeff's skull cap skid lid was never found

A motorcycle crash near Tellico Plains in Monroe County has claimed the life of a Madisonville man and injured a Madisonville woman.

49-year-old Jeffrey L. McWaters was killed when he landed in the Tellico River after being thrown from the motorcycle he was driving on River Road Monday evening.

37-year-old Amy O Berry was injured in the crash.

The crash occured a little after 6:00pm. McWaters and Berry were riding the bike on River Road near the Ranger Station Road when the back tire blew. The bike fell on its side and skidded until it went over an embankment. The bike then hit a tree. McWaters was then thrown into the Tellico River where he was found and pronounced dead.

According to the THP report, both McWaters and Berry were wearing helmets.

It is unknown whether drugs or alcohol were involved.

Comments

shortstuff1 wrote:
Its heart breaking to know another biker Mr. McWaters has lost his life! Too his family, friends I'm truely sorry for your loss. To Ms.Berry I hope your well soon & to you also sorry for the loss of your friend! Has bikers ourselfs it truely is something we enjoy. Plus we have had our share of wreaks. Its not easy to deal with when love ones are hurt or killed. Please our season is really just getting started & riding hasn't been plentyful with all the nasty weather. Please everyone check your tires for wear-n-tear the tire pressure,your brakes. Go over your motorcycle before that frist ride.Its not gonna take that long to do! Remember theres family & friends who Love You! Don't let the Death of a fellow rider be in vain! I didn't know these riders but yet were connected due to our love of riding! I'm sure some where in the passed we've passed on the roads with a nod or a wave, I can only hope the comments stay well meaning & clean. Those with hateful remarks Please remember a family & friends are in a whole world of hurt & will be for a long long while. Please don't add to their sorrow! Thank You,

BlueberryMuffin wrote:
do-what-now -- You dont know this biker done anything wrong. There is nothing in the story about him speeding, passing on double yellow or breaking any other laws. All it says is his tire blew out. A lot of bikers may drive stupidly but that doesn't mean this one was.

HoboBob wrote:
Check them tires, Guys and Gals! It's could be a life-saver. Sorry to hear of a fellow rider going down, but it is something we all live with, and except. God Bless Jeffery and his family.

maribre46 wrote:
That is so sad. I, too, am a rider, along with my husband. When I have only two tires, I want them to both be excellent tires! I have seen people look at their bad tires and say, "Think I can get another 1,000 miles out of them?" Well, that is so stupid. The roads are fun to ride, but we do not pass on solid lines and try to ride responsibly. I really feel bad for those they left behind.

poorman32 wrote:
Rest In Peace fellow biker! God Bless his friends and family. These roads are so much fun to ride, but the least little mistake can be fatal. That seems to be the case here. Friends, please ride carefully. These roads have killed way too many people already. Let's not add to the statistics.

Jeffrey Lee McWaters

April 5, 2010

Jeffrey Lee McWaters of Madisonville, passed away suddenly Monday, April 5, at Sweetwater Hospital. He attended Rocky Springs Baptist Church.

He was 48.

Preceded in death by: mother, Sue Lee Maudlin, and father, Robert DeWitt "Mack" McWaters.

Survivors include: daughter-Allison Emmaline McWaters of Hilton Head, S.C.;

Sisters and brothers-in-law-Dennise and Al Voyles of Powder Springs, Ga.; and Dianne and Michael Whitlock of Louisville, Ky.;

Several nieces and nephews;

Fiancee-Amy Berry of Madisonville.

Cousin Judge Sharon Lee on Tennesee Supreme Court.

Memorial service will be 7 p.m., Friday, in Biereley-Hale Chapel. Family will receive friends 5-7 p.m., Friday before the service. Biereley-Hale Chapel, Madisonville, in charge of arrangements.

"Went to a funeral today. Second funeral this weekend, third this year. Jeff was my cousin, but we never got to ride together. The week previously, he was hit by a car on the same 1981 Honda GL1100 Gold Wing without injury, perhaps flat-spotting his tire. Helmet was not full face, nor normal open face (half-shell beanie type). No body armor. Bridgestone tires were only 1 year old, fair tread on the front, Battlax bald on the rear with a flat spot that exploded through the exposed cords (BT45R 130/90-17M/C 68V). Fork seals were leaking slightly, forks not rusted, but the crash bent the forks severely. Rear tire not visible to check tread unless bike on center stand. An overloaded bike could cause an underinflated tire to fall off the rim, or cause any tire to explode. Leaky fork seals can cause a severe tank-slapper at normal highway speeds when braking, as I found out personally on a Honda Nighthawk 650 at 35 mph under braking. Crash happened right in front of the Ranger station entrance, yet no rangers even noticed the rider was missing nor looked for him drowned in the river. Monday was over 80 degrees, a beautiful day to ride up to Bald River Falls... His fiance says she'll never ride again. She remembers the blowout, bike started fishtailing, and that's all she remembers until waking up on the pavement. Jeff and the Gold Wing lowsided, went off road and over the cliff. She woke up with amnesia from concussion, 6 broken ribs, broken collar bone, broken shoulder blade. This is one reason I check my tire pressures every time I ride, and carry a pressure gauge to check again on the way home. Now I check rear tire for flat spots and bald spots on the center stand before every ride. In fact, when I got home from Jeff's funeral, I checked my car tires, and one had the most severe belt deformation I'd ever seen, with the Firestone tire tread actually concave 1/4 inch deep by 4 inches wide by 1 foot long at 35 psi (not tread wear, see photos 1 I 2 I 3). Thanks for the tip. Heck, a Bridgestone tire went flat on my Honda Civic 1 month after that, but the Civic had Honda's Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) idiot lamp that told me the tire was flat after I was slowing down to pull off the road to check for an obvious flat, but it needs a talking buzzer to make it idiotproof. Honda's 2010 Gold Wing does have TPMS as an option..., without the screaming voice alert. WHY IS THIS TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM NOT AVAILABLE FOR RETROFIT ON OLDER BIKES? As your preacher said, Hell can't handle you. See ya later Jeff."
-John Lee, DealsGapDragon.com

Blowout Westbound returning from Bald River Falls at Ranger Station, lowsided 100' on pavement

Rider and bike went off cliff, bike hit tree, rider in deep water, passenger unconscious in road

Crash was 20 yards from ranger station entrance

Bridgestone Battlax was 1 year old, front tire OK, flatspot before or after blowout?
Should big bikes require 1,000lb load-rating tires with run-flat technology like cops use?
Battlax only lasts 3,000 miles, why big bikers join The Dark Side or ride trikes
WARNING: Flat tires look normal on big bikes
"Run-flat" Dunlop PT Touring tires only sold to police, no passenger allowed
No air in Run-Flat tire on Gold Wing -- Yellow Wolf: Epidemic tire failures on Gold Wings
Darkside of Gold Wings -- Max load rating drops with tire pressure

Insurance is refusing to pay $25,000 passenger liability policy
Update: Passenger's work insurance paid for hospitalization but not the $18,000 Lifestar flight

Jeff's 1992 Harley-Davidson led the funeral procession

"'I love you.' That was the last thing Jeff said to me after the tire blew and it started fishtailing.
Then I woke up on the pavement." - Amy Berry