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ADDISON, Wis. (AP) -- A Florida couple who attended a weekend rally of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America died when their cycle and a car crashed Monday.
The deaths came only a day after fellow BMW rider Daniel D. Christ, president of his Iowa City, Iowa, chapter of the group, was killed by a suspected drunken driver in nearby Dodge County, officials said.
"It's been really kind of hard for all of us here," Barb McFarland, secretary of the Pure Stodge Touring Association in Iowa City, told The Associated Press by telephone Monday evening. "We're just trying to pull together and support his family."
In Washington County, the sheriff's department said William A. Rourk, 67, and Arlene N. Rourk, 65, from West Palm Beach, Fla., were riding a 1993 BMW with a sidecar when they were killed in a crash reported at 8:24 a.m. Monday.
According to the sheriff's department, witnesses said the motorcycle was going west on Wisconsin Highway 33, approaching a rural intersection, when traffic ahead of it slowed down and the motorcycle headed into the eastbound lane, apparently to avoid a collision with the vehicle ahead, and was hit by an eastbound car.
The victims, both wearing helmets, were thrown from the motorcycle, which was forced into a ditch where it caught fire and burned.
The Rourks were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. The driver of the car was not injured.
Sheriff's officials said the international rally of the BMW owners' group, held at the Washington County Fair Park at West Bend, drew about 8,000 people.
The event ran from Thursday through Sunday, when many rally participants were leaving.
Christ, 40, of Iowa City, was killed around 8 a.m. Sunday when a woman driving east on state Highway 60 in the town of Rubicon crossed the center line and collided with him, throwing him off his motorcycle, the Dodge County Sheriff's Department said.
The car's driver, who was not injured, was arrested pending formal charges involving intoxicated use of a motor vehicle, Chief Deputy Blaine Lauersdorf said.
"It's hard to fathom someone being in that condition at eight o'clock in the morning," McFarland said. "It's not something you would expect or be looking for as a motorcyclist."
She said Christ was married and the father of a son, was very involved in his church and sang in the choir.
"He is a lifetime member of the BMW MOA and he's been the (local chapter) president for the past four or five years," she said. "He's a really nice guy."
He was known for being safety conscious, always wearing his helmet, eye protection and other gear, McFarland said.
The deaths came only a day after fellow BMW rider Daniel D. Christ, president of his Iowa City, Iowa, chapter of the group, was killed by a suspected drunken driver in nearby Dodge County, officials said.
"It's been really kind of hard for all of us here," Barb McFarland, secretary of the Pure Stodge Touring Association in Iowa City, told The Associated Press by telephone Monday evening. "We're just trying to pull together and support his family."
In Washington County, the sheriff's department said William A. Rourk, 67, and Arlene N. Rourk, 65, from West Palm Beach, Fla., were riding a 1993 BMW with a sidecar when they were killed in a crash reported at 8:24 a.m. Monday.
According to the sheriff's department, witnesses said the motorcycle was going west on Wisconsin Highway 33, approaching a rural intersection, when traffic ahead of it slowed down and the motorcycle headed into the eastbound lane, apparently to avoid a collision with the vehicle ahead, and was hit by an eastbound car.
The victims, both wearing helmets, were thrown from the motorcycle, which was forced into a ditch where it caught fire and burned.
The Rourks were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. The driver of the car was not injured.
Sheriff's officials said the international rally of the BMW owners' group, held at the Washington County Fair Park at West Bend, drew about 8,000 people.
The event ran from Thursday through Sunday, when many rally participants were leaving.
Christ, 40, of Iowa City, was killed around 8 a.m. Sunday when a woman driving east on state Highway 60 in the town of Rubicon crossed the center line and collided with him, throwing him off his motorcycle, the Dodge County Sheriff's Department said.
The car's driver, who was not injured, was arrested pending formal charges involving intoxicated use of a motor vehicle, Chief Deputy Blaine Lauersdorf said.
"It's hard to fathom someone being in that condition at eight o'clock in the morning," McFarland said. "It's not something you would expect or be looking for as a motorcyclist."
She said Christ was married and the father of a son, was very involved in his church and sang in the choir.
"He is a lifetime member of the BMW MOA and he's been the (local chapter) president for the past four or five years," she said. "He's a really nice guy."
He was known for being safety conscious, always wearing his helmet, eye protection and other gear, McFarland said.
