Remembered through racing
Sports reporter
Sometimes life isn't fair. Other times it can be downright cruel.
It's been just over a year and Kevin and Renae Anderson are still grieving.
The McPherson couple think about their son, Justin every day. They remember his zest for life and his love for bikes.
"He crammed a lifetime into 21 years," said Kevin. "He had a real strong spirit."
Since he was 4 years old Justin was in love with bikes — two-wheelers, ATVs, motor bikes — it didn't matter as long as it was a bike.
He raced them with his older brother Brett, but Justin wanted to race for more than just fun. He joined KORR, Kansas Off-Road Riders, when he was 14 years old.
Riders as young as 4 and old as 71 have competed in KORR races. Marion County was one of the many places Justin and other KORR riders raced at least once a year.
Meeting the Hardeys
Since 1990 Marion residents Ron and Shelli Hardey have hosted a race in their backyard during KORR's fall motocross season.
The one-mile track, named Green Acres Raceway, sits below their house in rural Marion and plays hosts to the fall championship race each year.
Ron met Justin when he was 10 years old.
"He was always in the mix," Hardey said.
That's what everyone who talks about Justin says. He was always doing something. It didn't matter what, he just wanted to be active. It just so happened most of the time that "something" was riding his bike.
Justin raced his bike all over the state, including Green Acres, in KORR's riding competition. He usually went with his favorite make, Kawasaki, and his favorite color, green.
The last bike he owned however, was a red and white Honda CR250.
"His mom wasn't sure about the bike," Kevin said. "But he said, 'Mom, it was a great deal'."
The fateful day
As he was riding that Honda home from work June 28, 2003, in Hutchinson, life got cruel for Justin and his parents.
As he was riding west toward the intersection of Seventh and Pershing in Hutchinson, he came to a two-way stop where he had the right-of-way and proceeded through the intersection. A vehicle, driven by 22-year-old Liberal resident Fontella Chapman, came through the intersection from the opposite direction.
Before he could react, Chapman's vehicle slammed into Justin. The bike landed 30 feet from the impact site, and the vehicle 100 feet. The impact killed Justin.
The Andersons as well as motocross, lost a member of their family.
It doesn't seem fair that someone who laughed at fear going 60 mph on a dirt track could be killed riding on the road.
Justin's dad reminds everyone on the road to be more aware of motorcyclists.
He says drivers should be on the lookout for motorcyclists because they share the road. Anderson said it's not a hard thing to do.
"Just take a few seconds to save a family a lifetime of grief," he said.
Investigation
A few seconds is about how long Kevin feels the Hutchinson Police Department spent trying to put away the driver who killed Justin.
"To put it in the nicest terms," Kevin said. "It was an unprofessional police investigation."
Kevin felt the police weren't doing their job because the officer in charge came with an "attitude."
"As soon as he got to the scene he saw Justin's bike and immediately thought it was his fault," Kevin said.
Anderson said the bike had nothing to do with the accident but feels the officer let that get in the way of the investigation.
Chapman was found to be driving without a valid license, and there was a warrant out for his arrest. He was taken to jail after the accident where he posted bail.
According to Sergeant Steven Nelson of the Hutchinson Police Department, Chapman was sentenced to 30 days in jail for failure to yield and driving without a valid license.
The Andersons were shocked when they heard the ruling.
Sgt. Nelson understands why the Andersons were upset, but because of the lack of witnesses the accident caused some confusion.
"We weren't able to get speeds on the vehicles because we weren't exactly sure what happened," Nelson said.
Kevin realizes putting Chapman behind bars won't bring his son back, but it would be some retribution.
"He needs to be punished for what he's done," Kevin said.
Maybe it would be different for the Andersons had Chapman or his family shown remorse. Kevin said the driver and his mother have never said one word to them at court.
After his 30-day sentence, according to a statement by Anderson in the Hutchinson Daily News Chapman was sentenced again, this time to 13 months probation for an earlier drug charge.
The right thing to do
Every October KORR finishes its fall season at Green Acres. Since March, riders have been racing at tracks across the state compiling points and vying to be champion of their respective bike classes.
Last year, just a few months after Justin's death, KORR re-named its final race of that season the Justin Anderson Memorial Race.
Kevin came up with the idea while thinking of possible ways to keep his son's memory alive.
He presented the idea to head KORR representative, Marlin Hitschmann.
"Right away he thought it was the right thing to do," Kevin said.
As this year's Green Acres race approached, another decision was made. The name change would not be just a one-time dedication to Justin. The championship race formally would be called the Justin Anderson Memorial Race as long as KORR remains active.
This past Sunday it became official as Green Acres hosted the 2004 race. As all the riders gathered together for a pre-race meeting, Kevin addressed the crowd still emotional from the events of just more than a year ago.
"This is what Justin would have wanted," he said.
On the right track
The Andersons moved from El Dorado to McPherson in 1994. Justin graduated from McPherson High School in 2000 and Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Phoenix in 2002.
He came back to Kansas and lived in Hutchinson to pursue the goal he had dreamed of — racing.
Track owner Ron Hardey remembered the young rider Sunday, his voice cracking amidst the roaring engines of the motocross bikes.
"It's hard for me to talk about this," he said. "We are like one big family."
Hardey loved the idea of changing the name of the race, but still feels for Kevin and his family.
"I've had some tough times," he said. "But they don't even compare to what he went through. It's the most brutal thing to have to do."
Despite the tragedy, Kevin, Renae, Brett, and friends of the family were on hand for the race named after Justin.
They sold T-shirts with Justin's number (95) and the words, "In loving memory of Justin Anderson."
A picture of Justin in his green and white racing outfit with a confident, laid back smile standing by his bike hung from the back of the family's red pickup truck. The front license plate boasted the number 95.
Instead of mourning the loss, family and friends celebrated Justin's life.
"We're here to have a ball," Kevin said as he stood near the starting line of the dirt track. "Why? Because that's what he would do."
Despite everything that has gone wrong for the Andersons, Sunday was nothing but right. The court ruling, the accident, and the tears took a backseat to celebration.
First-time rider Robert Garcia of McPherson was there because of Justin.
Garcia didn't even know who Anderson was, but heard his story while attending McPherson High School.
"That's why I got into racing," he said.
As Kevin stood by his truck, the sun shining and the wind bringing a cool breeze, Garcia introduced himself.
"This is my first time here," he said. "I'm here because of him. We're all here because of him."
