http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=knight-pleasureridewheeliewasfor&prov=knight&type=lgns
Pleasure-ride wheelie was foreshadowing of accident
By Patrick McManamon, Beacon Journal staff writer
Kellen Winslow spent part of Sunday afternoon riding his motorcycle to Canton to visit a bike superstore.
When Winslow left the store, he did a "wheelie" on Kirby Ave., said an off-duty police officer who was working at Harding's Park Cycle & Power Equipment.
"I looked at the guy working with me and said, `
That's a million-dollar wheelie,' " said Eric Stanbro, a police officer who works in Stark County. Stanbro asked that his specific police department not be named; his employment was verified. A policeman named Eric told the same story on WKNR on Tuesday afternoon without revealing his last name.
The Browns released no new medical information on Winslow, who remained in the Cleveland Clinic. The team had said Monday night that Winslow had internal injuries, which were stable, as well as swelling in his right knee and shoulder.
The team is concerned about the knee, because swelling can indicate a serious problem. Possible injuries won't be known until more medical exams are concluded.
Winslow, the team's first-round draft choice a year ago, was hurt when he crashed his Suzuki motorcycle Sunday night. Winslow was riding in a parking lot in Westlake, hit a curb and flipped over the bike.
Four friends were with him when he was hurt, and they told Westlake police Winslow was learning to ride the motorcycle, which he had purchased in early April.
Stanbro, who was working with another off-duty police officer at Harding's, said Winslow spent 60 to 90 minutes at the customer appreciation spring open house.
Dennis Harding, manager and part owner of Harding's, confirmed Winslow's presence, and added Winslow arrived and left on his motorcycle.
Harding said he talked briefly to Winslow to thank him for coming.
"He was nice," Harding said.
Stanbro, who was present for traffic control and general security, said Winslow signed several autographs and posed with several fans for pictures. Stanbro said Winslow spent most of his time shopping for motorcycle apparel.
"His group of people went to leave and we asked them not to do any burnouts or anything in the parking lot," Stanbro said. "They headed east on Route 62, and (Winslow) was the last one in their group. As they pulled out he popped a wheelie.
"It was a small one. Then he hit the throttle and went up a little higher. He held it for about 100 feet.
"He sat down and off they went."
Stanbro said he guessed Winslow was going at "a very high rate of speed" when he did the wheelie (a stunt in which a bike rides on its back wheel only).
"He gunned it," Stanbro said. "He was going real fast. I'd estimate between 40 and 50 miles per hour."
Stanbro was doing a best guess on the speed and distance of the wheelie.
"It appeared to us he was riding with a bunch of very experienced riders," Stanbro said. "The way they were dressed, their bikes. His bike had a 30-day tag on. He looked a little uncertain. He had his helmet on.
"Two of their guys were doing wheelies when they got to the event."
Stanbro called the wheelie "a very dangerous move."
"I don't believe he's that experienced a rider and very experienced riders wreck all the time on those," Stanbro said.
Lt. Ray Arcuri of the Westlake Police Department said Winslow's friends described Winslow as a "novice rider."
Told that Winslow apparently had ridden the bike from his home in Westlake to Canton, Arcuri said, "We want to find out exactly what went on."
Arcuri said the only charge Winslow faces would be reckless operation or failure to maintain reasonable control of a vehicle, both traffic tickets. He said the Westlake police are looking into whether Winslow had a valid license to drive the motorcycle.
Messages for Patrick McManamon can be sent to
[email protected]. Beacon Journal staff writer Darnell Mayberry contributed to this report.
