On Sunday, August 16th, Ric Curran, 72, a passionate motorcyclist from Joliet, IL, was involved in a devastating motorcycle collision that has left him facing an unimaginable road to recovery. While riding his Honda Goldwing, Ric was struck by an SUV and, in a horrifying sequence of events, was run over multiple times before an off-duty police officer intervened and stopped the vehicle. The driver has since been charged with aggravated DUI.

Ric was rushed to a nearby hospital and ultimately airlifted to the nearest Level 1 trauma center due to the severity of his injuries. He suffered extensive trauma to his legs, torso, and upper body. His recovery will require long-term medical care, rehabilitation, and support that no one should have to face alone.

At 72, Ric has always been strong, independent, and deeply committed to the motorcycling community. He's been a lifelong lover of motorcycles and a dedicated advocate for motorcyclist rights through his involvement with ABATE of Illinois (A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education) and its local chapters. He has given his time, energy, and heart to protecting riders and promoting safety on our roadways, but this tragedy has placed him in a position where he needs the community he has spent decades supporting to stand with him.

I’m putting this GoFundMe together in hopes that the community he’s helped support can do the same for him and give back in any way they can. Along with the physical toll from these injuries, the financial strain is growing. He has Medicare, but the portion he’s responsible for could still be a huge burden, especially with such a long hospital stay and continued surgeries. Once his stay at the hospital is over he’ll still have rehab and a long recovery ahead of him. As of this writing, Ric has been in the hospital for almost a month and the accident couldn’t have happened at a worse time when he was supposed to start his new job the next day.

Through the donations he receives he’ll be able to cover medical expenses, rehabilitation, transportation, necessary equipment, day-to-day expenses and more to help ease the financial pressure during the changes and challenges ahead. Any donation, no matter the amount, would make a real difference and help ease some of the pressure during this long road to recovery. If you can’t donate, please consider sharing with others to help spread Ric’s story and support him through this difficult time.