OT motorcycle crash

[spitfire]

Hey everyone. Thought I'd give a small reminder to anyone here who rides to be as careful as you can be when on your bike.

On October 19th, I was struck by a Dodge Ram on my commute home from work. I was doing roughly 35 mph and obeying all laws. I had a decent following distance from the vehicle ahead of me, I was alert, not speeding, etc. The driver of the truck was stopped, turn signal on, and appeared to see me coming. He didn't. I had no time to really react. I was almost next to him when he hit the throttle and charged into me. I was basically broadsided, resulting in my left leg being crushed between the bike and the truck. I was then catapulted 15 feet, into a drainage box. I'm still in the hospital, being treated for a dislocated hip, dislocated knee cap, dual compound fractures in my tibia and fibula, broken ankle, and two destroyed arteries. My leg made a 180 degree rotation without my skin, creating a degloved condition. For some reason they were able to save my leg, though they had their doubts. The orthopedic surgeon basically said it was a miracle that I still have a lower leg. If I hadn't been wearing my 8" leather boots, I would have lost my foot at the scene. My bones actually went though the leather boot.

I usually wouldn't go out publicly and discuss my injuries, but I wanted to remind everyone to watch traffic carefully. A good following distance and a slow ride may not save you. Just be aware and wear the proper gear. Second guess everyone. If I hadn't worn my heavy riding coat and a full-face helmet, I would be in much better shape. I'll be honest, at 20 years old, I still felt pretty invincible. Never again.

The bike was a 1985 Yamaha V-MAX. I'll miss riding.

[Merle Coggins]

I'm sorry to hear of your mishap. I crashed 18 years ago with a broken femor and a smashed bone in my hand. Although my injuries were severe, it sounds like you had it much worse. Best wished during your healing and rehab. It's going to be a long road.

Your story is a good reminder about how vulnerable we are out there on two wheels. Since my crash I have educated myself with many riding courses and have also become an MSF rider coach. This all reminds me to ride more cautiously, but sometimes things happen that are beyond your control. I also appreciate that you shared how your riding gear help lessen the severity of your injuries. It's a hard point to get across to many riders, how proper riding gear really does work.

Merle

[Robert Horne]

Sorry to hear of your bike incident. I have been riding bikes over 45 years, and have been very, very lucky. Yesterday I had to remind my wife not to distract me when coming up to a yield/stop sign and making a turn. I am in a ATV club also. At our monthly club meeting I always bring up and discuss rider saftey. Being a bike/atv rider for many years has made me a better car driver also. Here in Virginia, tailgaters is as big a problem as entering into a intersection, too much NASCAR I guess.

[Mark D]

Had an '82 KZ440 in 1984 that was a real fun ride. Owned it for exactly one summer and rode on my learners permit the whole time. Laid the bike down in a patch of sand on a corner doing about 50mph. luckily walked away unscathed. Rode the thing back home, and sold it. I still get yearnings for another bike everyonce and a while, but I just hop in my plymouth and drive it out.

[deathbound]

Sorry to hear about this, hope you have an uneventful recovery & therapy. Your age is on your side-you should heal quicker. Been riding "a few" years & laid it down a few times with only road rash (luckily)-once to avoid a "cage" that pulled in front of me. Good luck.

[Dennis_MN]

I've had more than one motorcycle incident, but the hardest to recover from was a dirt bike accident. I rode by a root in the desert and broke both bones in my leg just above the ankle. I used a swimming pool to help with walking on it. When the pain got too much I just went into deeper water. I kept at it until I no longer needed water. My next problem was walking on uneven surfaces. I found a neat pair of shoes called Z-coils which has the heels mounted to the shoes with a large spring. Sure helped to strengthen the ankle.

www.z-coil.com will give you a look. Good luck

[JIPJOBXX]

My neighbor just crashed his motorcycle last week and I found out about it two days after the fact. Just like you he was ridding correctly but was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is over at Tacoma General and sounds about beat up as you. Not fun but its the price you pay some times when your on two wheels. I had a motorcycle and I gave it up after crashing to many times and took up snow skiing. May god speed up your recovery-Jon:)

[moose]

This is an eerie reminder of what happened to me 15 years ago. I was turning left and a 76 year old man in a pick-up was passing me. I did everything right, but he didn't see me, or my turn signal flashing. Broken pelvis, lots of scrapes, and a traumatic brain injury. Free helicopter ride to the ER, then intensive care for a month, two months in a rehab hospital, six months of out patient rehab after that. Wheel chair, then walker, then cane, now I just wobble a little.

Always look ahead. You can do it. Push through the pain. I hated my physical therapist then, now I know she did her job just right.

This too shall pass.

[greg g]

Got knocked off mine by a taxi that ran a stop sign. Hit me in the rear shock area, went over the handlebars, ended up under the rear end of a parked station wagon. Helmet worked, jeans did not, had several instances of road rash, one about the size of a foot ball guess where. No serious injury, but a big wake up in the situational awarness catagory.

I cant tell you how many times I have made three rights in order to make a left, even when traffic low.

Got ito a stiuation where I would never ride solo. Just to many folks who don't see bikes, until it way to late.

Wish you a complete recovery.

[spitfire]

Thanks for all the support, good wishes, and stories. Good to hear that there are others who went through tough crashes, but have made decent to great recoveries. The doctors say that I should be able to run and be normal again, with lots of physical therapy, of course. I'm am and am not looking forward to PT at the same time, but it has to happen either way.

I got some bad news a couple days ago. My last operation was a skin flap. They took muscle from my abdomen and skin from my thigh and put it on my ankle where some skin wasn't making it, attaching a vein to one of my destroyed arteries. After two weeks of bedrest and hell, the flap clotted and it had to be removed. Now, they have to take tissue from my thigh, another skin grapht, and a donor vein from my good leg to make it work. I'm pretty scared at this point and I don't have the confidence in the surgery that I use to. I'll be in the hospital for around another month now, mostly on my back. I've been depressed, so that's why I haven't made any follow-up posts. I'm not looking forward to a 7th surgery, but I don't have much of a choice.

Anywho, I mainly started this post with the hope that it could make even just one rider be a little more aware and maybe avoid a crash. I'll be off motorcycles pretty much permenantly, which means I'll be back in the Chrysler for a while .

[Desotodav]

Sorry to hear of your incident Dan.

I had an 'off' on one of the work trail bikes around 6 years ago and as a result tore my rib cartilage and did some other minor damage. The pain was excruciating, but sitting around at home doing nothing was more unbearable. I ended up getting full medical clearance after a week off work and going back to work on light duties. I had had enough of that within another week so I convinced the boss to let me back to normal duties. I did recover eventually and only have minor long-term issues to contend with now. I have ridden a road bike for work (full-time) for near on the past 7 years now. I'm thinking that it is fast approaching the time to go back to working on a patrol car, but I enjoy the bike too much! I'm presently on a Yamaha FJR1300, with the option of a Honda STR1300 as my next ride. I have attended the scene (and assisted with investigations) of numerous motorcycle crashes within our district with the majority of them resulting in fatalities.

Maybe the big fella upstairs was on your side this time! I wish you all the best and a speedy recovery. Keep you chin up mate. I am only one of the many well wisher's from your extended Mopar family!

Desotodav (Davin)

[greg g]

One of the cliche's regarding Bikers is that there are basically two Kinds;

Those that have crashed and those that are about to. That pretty simple but the last part is telling in that having one doesn't mean that you are not in the first group again.

Lets be real carefull out there, on the road on the trail and inthe woods. I believe the caveat also holds true for snowmobiles, ATV, and even bicycles as well.

As always a risk v reward situation, hope we all stay on the reward side.