Hit & Run in Denver - Update: Buddy Rider injured

smorris · Post by **smorris** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:27 pm

I'm not sure what a Buddy looks like under the seat. This one looks pink, so I thought I'd ask. Hopefully no one we know in any case, sounds serious.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=86111

pcbikedude · Post by **pcbikedude** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:36 pm

Most likely a Buddy. The gas cap looks very familar.

Post by **jmazza** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:45 pm

Yeah it really does... looks like a Genuine top case too...

Post by **jmazza** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 2:07 am

I looked around for some updates and this article says she's got some injuries but is in stable condition.

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 5:29 am

Thanks for posting this. I heard about this Sunday morning when they ran a crawl during the Sunday morning news on channel 7. I combed through the Sunday Post for an article but couldn't find one and then promptly forgot about it. I'm getting a little sick of hit and runs, whether they involve scooters or not. I'm hopeful that this guy goes to jail for a long time.

Sure does look like a Buddy. As pcbikedude said, the gas cap is a real giveaway. I've seen a few pink Buddys in Denver and at least 2 sporting riders with pink 3/4 helmets.

Sure hope she's okay.

smorris · Post by **smorris** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:43 pm

I don't know if she is someone here or not.

from collin via the bbs....

Guys, please feel free to repost this to other boards: modernvespa, modernbuddy, 2sb, club sites etc, etc THANKS!

The girl who was a victim of the hit-and-run in Denver (see article: http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=86111) on her Buddy 125 was Paula Barlow. She is a sweetheart and rides every day in all weather. She is banged up bad and the dude that hit her is still on the loose.

Paula has been a Sportique regular for many many years. She is a trip. Her first scooter was one of those Puegeot big-wheel scoots from the late nineties. She has had several others of the past ten or so years including a Kymco Cobra, a Kymco People and a Buddy 50. Her Buddy 125 was the bike she finally settled on and she loved the thing to pieces. Her scooter had virtually become her identity. Every time Paula came into the Scooter shop she flirted with all the guys there up one side and down the other. She's hilarious.

Please her send well-wishes from ALL OVER THE PLACE! Paula will really appreciate it. She has not got many friends or family to show her support right now....let's be her scooter family. In fact, when I called her house her neighbor was tending to her affairs. Send postcards or whatever to:

Paula Barlow
c/o Denver Health
777 Bannock St
Pavilion A, room 202
Denver, Co 80204

Scootden · Post by **Scootden** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:14 am

Well that sucks.

Especially when it happens in Denver, never like to see another denverite in a jam. Particularly a scooterist.

I'll have to see what i can do.

josh

Post by **jmazza** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:35 am

smorris wrote:I don't know if she is someone here or not.

from collin via the bbs....

Guys, please feel free to repost this to other boards: modernvespa, modernbuddy, 2sb, club sites etc, etc THANKS!

The girl who was a victim of the hit-and-run in Denver (see article: http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=86111) on her Buddy 125 was Paula Barlow. She is a sweetheart and rides every day in all weather. She is banged up bad and the dude that hit her is still on the loose.

Paula has been a Sportique regular for many many years. She is a trip. Her first scooter was one of those Puegeot big-wheel scoots from the late nineties. She has had several others of the past ten or so years including a Kymco Cobra, a Kymco People and a Buddy 50. Her Buddy 125 was the bike she finally settled on and she loved the thing to pieces. Her scooter had virtually become her identity. Every time Paula came into the Scooter shop she flirted with all the guys there up one side and down the other. She's hilarious.

Please her send well-wishes from ALL OVER THE PLACE! Paula will really appreciate it. She has not got many friends or family to show her support right now....let's be her scooter family. In fact, when I called her house her neighbor was tending to her affairs. Send postcards or whatever to:

Paula Barlow
c/o Denver Health
777 Bannock St
Pavilion A, room 202
Denver, Co 80204

Anyone want to go in on a huge bouquet of flowers or something? We could just call the hospital gift shop and have them send something up.

Scootden · Post by **Scootden** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:39 am

I'm in on the flowers...plus I'm in town so i could pick something out if need be. Was going to stop by Sportique tomorrow thought I might get a poster or something for her.

josh

Post by **jmazza** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:08 am

Scootden wrote:I'm in on the flowers...plus I'm in town so i could pick something out if need be. Was going to stop by Sportique tomorrow thought I might get a poster or something for her.

josh

Hey Josh- do you think you could do something from all of us and we can contribute? Not to pass it on to you but since you're in town you could do something better than flowers. A poster sounds cool- I'll PayPal you some money if you have PayPal and one other member here PM'd me to agree to contribute too.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:09 am

Hell. If anyone has or hears info on her condition, please post it here.

Scootden · Post by **Scootden** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:00 am

jmazza wrote:
Scootden wrote:I'm in on the flowers...plus I'm in town so i could pick something out if need be. Was going to stop by Sportique tomorrow thought I might get a poster or something for her.

josh
Hey Josh- do you think you could do something from all of us and we can contribute? Not to pass it on to you but since you're in town you could do something better than flowers. A poster sounds cool- I'll PayPal you some money if you have PayPal and one other member here PM'd me to agree to contribute too.

Absolutely. I'm thinking the guys at sportique might even kick in something for a prefered customer.

I'll get it figured out mid day tomorrow. If I have time I might try and drop it by the hospital.

Maybe a poster and a scooter magazine or something? I'll sign it from the modernbuddy crew.

josh

Dibber · Post by **Dibber** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:15 pm

Has anyone heard if they caught the driver yet? I hope they get him, even though he is sober by now.

For the Buddy Rider, I wish her well and a speedy recovery.

Post by **illnoise** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:20 pm

Josh, count me in, too, can you post or PM your paypal address?

Leeroy Jenkins · Post by **Leeroy Jenkins** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:28 pm

looks like a buddy to me.

http://www.ride2die.com

Post by **jrsjr** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:29 pm

illnoise wrote:Josh, count me in, too, can you post or PM your paypal address?

Same here, pls.

Thanks for following up on this.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:56 pm

Josh, I'm PMing you about this...

Scootden · Post by **Scootden** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:17 pm

Ok folks here is an update.

First of all I stopped by Sportique they'd already sent a note over and ask me to let you guys know about this.....
http://scooter-relief.org/node/30

Scooter-relief helps out scooterists in need, awesome huh? They are apparently going to see what she needs as she gets better. They may need donations to help her with eveyrthing, but that is yet to be seen. Watch that site for updates.

I bought her a "TAG"(twist and go!) Magazine and the newest Scooterist. Plus another who's name I've forgotten!
I stopped at the gift shop in the hospital and bought her some flowers in a vase. The card said "Get well soon" and I signed it "the modernbuddy.com crew".

The good news is they've upgraded her condition. The Bad news is she's going to have a long way to recover. I'll not get to into things, as I want to respect her privacy, but I will tell you she was in bad enough shape that she won't know I was there.

We may want to think about sending something in a few weeks when she's alittle better off.

I'll PM folks about contributing.

Everyone stay safe and heal fast Paula!

josh

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:56 pm

Thanks, Josh, from all of us here...

--Keys

Sharon · Post by **Sharon** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 3:16 am

I live here in VA. but my thoughts are certainly with Paula. Hope you keep the updates coming.

peabody99 · Post by **peabody99** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 3:17 pm

Go Paula! get better soon, we are routing for you. Now regarding this scuzbag who hit and ran, what is the update?? it should not be too hard to find this person. Do any Denverites have info? I think it would be great to organize a letter writing campaign to the prosecutor or Judge assigned to the case (once this is done) to indicate national attention is on them and we hope they will prosecute and sentence to the full extent of the law. Thanks locals for keeping us posted.

jetboy · Post by **jetboy** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 5:21 pm

peabody99 wrote:Go Paula! get better soon, we are routing for you. Now regarding this scuzbag who hit and ran, what is the update?? it should not be too hard to find this person. Do any Denverites have info? I think it would be great to organize a letter writing campaign to the prosecutor or Judge assigned to the case (once this is done) to indicate national attention is on them and we hope they will prosecute and sentence to the full extent of the law. Thanks locals for keeping us posted.

You know, for how horrific this incident is, the media doesn't seem too intent on re-publicizing it to the community at large here. I haven't seen any follow up stories from the Rocky Mountain News, Denver Post or the locale "news leader" channel 9 (who promised follow-up as details emerge).

I figure they know who the owner of the vehicle is, so why hasn't the media made this public? If they are still searching for the person wouldn't that be helpful?

Disappointing.

- jetboy

pugbuddy · Post by **pugbuddy** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:07 pm

Should someone add the http://scooter-relief.org/node/30 site to the Resources folder?

I'd call the news station and inquire about following up on the accident. If there's a contact e-mail address, perhaps someone can post it and we can all write in for an update? I'm guessing that if the dude went to all that trouble to hide evidense, he's got some other issues that are dogging him as well.

God bless her--I'll keep her in prayer!

Post by **illnoise** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:10 pm

jetboy wrote:You know, for how horrific this incident is, the media doesn't seem too intent on re-publicizing it to the community at large here. I haven't seen any follow up stories from the Rocky Mountain News, Denver Post or the locale "news leader" channel 9 (who promised follow-up as details emerge).
- jetboy

That's how the news always works, they re-type the police report or press release and then forget about it. They presumably didn't release her identity because it wasn't included in the report or because it's the paper's policy to protect victim's privacy (remember, Colin told us who she was, not the news or police).

And though it's a big deal to us, the police (and the media) probably have bigger problems to deal with. I think the hope is that the driver would see the story and feel guilty enough to turn himself in, or a witness or friend of the driver would come to the police with info.

I don't want to get into it too deeply, but a (distant) family member was recently killed in a gruesome and mysterious situation in Chicago, and I was thoroughly depressed that the media barely mentioned it, and the police and FBI sort of just threw up their hands. I guess I can't really blame them, in cases like that one and this one, if you don't have any evidence, there's not much you can do, but it makes it that much harder for the victim and his/her family and friends to deal with it. Not to be callous, and my heart goes out to Paula, but she'll hopefully/probably be OK, and hopefully insurance will buy her a new scooter, so it's best to just be thankful it wasn't worse, and focus on helping her feel better and get back on the road, rather than obsessing with "justice."

The "Silkworm incident" where three local musicians were killed by a suicidal ex-model trying to kill herself was the opposite extreme, it became a media circus with everyone demanding blood, and I don't know if that did anyone any good, the victims are still gone.

I know a lot of scooterists (I've been there) who drive and scoot drunk way more often than we'd like to admit, and publicizing (presumed) drunk hit-and-run accidents like this within our community hopefully convinces us to not repeat that Chevy driver's really, really bad judgement.

Bb.

jetboy · Post by **jetboy** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:15 pm

illnoise wrote:
That's how the news always works, they re-type the police report or press release and then forget about it. They presumably didn't release her identity because it wasn't included in the report or because it's the paper's policy to protect victim's privacy (remember, Colin told us who she was, not the news or police).

Bb.

Just be clear - I wasn't suggesting that we should know who the scooterist was in this instance - I was suggesting the owner of the vehicle/possible perpetrator be identified (if they are still looking for him).

-jetboy

Post by **illnoise** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:40 pm

jetboy wrote:Just be clear - I wasn't suggesting that we should know who the scooterist was in this instance - I was suggesting the owner of the vehicle/possible perpetrator be identified (if they are still looking for him).

I'm sorry, I totally mis-read that. I suppose they would know the owner of the vehicle (it was left at the scene) but I guess they figure it could have been stolen, or someone had borrowed it, so they don't want to drag someone's name through the mud until they're sure they were involved. Or maybe it was a minor.

I guess if you're the sort of genius who drives drunk and hits a girl on a scooter and drags her bike a block, then steals her purse and leaves her to die, the standard game plan would be go back to the bar and then come outside and be like "Oh, man, my car was stolen!" So if someone pulls something like that, maybe the police don't ID him to the media in case it's actually true and he slaps a countersuit or something, i dunno.

peabody99 · Post by **peabody99** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:30 am

Is there any news on Paula's recovery?

Post by **jmazza** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:40 am

peabody99 wrote:Is there any news on Paula's recovery?

Wondering the same thing. I'm gonna try to contact Sportique.