GOLDEN, Colo. — Motorcycle awareness took center stage at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse Saturday as friends of Dennis Petri came together for a memorial ride in his honor.
"He was a man bigger than life," said Rob Tompkins, owner of the biker-friendly venue. "I thought nothing could ever take him down."
Tompkins described his friend Petri as a wonderful human being. He said Petri was a Marine who survived the Beruit bombing.
But on July 3, 2023, Petri lost his life after he was hit on Colo. 119 near milepost 23 while riding his Harley-Davidson near Nederland, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
Tompkins and his fellow riders are keeping Petri's memory alive. On Saturday, they took a wooden cross out to the crash site in his honor.
And back at Dirty Dog's Roadhouse in Golden, CDOT unveiled a riderless motorcycle display as a part of the "Wish You Were Here" campaign, to represent the void left by those who took their final ride and never returned home to their families.
It will be on display from Aug. 19-28, serving as a reminder to ride safely and wear a helmet.
According to CDOT data, 149 motorcyclists lost their lives in 2022 on Colorado roads, an 88% increase in the last decade.
"You can't lay the blame solely on motorcyclists or on drivers. It's really a combination where motorcyclists are going too fast, or they're riding impaired. But also drivers of vehicles who just aren't paying attention or they're going too fast," said Sam Cole, traffic safety manager at CDOT.
Sharing the road and responsibility from both riders and drivers may be the only hope to change the trend, said Cole.
"We all need to share the road, be safe and look out for one another," said Cole.
