Chris Stimson and his motorcycle were found by off-duty police officer Kevin Fitzgibbons along a road early on the morning of November 8 in Connecticut. Fitzgibbons went to a nearby house to call for help, and then returned to block off the area. He was able to communicate with Chris, who lapsed in and out of consciousness. Chris became unresponsive, and firefighters performed CPR on him. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died.

Chris apparently was at the site for 45 minutes before he was found. He crawled onto the road so he would be seen by passers-by. He made five attempts to contact friends for help on his cellular phone, but was unable to communicate. His friends were only able to hear speed-dialing when they answered the calls. A neighbor heard the crash, but did not check on it.

The police stated there were no indications that speeding or another vehicle was involved. Chris was wearing a helmet. An autopsy revealed that Chris died from a blunt impact to the chest, and alcohol was not present.

Chris, an experienced rider of motorcycles, was riding a Suzuki GSX 1300, which had just been recalled. According to Suzuki's recall letter, a defect was found that can cause sudden engine failure. While riding, this could result in rear wheel lockup, disturbing the rider's ability to control the motorcycle, and causing an abrupt crash without prior warning. Chris' notice had just arrived, and was yet unopened. The police department's major accident squad is examining the motorcycle to determine whether it played a part in the accident.

Chris was a certified personal trainer, nutritional consultant, and a professional model. He had appeared on the covers of several magazines, on television, and on bill board advertising. A full-page photo of Chris appeared in Muscle & Fitness, the largest publication in the bodybuilding and fitness industry. His physique was molded and cast to create a statue of the action hero, Captain Marvel. He was also a national-qualified super heavyweight competitive bodybuilder, although he had yet to compete at that level. He was known for his imposing physique (6' 4", 270+ lbs.), his marketable good looks, and his polite, respectful, and friendly mannerisms.

Chris was approached by East Coast Muscle at his first competition on October 24, 1997 in New York City. The interview subsequently led to his regular involvement in East Coast Muscle. Initially his photo appeared on East Coast Muscle's index page (i.e. cover page). This proved to be popular with the public. Because of this (along with Chris' credentials in strength and conditioning, sports medicine, physical therapy, certified personal training, and nutritional consulting), Chris was invited to contribute an auto-biography for East Coast Muscle's Profiles section and assume the title of Editor. The profile became Chris' official home page and web site. He expanded his site with the training article "Building Size & Strength."

The public's interest in Chris continued to grow. His profile was frequently the most trafficked section in East Coast Muscle. Requests to East Coast Muscle for bodybuilders (needed for photo shoots and television appearances) frequently specified Chris.

Chris was particularly excited about his next assignment, which was to cover the 2000 NPC National Bodybuilding Championships on November 10-11 in New York City.

Photos by Eric Jacobson, Impact Photography