Families urge passage of 'Colby's Law' after motocross fatalities; track operators say bill needs technical fixes

Advocates and family members urged the Joint Committee on Public Safety on March 19 to pass Colby’s Law (S.2681), legislation aimed at setting minimum safety standards for off‑highway vehicle (OHV) practice tracks after several recent serious injuries and fatalities.

Katie Kearney, who previously led passage of a 2010 child‑safety law after losing her son, told lawmakers she supports the bill "so that another family does not have to endure the same loss as mine." Multiple family members described the June 15, 2024 death of 14‑year‑old Colby at a Southeastern Massachusetts practice track and cited close fixed hazards (trees) near a two‑and‑a‑half‑story jump, a lack of on‑site medical staff for practice days, and slow 911 response as reasons to require baseline protections.

Tammy Lippincott, Colby’s mother, recounted details of the crash and asked for reasonable safety items — such as emergency‑access routes, separation of fixed hazards, better reporting and training, and low‑cost mitigations like hay bales or orange netting — to become standard. "The cost of a hay bale could have saved my son's life," she said during testimony.

Colby’s father emphasized delays in emergency response: "When I called 911, nobody answered," he said, arguing for required medics or trained first responders at practice tracks. Other witnesses submitted EMS call records, life‑flight incidents and accounts of catastrophic injuries at practice facilities, and asked the committee to require reporting and inspection.

Track operators acknowledged the need for safety but said the bill as drafted lacks technical specificity. Rick Johnson, whose family has run a long‑standing racing facility, said the proposal "comes up short" on crucial matters such as protective‑equipment standards, age separation and detailed operational protocols; he urged the committee to fix those gaps so the law is effective and not counterproductive.

Supporters stressed that Colby’s Law would not close businesses but instead create uniform safety standards so families can trust practice tracks. Proponents and several operators suggested a collaborative drafting process to add clear, enforceable technical requirements.

What’s next: Sponsors said they will submit additional technical material and reports to the committee for further drafting. The committee did not take a final vote on S.2681 at the hearing.