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E-1 is year’s 25th motorcycle death

NORFOLK, Va. — A sailor who had been in uniform for about six months was killed early Saturday morning in a motorcycle accident in Newport News, Va.

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Airman Recruit Richard Thomas Harper, 23, had been in the Navy since February.

According to Naval Air Forces Atlantic, Harper was assigned to the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush’s pre-commissioning unit. He was from Warrenton, Ga.

Harper was killed when his motorcycle hit a jersey barrier on an exit ramp into Newport News, according to AirLant. He is the 25th sailor to die in a motorcycle accident since the fiscal year began in October, along with 23 Marines and some 45 soldiers.

Citing the dangerous nature of today’s superfast sport bikes, Navy officials have lately been emphasizing the rider safety. For sailors who ride high-performance sport bikes, an extra course of riding instruction was recently mandated.

Harper’s death follows the weekend arrest of 13 motorcyclists in Alabama who were clocked at over 140 mph on Interstate 10 on the Bayway across Mobile Bay. Seven were active-duty airmen and two were sailors.