Hearne Christopher (KC Star) update (6/7):
Rick Miller update
Regarding Country 106.5 WDAF-FM afternoon DJ Rick Miller’s tragic motorcycle
accident around midnight Saturday …
Early word Sunday was Miller may have been killed.
“There’s probably some confusion,” says venerable WDAF morning host David
Lawrence. “There was somebody killed (on a motorcycle that) night in
Independence.”
The reality: “He is in a coma,” Lawrence says. “But you just got this sense that
there’s a fight going on. When I was in there with his wife, he moved his legs …
I saw a strong guy that’s really fighting.”
According to Overland Park police, Miller was critically injured in the south
Overland Park accident.
According to the station, his condition has stabilized. For further updates
check www.wdaf.com.
“He’s an Alabama guy,” Lawrence says. And a biker guy, as evidenced by Miller’s
Q&A on the station Web site.
“Born on a mountain, raised in a cave, beer and Harleys are all that he craves,”
it begins. “Some people would say I still haven’t grown up.”
Riding a Harley-Davidson Road King and watching American Chopper on TV are
listed as two of Miller’s favorite pastimes.
“He’s got his hyper side, like we all do,” Lawrence says. “And he’s a very
intellectual guy.”
As for the accident, “As far as I know, no one else was involved, but they’re
not sure if maybe an automobile had caused his wreck,” Lawrence says. “(Going
for a motorcycle ride) is something he would do fairly often. He’ll say, ‘It’s a
great night for a ride.’ Somebody found him on the road.”
The station said the family has requested that any cards or letters be sent to WDAF Studios, 7000 Squibb Road Mission, KS 66202.
Breaking
News (8:39 a.m., 6/5)
LOCAL RADIO PERSONALITY IN CRITICAL
CONDITION
WDAF-FM radio personality Rick Miller, who has a show with
Sammye Phelps from 2-7 p.m. on the popular country radio station Country 106.5
FM, was involved
in a serious motorcycle accident Saturday (6/3) and remains in critical
condition and in a coma (6/5) at an Overland Park hospital. It has been reported that his motorcycle
hit a utility pole at West 112th and Nall in Overland Park.
An avid
Harley-Davidson rider (Road King), Miller grew up in New Market, AL. He has
been married for six years.