Posts
1133
Joined
12/20/2012
Location
Wolf Creek, OR
US
Edited Date/Time
8/4/2020 11:56am
It was a cool morning in September of 2005, but it was supposed to be a warm afternoon that day, so I decided to ride my R1 to work. I had gone about half of the 2 mile distance down the sparsely populated county road toward the freeway when, in the middle of a left hand corner, I saw a deer, at exactly the same moment as my front tire struck it broadside. I had no chance to react in any way. Suddenly it seemed that I was levitating above the bike, with only my hands still in contact with it. I remember sensing that the back of the bike was swinging wildly from side to side, and the next thing I knew was that I was flying totally blind through the air. I have no idea how high I was launched, nor how far I flew, but it was long enough that I remember thinking that I was about to hit something, but I didn't know if it was going to be the road, a tree, or something else. I had no way of knowing whether I was upside down, right side up, or what part of me was going to hit first. As it turned out, I landed in the middle of the road, with my right shoulder and the right side of my head coming down first. I had been doing about 45-50mph, and I will never forget the sound of my helmet grinding along on the asphalt as I came to a stop. I was on my back in the middle of the road, and I could tell that my right shoulder and hip were in bad shape. I tried to get myself off of the road, but without the use of my right arm or leg, I could not move myself.
Thankfully, my phone was in my left shirt pocket, under my jacket. I still don't know how I managed to get my very snug fitting helmet off. This was 4:30am, and I called my wife out of a sound sleep and told her what had happened, but that I didn't know exactly where I was. I also called my employer and told him the same thing, which totally freaked him out because he was afraid that I was in the middle of a busy highway. My wife arrived in a few minutes, and parked in the road with her flashers on to protect me. She said that I kept drifting in and out of consciousness, and that each time I would sort of get it together, I would ask her what had happened. Over and over again.
The ambulance arrived a while later and hauled me to the hospital about 25 minutes away. The neck stabilization collar is mighty uncomfortable against a broken shoulder/collar bone. They took a bunch of x-rays, and my wife was there to show the doctor which of the fractures were fresh, and which ones were preexisting from motocross.
I ended up with a broken collar bone, some upper ribs, and my scapula was totally shattered, but not displaced at all. I would have sworn that my hip or pelvis was broken, but they could not find anything wrong with it.
I always wear a helmet, and would even if it weren't mandatory. There is no doubt that I would not have survived that crash without a helmet.
BTW, it was a very small deer, probably not more than 35-40 pounds. It was killed instantly, and the impact was so forceful that it wedged a bunch of hair between the front tire and the wheel.
Thankfully, my phone was in my left shirt pocket, under my jacket. I still don't know how I managed to get my very snug fitting helmet off. This was 4:30am, and I called my wife out of a sound sleep and told her what had happened, but that I didn't know exactly where I was. I also called my employer and told him the same thing, which totally freaked him out because he was afraid that I was in the middle of a busy highway. My wife arrived in a few minutes, and parked in the road with her flashers on to protect me. She said that I kept drifting in and out of consciousness, and that each time I would sort of get it together, I would ask her what had happened. Over and over again.
The ambulance arrived a while later and hauled me to the hospital about 25 minutes away. The neck stabilization collar is mighty uncomfortable against a broken shoulder/collar bone. They took a bunch of x-rays, and my wife was there to show the doctor which of the fractures were fresh, and which ones were preexisting from motocross.
I ended up with a broken collar bone, some upper ribs, and my scapula was totally shattered, but not displaced at all. I would have sworn that my hip or pelvis was broken, but they could not find anything wrong with it.
I always wear a helmet, and would even if it weren't mandatory. There is no doubt that I would not have survived that crash without a helmet.
BTW, it was a very small deer, probably not more than 35-40 pounds. It was killed instantly, and the impact was so forceful that it wedged a bunch of hair between the front tire and the wheel.
And yes, I still ride street bikes.
They’re cool and something I’ve always wanted but, refrained from buying one. Everyone I know who has one, has been in a wreck. That’s what’s scary. Whether an animal or another driver, it seems like a matter of time.
Years ago my grandfather told me, on a dirt bike, you only have yourself to worry about in most cases. On a street bike not only do you have to worry about yourself, you need to worry about everything and everyone else on the road.
The Shop
A friend of mine had one jump just he got to it on his Harley. Deer didn't even touch the bike, but cleaned my friend right off of it.
Glad to hear you pulled through that terrible accident. My god how frightening
I was leaned over going around a sharp cloverleaf and a damn squirrel runs out in front of us. I narrowly missed him but my buddy close in tow hit that squirrel and went down. Slid farther than I thought was even possible. Of course we were clipping along well. Fresh pavement and about 99 degrees that day. Bike stuck like glue and we didn’t need to be riding that fast hindsight.
Squirrels and gravel/grit. Bah!!!
Some areas are obviously more hazardous with deer than others. Out here in Arizona where I am in The Valley not so much deer but wild horses along the Salt River.
Along time ago about 30 years I was on my Honda Hurricane with a girl on the back coming home from the Lake at night.
Suddenly a LARGE black horse was in the road and I grabbed the binders really hard and was able to avoid it.
I truly believe without dirtbike/moto experience I would have hit that horse and it would have been a much different outcome.
But like everything truly exhilarating in LIFE, there is risk vs reward and to me the reward is worth it.
The places I go on my street bike are something I wouldn't do in a cage,
but yes you need to be wary of your surroundings.
Well one day, I was hauling the mail through a long left hand sweeper. Real fast. Looking ahead there were 4-5 deer scattered on the road and on the shoulder. No way I was going to stop probably going 130 mph. I saw a line through them and went for it.
No shit they didn’t even move. i don’t even think one of them picked its head up as I sliced by feet from them.
Scared me so bad I had to stop, had the “sewing machine leg” and felt like I was going to puke for a 20 mins. Thank god those guys froze up.
Pit Row
Just don't put the whistles on backwards, that makes the deer chase you....
Another random story, a friend of mine was doing a cross country motorcycle trip on a Honda VFR, he hit a deer at twilight in the middle of Colorado. Totalled the bike, cracked a couple ribs. He was running his gopro and watching the video there was literally nothing he could've done to avoid it besides not ride on the road in the first place. It jumped out of the treeline from nowhere and it was completely unavoidable. It certainly makes me more cautious at night.
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