That is a sad story and John's right it's so avoidable. I try to avoid forum debating, all I can say is that this is the safest and most organized club I've seen.
We are a safe club, and I am thankful for that. But we all need to keep our eyes open and speak out when something is not right on our rides.
Accidents can happen but when we are not using safety equipment the accident can quickly become a tragedy.