Hank and Sharon Neal ...

challenger

R.I.P. - 2023/11/19
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Last month, on October 8th, I received an open invitation to ride with a group of BMW / ST owners from Pensacola, FL. The invite came from a member of the ST-OWNERS.COM named Hank Neal. I replied immediately and over the course of the next few weeks sent more information and requests but heard nothing. I was going to be able to finally take him up on his offer this weekend and decided I would try and contact him via facebook ... this is what I found. My condolences to all his friends ... I never got the chance to even shake his hand.

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/member.php?18932-Hank-FLPI

http://www.memorialsolutions.com/sitemaker/memsol.cgi?user_id=1699429

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=hank neal pensacola
 
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Mellow

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Very sorry to hear this Dan, sending thoughts and prayers to their family and friends.

I'm guessing his username was Hank-FLPI here.
 

ToddC

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Indeed, so Sad to hear. Thoughts for all who knew him...

ToddC
 

Shuey

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I knew Hank and Sharon pretty well and their funerals are today. Sharon had just retired and was looking forward to relaxing and traveling with her best friend and husband . . . Hank (AKA Hank-FLPI). Hank retired from the ATF and became a full time Private Investigator. He was scaling down his PI work and looking forward to more frequent travel adventures with his best friend and wife . . . Sharon.

The referenced URLs at the beginning of this thread list Hank's resume, so it doesn't need to be repeated here.

What happened? Hank and Sharon, riding two-up behind a car with a pick-up in front of the car, began passing them on their left as the auto slowed in front of them. The reason the car slowed was because the truck slowed . . . to turn left, which it did right in front of Hank and Sharon. A friend riding behind them reported the brake lights coming on in a panic stop attempt. The stopping distance wasn't short enough and they broadsided the pick-up. Reports say Sharon died instantly and Hank died in the ambulance.

I've ridden day rides with Hank many times and he was a superior rider. Accidents happen and this one can provide an opportunity for the rest of us to reflect for a moment on our riding and the choices we make as we make our way down the road. The lesson here for me is to always suspect vehicles ahead of me to do whatever will be the most dangerous for me.

RIP Hank and Sharon Neal,
Shuey
 
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SupraSabre

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I saw this on Facebook, a real shame.

Shuey, thanks for the comments! Helps understanding what happened to them and as you said, we need to reflect on our own riding!
 
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The lesson here for me is to always suspect vehicles ahead of me to do whatever will be the most dangerous for me.
Shuey
Thanks for the post Shuey. I was trying to find a reference to the circumstances of the wreck earlier today. The links to the local paper had expire and were only available for $s. I lost a friend/co-worker earlier this year under similar circumstances. Following a truck pulling a trailer and his wife on the back of the bike. They started to pass only to find the truck was slowing to turn left in front of them. He was killed instantly, his wife survived but was banged up pretty well. After a few surgeries she's back on her feet. Always a lesson to be learned...

Godspeed to Hank and Sharon.....
 
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Thank you Shuey for the additional information. My thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Hank and Sharon
 
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