Fire and Ice Rally a peaceful one

Passer-bys walk by the rows of bikes during the Fire and Ice Rally, July 19, in Grants. Thousands showed up for the annual event. [photo by Brian Leddy / Independent]

By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

MILAN — New Mexico State Police report a relatively quiet weekend for the annual motorcycle rally in Grants.

The state police supplied 25 officers and supervisors, with six motor team members for the 8th Annual Fire and Ice Bike Rally, according to statistics supplied by Sgt. Richard Doty of the Milan District 6 state police post. The rally is the flagship event of the Grants MainStreet Project.

NMSP officers worked with other law enforcement over the three-day weekend and pulled in 144 hours of overtime. Taxpayers will not foot the bill, however; rally promoters hire security specifically for the event with funds from the rally budget.

Arrests and a bit of trouble are unavoidable on any weekend; the influx of people and, yes a bit of beer, add to the party mix, but Doty reports only eight driving under the influence arrests by state officers. One drug arrest was reported.

Other local law enforcement agencies have not been contacted for a breakdown of criminal offenses yet.
State officers nabbed six speeders, and got serious with seat belt offenders, reporting 10 citations. Other minor traffic offenses include four no registration, six no insurance and four suspended license violations. Four people were caught driving on a revoked license.

Officers apprehended four people on outstanding warrants, bringing the party to an early close for those people.

Ten accidents required assistance from the NMSP over the weekend, with one Interstate 40 accident incurring injuries.
Milan resident Jimmy Perez, 24, fatally injured in a one-vehicle accident early July 20 in Milan, was the only fatality during the rally weekend.

State police officers recovered a stolen vehicle over rally weekend, Doty said, but the theft and recovery were not related to the Fire and Ice event.

NMSP statistics agree with what rally promoters have said — it was a quiet and safe event.