Harley Robinson, a longtime fixture of the North Bay punk scene, was killed last Saturday when his Harley-Davidson motorcycle struck the rear of a pickup on Porter Creek Road near Santa Rosa. Family and friends say Robinson, a locally known drummer, leaves behind four children. Emergency crews pronounced him dead at the scene.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, citing the California Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at about 7:14 PM. The CHP's preliminary investigation states that the rider passed several vehicles "at a high rate of speed" over double yellow lines, then returned to the eastbound lane and hit the rear of a Toyota that was stopped and signaling to turn left.
Family members identified Robinson in a GoFundMe organized in Santa Rosa. The fundraiser says donations will help cover funeral expenses and support his children. The campaign and tributes from friends describe Robinson as a drummer who played with several Bay Area punk bands, including The Bodies, Scraps and Road Side Bombs, Cadaver, Crooks, Jack and Hill, and Modern Action, and also as a heavy-equipment operator and carpenter. The page shows several thousand dollars raised toward a $26,000 goal.
Porter Creek Road Has Been On Local Safety Lists
County planning documents have flagged Porter Creek Road and nearby intersections for safety work, including signage, localized widening and intersection improvements, as part of the Sonoma County Transportation Authority's draft project list. The SCTA packet specifically lists Porter Creek Road and the Calistoga Road intersection among corridor and intersection safety projects aimed at reducing collisions on rural county roads (SCTA).
The CHP says it continues to investigate the circumstances of the crash, and no additional details have been released, the Chronicle reports. In the meantime, friends in the music community have been posting tributes, and the GoFundMe organizer is asking for donations to help Robinson's children while the family arranges services.
