Memorial Ride Planned For Ashburn Man, Other Crash Victims

ASHBURN, VA — Family members and friends of Damion Robinson, who was killed in June when a car crashed into him, are holding a memorial for him in Ashburn on Thursday, Sept. 10 to remember Robinson and raise awareness of how drivers often get a slap on the wrist for causing fatalities.

The event will start at Bles Park in Ashburn at 11:30 a.m. where there will be speeches in memory of Robinson. The attendees will then hold a half-mile motorcycle and car ride to show support for Robinson and other motorcyclists and non-riders who have died in accidents where the driver of a vehicle was distracted or negligent, or both, while driving.

"I didn't see them" is a saying that the community "is enraged of hearing," according to the flier for the Sept. 10 memorial event. "So join us in support to ride from Bles Park up to Damion's Memorial Site and through."

In Virginia, a driver can be charged with a felony when they cause the death of another person only if they are driving on a revoked or suspended license.

Robinson was traveling on his motorcycle on the night of June 7 to a friend's house to take care of their dog. Only a half-mile from his home in Ashburn, a car suddenly pulled out in front of him. The car crashed into Robinson, leaving him seriously injured. Robinson, 27, died from his injuries a few hours later at a nearby hospital.

Damion's family, including his girlfriend, Selena Drincic, wants the public to know his life beyond the statistic of another traffic fatality. Robinson was a son, a brother, a friend, and to Drincic, her boyfriend of the last seven years.

The crash at the intersection of Bles Park Drive and Rock Creek Terrace occurred at around 11 p.m. on June 7. Damion died from his injuries at Reston Hospital in the early morning hours of June 8.

Bles Park Drive is a wide open road with clear visibility. There are no signs, buildings, or shrubbery blocking the views of drivers traveling north and looking to turn left. Robinson had the right-of-way as he was traveling southbound when the person who struck him was attempting to make a left turn, authorities said.

On the night of the fatal crash, an Ashburn resident, Rachel Owens, was driving a 2018 Dodge Challenger, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. She told LCSO investigators that she did not see Robinson — even though his motorcycle had "eye-catching headlights," according to Drincic — when she was attempting to turn left onto Rock Creek Drive.

The police crash report states: "Driver 1 stated she was talking to her passenger and did not see" Robinson's motorcycle coming from the opposite direction when she was attempting to make a left turn.

In the case of Robinson's death, the LCSO reported that the driver had not been drinking and was not impaired in any other way. The crash report also states Owens was not speeding.

This "I didn't see him or her" explanation is well known within the world of motorcycle and bicyclist fatalities, according to Drincic. Addressing this attitude, for example, has become the Motorcycle Awareness Campaign's primary goal due to the statistics showing that most motorcycle crashes occur due to a "I didn't see them" type of attitude.

Drincic wants other families who have lost loved ones in motorcycle accidents to feel free to reach out to her at selenadrincic@gmail.com as a way to talk about their loved ones and discuss how the consequences for drivers at fault tend to be minimal as long as the police determine the person was not driving under the influence or speeding.