Modern Vespa

After some delay (due to uncertainty and scarce information) I am lowering the flag for Seadog / Stephen Jackson, who died during this year's Scooter Cannonball event. He was struck by a truck that was exiting a gas station at high speed less than a mile from the starting point that day.

I don't know if Seadog was a member here, but he was riding a 2024 Vespa GTS 300 when he perished, so there is a good chance he was one of us.

Stephen Jackson was from Centerville, Massachusetts.

If folks want to send condolences, this is the address posted at the Cannonball Forum:

The Jackson Family
105 Park Ave.
Centerville, MA 02632

So sad. Condolences to his family. Every time this happens I think

there but for the grace of dog go I. Ride safe everyone.

Incredibly sad. My condolences to his family and friends.

Very Sad.

Condolences to friends and family.

This was quite a shock to many of the riders on the Cannonball. The accident happened close to the start point for the day in Pecos, TX - but most riders had already departed for the day. They did not know of the incident until they finished for the day.

Many of the riders still at the hotel simply loaded their scoots on trailers and did not ride, at least that day. If I had been in that situation, I likely would have trailered that day as well.

RIP Stephen and know that many in this community feel your loss.

Very heart-wrenching. May he RIP.

I didn't run the Cannonball Run this year.

Timing and knowing it would be difficult made me choose trip to Italy with friends instead.

Not running meant that I never met Stephen Jackson.

Losing someone on this special event is tragic and has left me feeling sad since hearing about his accident last week.

I hope someone on here knew Stephen and will let us know a little bit about him.

Bill

I believe that address is for his ex-wife and two daughters.
He was a pretty great guy

Thank you! So sad.

How horrible - so very sorry for his friends & family...

RIP Steven. My condolences to the family. So sorry this happened.

My condolences to his family and friends. Very sad.

Posted on Facebook by Eric Semple.

I don't think I ever had the chance to meet Stephen, but as a former Scooter Cannonball Run organizer, I am heartbroken to hear the news of his tragic death at the hands of someone else who was apparently driving recklessly and irresponsibly. The possibility that someone could lose their life while riding the Cannonball was what I was most concerned about while planning and organizing the event in 2010. But the fact is that no matter how many precautions are made, no matter how much training or experience a rider has, no matter how aware they are of the dangers on the road and how to avoid them, or how much protective gear they wear, there is always a chance that something can go horribly wrong. The best one can ever hope to do is to minimize that chance as much as possible, and from what has been shared, it sounds like Stephen admirably did everything he could have, to keep himself safe while riding.

Despite the fact that there have been numerous serious injuries to riders in the past, many of which were self-inflicted, this is the first time that a rider has died on the Cannonball, as far as I'm aware. Frankly, we are lucky that a tragedy like this did not happen sooner, over the course of the past 21 years. We all are aware of the dangers of riding and we accept them, because our love of the feeling of moving down the road, leaning into the turns, hitting the apex just right, and opening up the throttle back into the straights invigorates us and brings us a visceral feeling of joy and personal fulfillment. As I like to describe it, riding is the closest you can get to feeling like you're flying without leaving the ground. Those kinds of intangible, personal, internal rewards are the reasons that motivate us to keep riding in spite of the risks involved.

I wish things could have turned out differently that day - that someone, anyone, might have done something just a little bit differently leading up to that moment, that could have caused one factor to play out just one second sooner or later, which could have made all the difference preventing such a loss, along with all the pain, sadness, and grief that it brings. But the cold hard fact is that what happened could have been so easily prevented, and it infuriates me that one person's irresponsible carelessness can exact such a heavy cost.

R.I.P. Stephen, you did not deserve to be taken so soon. My heartfelt condolences go out to all of his family and friends, I will keep you in my thoughts. ❤️‍🩹

I just saw this thread today. I rode the SCB this year with my friend Jim from Columbus. We rode with Stephen for three days during the cannonball this year. He was loving the experience of riding across the country on his Vespa. We talked and laughed about how hard the navigation was to follow, and the choice of food options along the road. He was a funny, warm person and I am really bummed he was the rider that perished in Pecos. I will remember him as a good dude having the time of his life.