Billy Lane, the famous custom chopper builder featured on Biker Build-Off, collides head on with Gerald Morelock. Two people are left injured and one is left dead. Charges are pending.
Florida - Billy was traveling south on State Road A1A south of Melbourne Beach near Ballyshannon Street when he attempted to pass two other vehicles across a double yellow line. Before he could make it back to his lane, he collided head on with Gerald Morelock, a 56 year old Indialantic resident who was riding his 1983 Yamaha moped home from work, before colliding with a light pole and coming to a rest. Billy and his passenger, 22 year old Erin Derrick of Rockledge, were rushed to Holmes Regional Medical Center. Morelock, who was wearing a helmet, suffered extensive injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
Marilyn Howe, a Melbourne Beach resident who was returning home from a soccer function with her two children, witnessed the accident. She was driving the lead vehicle that police say Billy was trying to pass.
“It was pretty dark, but still lit up. I just saw headlights coming up in my rearview mirror,” Howe said. “I also noticed there was a little motorcycle coming up and then a horrific crash. It was just horrible.”
Howe said she returned to the scene of the accident to see if she could help Morelock, whose body was sprawled on the side of the road next to his moped, but it was too late.
Billy was treated and released on Tuesday night. His passenger remains in fair condition.
Billy is known for living his life hard and fast. One of the most famous pictures of Billy is one of him drinking Jack Daniels straight from a bottle while doing a burnout. Police believe he had been drinking prior to the accident.
Trooper Kim Miller of the Florida Highway Patrol said, “We do believe he was impaired based on the evaluations the trooper did on Mr. Lane.”
However, charges have not been filed. Police are waiting on the results from the lab in Orlando where his blood test was sent for evaluation. The blood test could take a few days to a few weeks to return.
Byron Morelock, Gerald’s brother, suspects preferential treatment. “Just the fact that he crossed the double yellow line and hurt somebody, let alone killed him is enough. There is no doubt in my mind that if it was me or you, we would be in jail,” Morelock said.
In the meantime, police are trying to build a strong case against Billy before making any arrests,
“This is the thing. Let’s say we write him a ticket for crossing the double yellow line and he goes to court. He could pay a fine and that would be it. We couldn’t go back and charge him with the most serious charge in this case,” said Miller. “The goal is not to put him in jail as soon as possible. We have to prove criminal intent, that he knowingly passed the double line and that alcohol was involved.”
This is his second alcohol related road incident this year. The Rowan County Clerk of Courts confirmed that Billy is due to appear in court in October for charges stemming from a drunk driving arrest by the North Carolina Highway Patrol. He was arrested in June when he was driving the wrong way on a two lane road without a helmet. Police suspected him of drunk driving, but he refused a breathalyzer test.
A phone call to Billy’s shop, Choppers Inc, went unanswered. The message said that Choppers Inc was closed until further notice and recommended visiting the web site for more information. ChoppersInc.com shows an under construction notice on the front page. WFTV in Melbourne Beach attempted to contact Billy at his home and Choppers Inc. No one answered the door at his home and a closed sign hung on the door of Choppers Inc.
This article contributed by dynamike on Wednesday, September 06, 2006 (19:55:07)
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