Bikers Rolling Into Laughlin, Under Shadows
Thousands of motorcyclists rolled into Laughlin on Friday for a biker rally shadowed by a deadly brawl two years ago.
Police reported one serious crash in Arizona but few other problems as they braced for a full weekend of two-wheel, see-and-be-seen cruising in the Colorado River town about 100 miles south of Las Vegas.
“We’re early in the rally yet,” said Carrie Conner, police spokeswoman in nearby Bullhead City, Ariz. “The highway is full of bikes.”
Conner reported several crashes, including one that left a motorcyclist badly hurt Thursday on U.S. Highway 95.
Michael Seems, 46, of La Quinta, Calif., was flown by medical helicopter to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he was reported in good condition, a hospital official said.
The 22nd annual Laughlin River Run comes less than a week after nine rival Hells Angels and Mongols gang members were indicted in Las Vegas on murder and other charges in a bloody brawl at the Harrah’s Laughlin casino in 2002. Three died and more than a dozen were hurt in the brawl, which also was cited in the indictment in December of 42 Hells Angels in five states on federal racketeering and firearms charges.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
