Hi, my name is Joann Roth and I am an immediate family member of Tony Blunk. We had his service today and I will gladly fill you in on the details we know. Tony was a Marine, retired from General Electric, a Patriot Guard Rider, A GWRRA member and a Kentuckiana 3 Wheelers member; he was a husband, father, brother and a grandfather. Here is what really happened -
A 32 year old woman ran a red light with several witnesses including a Jefferson Co. police officer. She hit him in the side knocking a very large man off of a three wheeled motorcycle. It is true that Tony had no helmet on; in this case, it made little or no difference.
Here is a time line so you will understand our anger-
We were called by the hospital to tell us he had been involved in an accident.
His wife and I arrived at the hospital and within 20 minutes were told they were trying to actively resuscitate him.
Approximately 30 minutes later the doctors came in to tell us he had died.
The coroner came in to tell us they had to take his body and advise us we shouldn't view it.
We went home and waited for the police to call us and fill us in on what happened. We waited all evening, all night and most of the next day before I called and ask to speak to the investigating officer. I was told he was busy at Hullaballoo and couldn't call me for a day or two. I explained to the lady in a not so lady like manner that wasn't acceptable and I needed to talk to the chief of police. I was put through to his office where I promptly got to leave a message. I was told I would receive a call. Several hours later we were still waiting, flipping from one news story to the other trying to find out what had taken place and what had killed Tony. I called the office of the police chief again, they seemed a little shocked that no one had called me but promised me he would call.
About an hour later the investigating officer called us and told us, the woman left Daymar College, stopped to get a soft drink, stopped at the light, took a drink of her soft drink, set it down and thought the light was green so she went on through. He said he thought the coroner had given us this information.
The investigating officer said she wouldn't be charged because she had done NOTHING NEGLIGENT. He also stated that he couldn't give her a ticket because he hadn't seen her run the red light.
Later he called back and said another officer had seen her run the light and she had been ticketed for it.
Here are our problems.
If she hadn't run the light, he wouldn't have needed a helmet, period. So if you think he should have been wearing one, we agree, does it matter in this case, no, his other injuries would have caused his death anyway. So helmet or no, she killed him.
Second - Why didn't the officer who witnessed the accident tell the investigating officer he saw it happen?
Third - Why did we as a family not deserve the respect of a phone call from the police to tell us what happened?
Fourth - Why were we not told before we heard it on the news that our loved one was not important enough to call us and tell us she was going to be let go scott free?
Fifth - Why didn't they check her cell phone records to see if she was on the phone or texting?
Sixth - Why was no drug test done on her to see if drugs were involved?
So for those of you who want to somehow lay blame on a man, who was obeying the law, doing what he was supposed to be doing and was mowed down by a careless driver, who inflicted enough damage to kill him 2 or 3 times over, that he is somehow to blame because he didn't have a helmet on, would it have mattered? Would it?? No, not one bit, she ran him down, and somehow some of you are sick enough to try and blame him for one single bit of this, just shows you don't have a clue about what you feel so free to go on line and run your mouth about.
