rider down 10/17/07...

[1320ride]

so i was out just for a little while on the bike last night and was on my way home on kinns rd in clifton park. im doing about 45-50 mph and i see a car come to a "T" intersection at bernini drive. i slow down as usual just as a precaution, see the car inch forward a little more just over the white line , so i start using my rear brake... the bike starts to fishtail a little bit, so i let off the brake, and the bike straightened back out... at this point in time the car continues to pull out into the lane and is nearly at the yellow lines. theres a car comming the other direction so i cant swerve... i hit the rear brake and grab the front brake and the bike proceeds to flip, ejecting me off the front. i landed helmet first and the bike lands on top of me sliding to a stop just before the car. i jump up knowing im in the road trying to make sure i still have all my parts, then try and drag the smashed up bike out of the road. at this point in time a pickup truck (ford ranger or something like it) is comming down the road and im waving trying to tell him to stop... he doesnt see me and i drop the bike and jump out of the way onto the lawn next to the road just in time to see him hit the bike at about 50 mph and knock it 300 feet further down the road. passers by and such stop and called 911... 6 county sherriffs show up and an ambulance in record time. im checked out in the ambulance and my right wrist is VERY tender and i have 5 small patches of road rash on my lower body and ass. the old lady driving the car tells me that she thought i was a street lamp and thats why she pulled out. she is cited for failure to yield the right of way, pulling into an occupied roadway. i come home and check out my gear and the helmet is scrathed heavily down the left side and cracked there with rubber marks from where the bike went across my head on the right side of it, the carbon fiber on the knuckles of the gloves is severely scratched and dented in on both , and there are tears by the neck on the back of the jacket, and on both sleves near the wrist. my ex gf and mother take me to the ER to get my wrist checked out and it turns out ive snapped the scaphoid bone in my right wrist clean through with over a mm of separation. this is going to require surgery to insert a couple screws and maybe a pin or 2 to pull the bone back together. after surgery im being told ill be in a cast for approx 4-5 weeks followed by intense physical therapy to regain use of my thumb and wrist. my gear saved my life guys so if u ever consider not wearing it think twice. ride safe.

[Eraine]

wow scary story! just glad to see that you are ok

[MikeyB.]

That freekin sucks man,hope you feel better soon we got hockey to play.

[Shawn96VR-4]

Bikes are just a bad idea. Glad you are ok. Wrist surgery is horrid. I hope it works out well for you.

[1320ride]

thank you for ur concern. i will be persuing legal action against her after the surgery because i will not be able to work or make a living according to doctors until mid february.

[mikecentola]

Wow man that sucks. I wonder if you had stayed on the rear brake from the start you would have had better luck. Glad that you are ok though. I'm sure the lady just made a mistake. Honestly I'm surprised at the second guy that hit your bike...that could have killed you.

You're also very lucky that you were treated the way you did since most sportbike riders don't get that kind of treatment out here. They would have assumed it was the biker's fault...

It's unfortunate that you didn't have more experience riding because I think you might have been able to prevent flipping over, but I can't make any assumptions since I wasn't there. All in all, glad to hear you're ok. Hope you recover fast.

Also her insurance should pay for all your medical bills. I don't see why you would not be able to make a living and I wouldn't trying and sue a poor old lady for making a mistake.

[1320ride]

her insurance is paying my med bills, but i will have basically no use of my right thumb/wrist for 10 weeks or more. hard to work one handed. she told me she thought i was a street lamp. yes it was a mistake but a mistake thats costing me the ability to work and pay my bills. THAT is why im taking legal action.

[mikecentola]

I would definitely get a lawyer, but I've been on both sides of this, and I don't like people that try to take advantage of a situation. There's no doubt that her insurance should pay you compensation for the 10 weeks or so that you won't be able to work.

Also you're insurance company and the lawyer you get will make sure that her insurance company pays out what you are entitled to since they are usually pretty poor about doing that.

How is the bike btw?

[lolrsk8r]

damn, glad to hear your alright!

did you get any pics of the bike, rash, gear? i'd like to see.

also i should mention some, if not all insurance companys re-emburse for gear(helmet, jacket, etc) with proof of purchase reciepts. so bring that up during the next conversation with them.

being physically limited can be depressing...keep your head up!

[1320ride]

bike is a total loss... snapped handle bars in half, bent forks, ripped the rear fairing almost off, bent rims, etc.

i dont have any pics as of yet, but will be taking some tomorrow. i spent today running around getting copys of the x-rays and seeing my orthopedic surgeon.

[Cavi Mike]

The fact that you were able to read the situation is what saved your life. Don't sell yourself short. I can't stress how important it is to always see what could happen before it does. I commend you for that. I wish you a short recovery.

[waltbabyluv]

damn man im glad your ok, sounds like it should have been alot worse, good luck with everything, I wanna see some pics man, sounds scary. Once again glad your ok, be careful guys