Coworker down

[beemerboy]

I found out through the company grapevine that a coworker went down last Friday, the 8th, on his way home from the office. I recall seeing him standing next to his bike as I pulled out of the parking garage but didn't give it any thought except to wonder where his helmet was.

 

So, I hear the news this morning and do some snooping. He was riding home on a four lane city street (35mph zone) and a car pulled out in front of him. The driver was making a right hand turn in order to go in the same direction as said coworker who ended up hitting the car's left rear panel. He landed some 85' away and suffered a nasty gash on his forehead that will require plastic surgery, a broken hip, femur, messed up knee, broken tibia, and broken ankle - all on the right side of his body. He now has lots of metal and screws in his body and will go home tomorrow.

 

I don't know the guy that well, don't know how long he's been riding, and only that he was riding a late model HD of some kind.....something like a Road King I think or similar to that style of HD.

 

I hope to converse with him sometime later when he's settled in at home because I'd like to know some details about what happened.

 

We work for an energy company that has a very strong safety program. Pardon the pun but the company really pounds this safety thing into our heads, even those of us who work in offices, so my curiosity is up plus I'd like to do a "lessons learned" talk with him.

 

Please be careful out there.....

[upflying]

Car pulls out from a side street and violates the right of way of the motorcycle. Happens all the time, all the more reason for maintaining a high visual scan, make eye contact and be extra vigiliant of potential threats from all directions. Never assume anyone will yield to you.

Not saying this collision was preventable but if you are paying attention and expecting the car on the side street to pull out in front of you maybe this tragedy could have been avoided.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery for your co-worker.

[beemerboy]

Thanks, Bob. Like I said, I really don't know this coworker that well so I'm not aware of his skill set, attitude, experience, etc.

 

While I strive to engage in defensive driving and riding I know as well as just about everyone here that when it's your turn there ain't much you can do about it. That being said I practice what I preach; I ride with the anticipation that drivers don't see me and/or won't yield to me and I encourage fellow riders to do the same.

 

 

[motorman587]

Where there any skid marks, do you know??? Skids mark from the motorcyclist??

[beemerboy]

John,

 

I know very little at this time but will try to find out as much as possible. Aside from the obvious fact that a fellow rider went down it freaks me out that I saw him looking just fine probably five to seven minutes before the accident happened. I was no where around and heard about it after the fact.

 

Something tells me he's a "late entry" type of enthusiast and not fully tuned into how a rider needs to have his/her radar way at all times particularly when riding in a city environment. I suspect his mindset last Friday afternoon was all about going out later that night or perhaps centered on what he planned to do that weekend.

 

I tend to soak up other rider's accident experiences and then compare & contrast them against my close calls. To me it's all about situation awareness and trying to be safe. I'll follow up with more info as I learn things.

 

I'll close with the same admonishment - ya'll be careful out there!

[Bullett]

thanks for the "heads up" post Randy. When the winter has been long and cold and snowy like our past winter in northern Utah I will need all the reminders I can get. I've only had my bike out a couple of times this year. I made the mistake of not anticipating the vehicle on the other side of the vacant lane might also want to be where I wanted to be.

 

Our closeness was as good as it was bad. As exhilarating as it was freaky scary. No bumps, no scraps no kiss of the asphalt assaulted me. Suddenly, the clouds parted and the good warm sun shone down on me riding along free and unblemished in the afternoon light.

 

Anyway, I am so sorry to hear about your bidness acquaintance. I wish him speedy and thorough healing and that he recovers with his desire to ride intact.

[beemerboy]

Not much more to add yet except for this tidbit; Coworker was wearing a full face helmet that was twisted up and around his head so violently that it caused a gash in his right face from jaw line to the middle of his forehead. This will require reconstructive plastic surgery to repair.

 

Now, I don't know about you folks but I'm trying to grasp how this could happen. Another coworker who visited him in the hospital said that it was the buckle & strap that caused the damage.

[upflying]

I suspect the co-worker was vaulted, ejected and launched from the saddle after impact. After soaring 50' or so, co-worker impacts pavement head first. Slide to stop wraps the helmet around his face.

[beemerboy]

I suspect the co-worker was vaulted, ejected and launched from the saddle after impact. After soaring 50' or so, co-worker impacts pavement head first. Slide to stop wraps the helmet around his face.

 

Ugh. Spoken like a man who has seen this before.

[Boffin]

I suspect the co-worker was vaulted, ejected and launched from the saddle after impact. After soaring 50' or so, co-worker impacts pavement head first. Slide to stop wraps the helmet around his face.

 

Ugh. Spoken like a man who has seen this before.

 

The rotated helmet is common where the helmet is too loose for the head it is on. A proper fit will prevent this - the helmet should be a close fit, with a helper unable to turn it on your head.

 

Andy

[tallman]

I suspect the co-worker was vaulted, ejected and launched from the saddle after impact. After soaring 50' or so, co-worker impacts pavement head first. Slide to stop wraps the helmet around his face.

 

Ugh. Spoken like a man who has seen this before.

 

The rotated helmet is common where the helmet is too loose for the head it is on. A proper fit will prevent this - the helmet should be a close fit, with a helper unable to turn it on your head.

 

Andy

 

 

+X

I've fit hundreds and hundreds of helmets.

Many do not want to wear the right size.

 

Also, some don't buckle strap at all.

 

If I can twist the helmet an impact will certainly do so.

 

Hope the coworker heals soon.

Best wishes.

[terryofperry]

My question is this: How does someone fly 85' going only 35 MPH?

 

I agree, a properly fitted helmet should not rotate but these impacts can be violent with mass and velocity.

 

Hoping for a speedy recovery.

 

Terry

[4wheeldog]

My question is this: How does someone fly 85' going only 35 MPH?

 

I agree, a properly fitted helmet should not rotate but these impacts can be violent with mass and velocity.

 

Hoping for a speedy recovery.

 

Terry

 

My guess would be that 85' was total distance traveled, not hang time. There is a lot more energy with a body traveling at speed than you would thing..........And a lot less friction to slow you down than you would get with the brakes and tires.

[upflying]

My question is this: How does someone fly 85' going only 35 MPH?

 

 

Explained here.

http://x.vceinc.com/tag/vault-formula/

[ragtoplvr]

Your friend is alive after what would have almost certainly would have been a fatal accident without the helmet. Even though this helmet was potentially incorrectly fitted this helmet did it's job. The reconstructive surgery is unfortunate but considering the forces involved you have to class this as a good outcome. Just not the best possible outcome.

 

I hope your friend makes a full recovery and has many more happy years.

 

Rod

[w2ge]

Your friend is alive after what would have almost certainly would have been a fatal accident without the helmet. Even though this helmet was potentially incorrectly fitted this helmet did it's job. The reconstructive surgery is unfortunate but considering the forces involved you have to class this as a good outcome. Just not the best possible outcome.

 

I hope your friend makes a full recovery and has many more happy years.

Rod

 

+1000, without the helmet... probably a grieving family.

 

 

[beemerboy]

Coworker's still out convalescing. Yesterday I had a chance to speak to someone who knows him well and got this interesting tidbit; He'd be dead had he landed in a slighlty different way. You may recall that my last post mentioned that his helmet or chin strap left a gash on his face and that he had a nasty gash in his forehead that'll require plastic surgery.

 

It's scary to think that the difference between life and death can be but a few degrees variance in impact angle......

[beemerboy]

Hey folks,

 

Well, as promised I have a follow up to convey but it's not as enlightening as I'd hoped.

 

My coworker started back to work in late May doing partial days with a planned gradual buildup to full time. I saw him yesterday and got a few tidbits of info. I asked him what happened and his first response was "I don't know. One minuted I was headed home and the next thing I recall was laying on my back being wheeled into an emergency room."

 

He said he remembered a car making a left turn from a side and that the motorist went wide and veered right into his lane. He attempted to avoid him but the bike impacted the car's right front fender and sent him flying some 80+ feet away.

 

A few days after returning home from the hospital he was visited by the first responding officer who needed a statement. The officer told him of a conversation they had at the scene that the coworker can't remember. He must have been in shock from the numerous broken bones his suffered. He also told me that he lost his helmet during the crash and that it's a miracle he's still alive.

 

I asked a few more questions specifically if he felt he could have avoided the accident. He said no, that it happened so fast and he did all he could. I'm thinking this comes under the general admonishment of "assume ALL cars don't see you" and be prepared to make evasive manuevers. I can't think of anything else at the moment. I shared with him that the only time I ride in the city is to get the hell out of it. I don't ride to work either.

 

I'll share more later as I learn stuff from him but for now will drop this little tidbit on you; I asked him if he's going to continue riding and his response made me smile. He said that he spent his recuperation time looking at classified ads for used bikes.

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Glad he's recovering. Introspection is about the most important thing one can have after hearing of or being in a crash.

 

When I was training for LEO I heard the following: "The only non-preventable crash is when you get hit in the back of the head by a high angle of attack meteorite".

 

It's severe but, mostly for perspective.

[upflying]

74c5's got it. IMO, all collisions are preventable. In the case of the co-worker, the left turner who violated the ROW of the bike was preventable and the co-worker who did not see, expect and take evasive action to avoid the left turner was preventable.

[beemerboy]

74c5's got it. IMO, all collisions are preventable. In the case of the co-worker, the left turner who violated the ROW of the bike was preventable and the co-worker who did not see, expect and take evasive action to avoid the left turner was preventable.

 

I consider ANY car approaching an upcoming intersection or from a sidestreet a possible threat. When at a stoplight I ALWAYS wait several seconds before I proceed into the intersection. What I'm getting better at doing is "watching my six."

 

[Glenn Reed]

Hope his recovery continues, and he is able to pick out his replacement ride and have fun riding it.

[barryd]

I consider ANY car approaching an upcoming intersection or from a sidestreet a possible threat. When at a stoplight I ALWAYS wait several seconds before I proceed into the intersection. What I'm getting better at doing is "watching my six."

 

This is my habit whether on 2 unpowered wheels, 2 powered wheels, or 4. And it works well.

 

What is the point you safely consider an approaching vehicle no longer a threat?

When your "sixth sense" says it's ok?

When you are past them?

When you're sure you've made eye contact, and verified they are not moving?

I'm curious about the thoughts on this from the experts here.

 

For me, I'd say it's a combination of all those and probaly a few more, but varies with the situation.

 

 

[beemerboy]

I consider ANY car approaching an upcoming intersection or from a sidestreet a possible threat. When at a stoplight I ALWAYS wait several seconds before I proceed into the intersection. What I'm getting better at doing is "watching my six."

 

This is my habit whether on 2 unpowered wheels, 2 powered wheels, or 4. And it works well.

 

What is the point you safely consider an approaching vehicle no longer a threat?

When your "sixth sense" says it's ok?

When you are past them?

When you're sure you've made eye contact, and verified they are not moving?

I'm curious about the thoughts on this from the experts here.

 

For me, I'd say it's a combination of all those and probaly a few more, but varies with the situation.

 

 

I don't know if there are any "experts" here and I don't want my comments take ultra-literally. The point I was trying to make is that I consider all vehicles a possible threat and that includes other motorcyclists.