Officials: Bike Week, BikeFest went smoothly

There were some crashes, but Delmarva Bike Week and OC BikeFest generally went well this year, law-enforcement officials say.

“It turned out to be good overall,” Ocean City Police Department spokeswoman Lindsay Richard said of the events, which ran from Thursday to Sunday, Sept. 17-20.

There were 10 crashes in Ocean City during this year’s Bike Week and BikeFest events, according to Ocean City police statistics. That compares to nine in 2014, 20 in 2013, 14 in 2012 and seven in 2011, the data shows.

There were 17 driving under the influence of alcohol arrests this year in Ocean City, which is also nothing out of the ordinary based on previous years, the data shows. There were nine in 2014, 18 in both 2013 and 2012, and 10 in 2011.

There were 332 traffic stops this year in Ocean City during the event, a number that has ranged within five years from 247 in 2011 to 825 in 2013, the data shows.

Things also went well for the Maryland State Police Berlin barrack, said 1st. Sgt. Chris Davala.

There were six crashes in Worcester County handled by state police. Of those six, five were minor and two involved motorcycles, according to a news release from the Maryland State Police Berlin barrack.

There were 22 DUI arrests handled by state police in Worcester County, four of which involved motorcycles, according to state police.

And state police made 758 traffic stops in Worcester County during the time period, the release states.

Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Babe Wilson said there were no problems to report that the agency handled, aside from the expected high traffic and congestion.

There was a crash at about 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, not far from two of the Bike Week sites –– Arthur W. Perdue Stadium and WinterPlace Park in Salisbury –– involving a car and a motorcycle, Salisbury Police Capt. Rich Kaiser said. But the motorcyclist only suffered minor injuries in the crash, which was on Route 50 near Hobbs Road, he said.

There was much police presence in Worcester County, with troopers from Princess Anne and Salisbury and other state police units coming in to help for the events.

“The Maryland State Police would like to thank all those motorists who safely ‘SHARED THE ROAD’ with motorcycles and were extra alert to keep motorcyclists safe,” a news release from the Maryland State Police Berlin barrack read. “As to our motorcycling community, thank you for making yourself visible to our other motorists and making this event one of the safest in years past.”

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