SPARTA, Mich. —
A Sparta firefighter, who is part of the Nozzlemen motorcycle club, was seriously injured in an accident last month while driving home from a chapter meeting.
Dakota Clark was leaving a Nozzlemen chapter meeting on July 27 when a deer ran in front of his motorcycle, causing him to crash going 55 miles per hour. Clark is still in the hospital as of Friday and may have his foot amputated.
Nozzlemen M/C is made up of firefighters, EMTs and paramedics from Michigan and Ohio. Clark has been a part of the Michigan Chapter 7 since 2023.
When other chapter members heard of Clark’s accident, they didn't hesitate to hop on their bikes.
“We got notification that he had crashed his bike,” Chapter President Jake Meisenbach said. “We ran to the scene to help him out.”
Clark will be out of work for six months and will not be able to load bear until then. That means he will be out of a job, and with mounting medical bills, Meisenbach said the family is struggling.
“It took a toll on his family. He is a truck driver as a full-time job, and he was told that there may not be a possibility that he'd go back to a truck he's currently sitting with no medical coverage as well,” he said. “So, we're trying our best to raise as much money for him as he can, as we can to help him offset those costs, plus be able to provide for his family.”
The next day, the Nozzlemen started a Facebook fundraiser, with 100% of profits going to the family to help with medical and living expenses.
The organization raises money for burn victims, and Michigan Chapter 7 also gives out meals and adopts families during the holidays.
No stranger to fundraising, they are hoping to now raise money for one of their own.
“We do this to typically raise money for the public and give back. You know, we're not, we're not out there to make money for ourselves,” member Brian Lake said. “We give a lot of money, and hopefully we can get some support and give him support and make his road easier on recovery.”
You can find the fundraiser for the Clarks here.