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Bicyclist collapses on 84
The route commemorates the route that slaves traveled to freedom in the 1800s. Tuesday afternoon, one biker riding the route collapsed at the foot of Nellie Hill on Highway 84 east of Whatley. Andy Dorris of St. Louis, Mo. was riding with a group that included bicyclists from Maryland, Ohio, Oregon and New Zealand when he collapsed and fell on Highway 84 east of Whatley. Dorris was taken to Grove Hill Memorial Hospital and then to Jackson Medical Center. Fellow bicyclists said Wednesday morning that he suffered one or more broken ribs, cuts and other abrasions from a hard hit on the asphalt. It is not known what caused the accident. The Underground Railroad Route is for serious bicyclists. It is about 2,000 miles in length and does not follow the most direct route. From Mobile, bicyclists cross Mobile Bay into Baldwin County and continue northward through Stockton and Monroe County to Perdue Hill where they take Highway 84 to Grove Hill. Grove Hill is usually an overnight stopping point and bicyclists either stay at one of the local motels or camp at Hudson Park. From Grove Hill they go south on Highway 43 to Jackson to pick up Highway 69 North. An alternate route carries bikers along county roads through Hebron and McVay to pick up Highway 69 in the Bolentown area. The route continues north on Highway 69 through Coffeeville to Linden and then into Sumter County. The route follows the Tombigbee River as closely as possible because slaves would follow the river northward. Bicyclists cover about 50 miles a day so the trip takes about 40 to 45 days to complete. A couple from Boston, Mass. stayed overnight at the Windtree Motel in Grove Hill Monday night and talked about their ride while eating breakfast at Gloria's Pour House Café Tuesday morning. The lady rider said the trip from Mobile to Grove Hill was beautiful and she commented how pretty the town of Stockton is as well as the ride through south Monroe County to Perdue Hill. She also noted how courteous motorists, including truckers, are to the bicyclists. The group riding with Dorris were equally complimentary, saying motorists would give them wide berth whenever possible. The latter group also was appreciative of how nice people were to stop and help Dorris after his accident. For more on the Underground Railroad Route see the Web site:
www.adventurecycling.org.
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