Macer’s family wants justice, awareness, 1 year after death

Members of Lorne Wayne Macer’s family stood alongside Hwy. 29 north Saturday afternoon, holding huge photographs of the grandson, son, nephew and cousin whose life ended tragically a year ago when he died as a result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle wreck at that spot.

Many of them arrived on motorcycles, wearing brightly-colored T-shirts and holding neon signs that read, “Can you see me now?”

It was on May 13, 2016, that Macer, who was 15, was traveling north on U.S. 29, and had brought his 1994 Harley Davidson motorcycle to a complete stop prior to making a left turn onto Lee Lane, according to the accident report filed by Alabama State Troopers. According to the report, Macer was struck by a 2008 Ford Expedition driven by James H. Williamson, 54, Andalusia. Williamson also was traveling north on U.S. 29, seconds behind Macer.

“We feel like there has been no justice,” Lorne Macer’s grandfather, Lorne Frederick Macer, said Saturday.

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Troopers initially said that alcohol was believed to be a factor in the crash, and that once toxicology reports were completed, the case would go to the Covington County District Attorney, who would present it to the grand jury. Troopers declined to release those forensics reports last summer.

Willamson’s attorneys, Wesley Laird and David Baker of Laird, Baker & Blackstock, LLC, issued a statement last May saying their client “was not arrested or detained, because there was no evidence of a crime …Law Enforcement will do their due diligence in their investigation and we are confident when all the facts are put together, the investigation and the results will vindicate the officers’ decision not to arrest our client.”

Samantha Watson, Lorne’s aunt, said the family recently was told the case has been turned over to the state attorney general’s office “to see if they can find anything.”

Watson, who organized Saturday’s activity, said her purpose was two-fold. Watson said she wants justice for her nephew, but she also wanted to call attention to distracted driving, encouraging people to watch the road instead of their phones.

“We’ve seen so many people pass by today who were looking at their phones and didn’t even see us,” she said Saturday.

Later, a law enforcement officer stopped and said there had been reports the group of approximately 17 people had been too close to the road.

“I told him we were on our side of the white line,” she said. “And that was exactly why we were there.”

Lorne Wayne Macer was the son of Lorne Justin Macer and Louisa Smith (Paul) Holloway. He was a student at Andalusia High School.

 

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Watson also is organizing a bike ride for this Saturday in Lorne Wayne Macer’s memory. The group will meet at Pic N Sav at 9 a.m. Saturday, and ride toward Pensacola, then circle to Ft. Walton and come back north.