Family of Colby Lippincott aims to standardize motocross safety with proposed bill

“We can’t bring Colby back, but I think we owe it to our kids to make sure this environment we’re putting them in is safe,” Jackie Densmore said. “We can buy them the most expensive safety gear, we can do all the research but motocross is a dangerous sport regardless.”

Fourteen-year-old Colby Lippincott died in a dirt bike accident at the Diamond MX motocross track in June of 2024, and to prevent deaths like his in the future, the Lippincott’s and family friends are working to pass Colby’s Law.

Colby’s Law will create safety standards for recreational motocross tracks across the state as well as require all tracks to have liability insurance.

“The bill would require tracks to have safety nets, hay bales, and medical staff on the facility during races,” said Densmore, a family friend of the Lippincott’s who is helping them get the bill passed. “It would force tracks to have signs that a jump is coming up and safety measures that are common sense.”

The safety measures Desenmore is referring to range from registering tracks with the state and being subjected to annual safety inspections to standardizing safety equipment and ensuring there is medical staff on site. 

“There’s no medical staff at these tracks,” Densmore said. “Colby’s father ran out to try and save his son with his bare hands.”

Additionally, requiring all tracks have liability insurance means medical costs are not paid out of pocket by families.

The Lippincott’s live in Sandwich and are being assisted by 5th Barnstable District State Representative Steven Xiarhos and State Senator Dylan Fernandes. According to Rep. Xiarhos, the state does not currently have any safety regulations for motocross tracks.

“Oversight is inconsistent and often left to local municipalities or private landowners, leading to widely varying safety practices,” Rep. Xiarhos wrote in an email to Wareham Week. “That lack of structure is exactly what Colby’s Law aims to address—by establishing fair, consistent standards that enhance safety while still supporting responsible use.”

Xiarhos added in his email the bill aims to work with motocross track owners and operators to create regulations that work with them as well.

“Our goal is not to overburden, but to ensure that reasonable safety practices are in place—so families can feel confident when their children ride,” he said.

The bill will be discussed on the senate floor Thursday, July 24 in a public hearing. The hearing will give the Lippincott’s and others the chance to make their voices heard to the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security as the bill’s future is discussed.

If anyone wants to share their opinion on the bill to the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, a written testimony can be sent to JointCommittee.PublicSafety@malegislature.gov.

To honor Colby and raise money for a scholarship fund in his name, there is a wiffle ball tournament fundraiser in Sandwich at the Sandwich Middle and High School at 365 Quaker Meetinghouse Road, Saturday, Aug. 9.