Man killed in motorcycle accident loved adventure, riding
Personal Injury News
Article Date: 6/30/2009 | Resource: MLG
Man killed in motorcycle accident loved adventure, riding
“Mark Montgomery died Friday after crashing into gold sedan in Huntington Beach.”
He went out doing what he loved.
This is how Diane Montgomery summed up the shock and feeling of overwhelming loss after hearing news that her husband, Mark, died in a motorcycle accident Friday night.
Mark Montgomery, 59, of Sunset Beach was fatally injured after crashing into a four-door sedan on Garfield Avenue.
Montgomery was driving westbound on Garfield Avenue at Edwards Avenue when the gold sedan, traveling eastbound, turned northbound onto Edwards in front of Montgomery, said Lt. Mike Reynolds of the Huntington Beach Police Department.
Montgomery collided with the sedan, and the police were called about 5:20 p.m. He was taken to Huntington Beach Memorial where he was pronounced dead at 5:51 p.m.
Diane Montgomery said her husband was an avid Harley-Davidson rider, and the two would often take weekend trips together. A few years ago the couple fulfilled their longstanding dream of riding to Sturgis, in South Dakota a motorcyclists’ Mecca.
Although Diane is mainly a weekend rider, Mark’s Harley was his first-choice mode of transportation. He had been riding since 1974.
“He loved the freedom,” Diane Montgomery said. “He always said it was the journey, not the destination.”
The couple met nearly 40 years ago when Diane was strolling through a park in Anaheim, and Mark took his chances and asked for a date.
“It was love at first sight,” Diane Montgomery said. “We were married 36 years.”
Diane described Mark as a selfless, fun-loving man who viewed helping others as a treasured hobby.
“He just loved life,” she said. “He was always happy, always funny. He treated strangers like they were his best friends.”
Mark Montgomery worked as a computer drafter designer; one of his proudest projects was creating the waterworks design for the famous Bellagio fountain in Las Vegas.
He also submerged himself in the Sunset Beach community often working security for area concerts and volunteering for various events.
He became politically active in helping to stop Sunset Beach from becoming annexed, which will be up for consideration by the Local Agency Formation Commission on July 8.
“He was very adamant about that,” Diane Montgomery said. “He did not want Sunset Beach to be annexed.”
But his greatest passion, by far, was seeking out adventure and sharing the experience with the love of his life.
The free-spirited couple didn’t have children, and so they grabbed at any opportunity for a new venture.
They traveled the world including London, France, Bangkok, Aruba and Costa Rica, among a list of other countries. In between exotic vacations, they would hop on their Harleys for local rides.
“He was always up for whatever,” she said. “We did everything together. We were inseparable.”
A memorial service will be held in Sunset Beach, but the date has not yet been set. Police continue to investigate the accident, and anyone with any information can call 714-536-5661.
For more information regarding this article please contact:
Jeffrey Marquart
(949)589-0150
jmarquart@marquartlawgroup.com