Billy Lane - Choppers Inc. DUI Arrest

It looks like the criminal trial hasn't started yet.


Civil suit against Billy Lane advances

BY KEYONNA SUMMERS

TITUSVILLE — A Brevard County judge today set an Aug. 20 trial date for a civil suit against motorcycle builder Billy Lane.

The family of fatal accident victim Gerald Morelock’s family in October sued Lane, 37, for pain and suffering after Morelock died in a Labor Day collision with Lane’s vehicle.

Also named in the civil suit is DaimlerChrysler — the maker of Lane’s 2006 Dodge pickup involved in the crash.

Lane faces 15 years in prison if convicted of DUI manslaughter in a separate criminal case. A trial date has not been set.

 

I read about this when it happened and I didn't know the outcome either. It is a really bad situation all the way around. Billy had it going pretty good and then this screw up and of all things hit a guy on a bike.

 

.............damn.........hes in some deep water with that...

 

The silly "chopper craze" of 2002 - 2004 has thankfully come to an end. I thought it was hilarious to see people who obviously had no idea how to operate a motorcylce talking about "cHoPpErZ LOL!!!one" as if, because they watched American Chopper or Monster Garage, they were "cool" and "in the know".

Billy Lane is a trashier (if that's possible) version of Jesse James. Trash often screws up bad. This was not a surprise.

 

Why was Chrysler named in the suit?

 

Chrysler Corporation willfully and intentionally conspired to create, market and sell a truck that could maim, injure or cause permanent death to a person who hit the front of it with a scooter.

 

This is what's going wrong with this country. A judge with any brains should throw this out on it's ear. Just makes me sick. As for Lane, pathetic. When will people learn.


Darrell.

 

Deep pockets

 

Thats what I thought, but maybe I missed something.

 

Wow, this really blows! I liked that guy. He did a lot of hand work that I appreciated.

What a shame.

 

It's very upsetting to the other party because he is dead!

I hope they lock him up for life!

 

DUI and killed someone..................sorry to say, but lock him up and throw away the key.

 

5 years of hard time.

 

I was wondering about this too.

I remember in one of the Biker Build-Off shows, Billy Lane was going up against the Christian bike builder (can't remember his name), but he did mention that Lane's ways would catch up to him.

 

Well, Chrysler will probably be cut free from the suit quickly.

I suspect they are named though because Lane is trying to fall back on a defense of the truck being defective in some way.

 

Dude, they lost 1.5 billion dollars last quarter...how deep could they be now?

 

Chrysler was named in the suit because they were the owners of the truck. They didn't give Billy a FREE truck, they gave him a truck that was registered to them, and was being insured by them.

The theory is that they were negligent because they knew Billy had a history of drinking and driving (AFAIK he has 2 DUI's previously, as well as gotten off a DUI or two due to his 'celeb status').

As far as Billy goes, he should be locked up for a long time. If you didn't get the full detail, basically he was out on bail from a DUI arrest in Georgia. On this day he tried to pass three cars on a single lane road (crossed the yellow line) and hit a guy on a scooter coming the other way. He was more than double the limit and tried to escape the vehicle and claim that he wasn't driving. He also had to be physically restrained and forced to give a blood sample which he was fighting the state troopers to take.

I see the guy at shows quite often and he's still partying it up and while some say "well he's not drinking anymore" - he was told not to by court order.

 

Oh man, someone at Chrysler's marketing dept is going to get a kick in the pants for giving the guy a promotional car with a history of DUIs. It does look bad if he was out driving their car and they knew he was prone to DUIs... even worse if he'd ever gotten one in that same truck.

 

So they gave him a promo truck, knowing he had a revoked license?
Wow...

 

I didn't realize that Dodge actually owned the truck. OUCH. This one is going to hurt, as it should. Amazing that a guy with the world by the tail still couldn't learn after how many other DUI's. As a business owner there is no way someone with that record would get behind a vehicle I owned. Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. It doesn't end until someone is dead.


Darrell.

 

Yep, its a sad situation all around. On some of the bike forums, Gerald Morelock's (the guy who was killed) mother and brother are members and it really shattered their lives.

Meanwhile I was at the V-Twin expo a few weeks and Billy has his little entourage following him around and chicks looking to get their t*ts signed by him.

Doesn't seem very fair.

I think Billy regrets what he did, but he had at least one previous DUI, was driving with no license, was "let off" with another DUI in NH when the cops knew who he was (and he was being filmed) and so they 'cut him a break' and let him go. He was famous for drinking tons of Jack D and not really caring about driving or riding afterwards. Everyone in the biz knew he was a drunk. Anyone who worked with him should have known he was a drunk. If they didn't know, the arrest record is right there, and he had a suspended license for refusal on the other test, so in this particular case I can totally see why the family would feel Dodge is responsible in some way.

IMO it's not just that they gave him the truck negligently, but wouldn't they also be responsible for insurance? I mean, if I let someone with no insurance (and here in MA I think if your license is suspended your insurance is probably suspended too), but if I let someone with no insurance drive a car I am paying insurance on thats registered to me, and he kills someone, I'd think I'd be held partly responsible too?

 

As far as I know, he has had the truck for a while before the particular DUI where he lost his license. Then again, when he lost his license, DC probably should have gotten their truck back - I'm sure someone knew what had happened. Maybe they just told him not to drive it or figured he wouldn't.

I am also not sure what the deal is in reciprocation between GA and FL? It may be he "lost" his license in the courtroom in GA that day but maybe it doesn't take effect until that info gets back to FL? I dunno... but for that DUI (it was on a bike), he refused the breathalyzer and lost his license automatically. I believe the charges were reduced but from folks I know that know him and were there, he was drunk as a skunk. He has several priors that didnt result in arrests too. He was known for being a lush and not letting it stop him getting on a bike or in a car.


I am not sure about how liability laws work, but the civil suit is against Dodge AND Billy Lane. His business is registered in his name, and he has been selling a lot of his bikes off. Some speculate he is trying to squirrel away money and hide it for the upcoming civil judgement and others are speculating his legal bills are huge and he's trying to cover them.

Either way, I have heard FL is not particularly lenient on DUI offenders and he will likely get time. I think he is facing 15 years, and I wouldn't be surprised if he got 5+ or even 10+ because of his priors (maybe they cant introduce priors where there was no conviction in the case?). He's probably also going to get a pretty big civil judgement.

Anyone know how this is likely to play out? Will he get time? How long will the case likely run? What sort of civil judgement might he get? Can Dodge turn around and sue him if they get a big judgement against them?

 

Holy ****!!!!

That truck knocked down 3 palm trees, and then a power pole?!?!?!? I'm buying a dodge.....

Sad story too, i liked his bikes. I hate to say it but sounds like he is going to have to pay. Maybe a triip to prison is a blessing in disguise for him?