INSURANCE AGENT KILLED ON CYCLE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 26, 1993                   TAG: 9301260057
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Short
INSURANCE AGENT KILLED ON CYCLE
A Blacksburg insurance agent and Harley-Davidson motorcycle hobbyist well-known in Western Virginia died Saturday afternoon in an accident as he drove his motorcycle in Christiansburg.
Police said John E. Rhea, 50, owner of John Rhea Nationwide Insurance Agency, was traveling east on Roanoke Street near the top of Christiansburg Mountain about 12:53 p.m.
A car driven by Gary Wayne Harvey, 33, of Christiansburg collided with Rhea's motorcycle.
Police said the vehicles were not traveling at high speeds. The accident is under investigation and no charges have been filed.
Rhea was wearing a helmet, according to police.
Rhea, of 4630 Preston Forest Drive in Blacksburg, had run his insurance agency for 17 years.
He and his family lived in Fairlawn in Pulaski County for 19 years before moving to Blacksburg four years ago.
A graduate of East Tennessee State University, he was a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army reserves.
He was member of the Roanoke Valley Harley-Davidson Owners Group and participated in many Harley events, such as Harley owners' annual bike week in Myrtle Beach and Harley state-to-state driving tours. Harley owners will be pall bearers at his funeral today in his hometown, Pennington Gap in Lee County.
Keywords:
FATALITY

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB