Saw Rider Go Down Today

[TMH]

Just a reminder to BE CAREFUL OUT THERE. Getting onto a freeway today and saw a rider go down. Apparently the 2 cars in front of her stopped short and she was either accelerating and/or looking over her shoulder to get around them. She winds up rear-ending a car, with her bike going into the #2 lane, and her ending up in the #3 lane of the freeway. I was able to stop in the right break-down lane and try to help out. Called 911 and reported the accident, and got her to stay right where she was. A tree-trimming truck stopped and the guys were going to move her bike out of the lane. I told them to leave it where it was, and to use their truck to block the #2 and 3 lanes, which they agreed to do.

 

I actually did not witness the accident, so after directing traffic for a bit, I left when AMR arrived.

 

Big (pink) sport bike ridden by a petite woman. Helmet and gloves being worn, but no other protective gear. She was sitting up and was conscious and communicating, but seemed to be pretty torn up on her arms. And I heard while waiting for the medics that she was an ER nurse!

 

Anyway, just a little wake-up call for me that I thought I would share with all of you. I don't believe that she was injured badly, but she might have escaped all but some bruises if she was ATGATT.

 

Keep alert and keep alive.

 

Tom

[GelStra]

Hope she's OK. I guess the Italian sports car philosophy would've helped: Never mind the rear view mirror. Look in front of you first. She needs a better system of triage. Thanks for the reminder.

 

Oh, FWIW, I saw a car playing turtle on it's back today coming home from the bike dealer.

[Carnadero]

Big (pink) sport bike ridden by a petite woman.

Was this anywhere near Elk Grove? I remember about a month ago being in that area and seeing some female on a pinkish crotch rocket at a light having a little difficulty getting it going. She was also observed to be lacking somewhat in the inseam department.

[TMH]

Big (pink) sport bike ridden by a petite woman.

Was this anywhere near Elk Grove? I remember about a month ago being in that area and seeing some female on a pinkish crotch rocket at a light having a little difficulty getting it going. She was also observed to be lacking somewhat in the inseam department.

Could have been the same woman, but this occurred on southbound 280 from the Saratoga on-ramp.

 

Tom

[Carnadero]

.. but this occurred on southbound 280 from the Saratoga on-ramp.

That having been said, why in the hell would a motorist stop while getting on 280 S/B from Saratoga? Traffic entering the freeway there has its own lane which doubles as an exit only lane to Winchester/Moorpark which is still around 3/4 of a mile further down!!

 

Now if I got something wrong or if I'm missing something, fill me in on the details. I always get a little irate when I hear of seemingly stupid driving because there really is no excuse for much of it.

[John_Hendriksen]

It is that time of year, I suppose....

Riding back from San Francisco last Sunday, I came upon this at Lake Berryessa . The rider, while shaken, seemed to be OK

 

 

 

[TMH]

.. but this occurred on southbound 280 from the Saratoga on-ramp.

That having been said, why in the hell would a motorist stop while getting on 280 S/B from Saratoga? Traffic entering the freeway there has its own lane which doubles as an exit only lane to Winchester/Moorpark which is still around 3/4 of a mile further down!!

 

Now if I got something wrong or if I'm missing something, fill me in on the details. I always get a little irate when I hear of seemingly stupid driving because there really is no excuse for much of it.

Brother of girl who went down arrived at the scene about 30 seconds after the accident. I guess that he had been following her in his car, but had gotten a little behind her.

 

Anyway, the guy whose car she rear-ended is all over this guy, explaining and apologizing. I heard him say something like "That idiot in front of me was getting all road-ragey and he slammed on his brakes, so I had to brake as well." I didn't actually see the incident, so I had no way to verify accuracy of the statement.

 

As I said above, I was about 4-6 cars back from where the impact happened, and was (as usual) taking my time and enjoying my ride. But I heard the impact and saw all of the brake lights ahead. Didn't know that it was the bike which went down until I got even with her sitting in the freeway lane. So you are right - There is a full lane all the way to the Winchester OR where this occurred. And based on where the rider and her bike landed, I am assuming that she was trying to get quickly around the cars in front of her, but that she just never made it cleanly.

 

Regarding stupid driving - You are correct. OTOH, I have come to expect it. With all of this going on in front of me, I never even had to brake hard because I had maintained a wide-open following distance. I do sometimes have to slap myself after I have done something stupid & unnecessary on my daily commute ride. But generally I am just happy to be on my bike again (after having lost one to a left turner some years back), so I take my time and enjoy my ride.

 

Tom

[Carnadero]

"That idiot in front of me was getting all road-ragey and he slammed on his brakes, so I had to brake as well."

One thing I never understood (and I don't know if this is unique to this area) is why some people on the freeway who don't need to slow down all that quickly feel a need to apply their brakes. The simple solution is to take the foot off the accelerator and the car will magically slow down, but no, they have to apply the brakes. The brake lights flash, and it typically causes a chain reaction that goes backward, setting up the potential for a traffic mishap further back. Gawd, that is so irritating.

 

*pant pant pant*

 

Okay....ohmmmmmmmmm.....ohmmmmm......

 

Alright, blood pressure is now back to normal.

[chrisz]

The issue is not everyone is paying attention to the road far enought ahead. Many people react only when they see the brake lights come on. Somewhere along the chain of cars (or bikes) someone will be dozing and not see the brake lights until they are very close to the vehicle in front and slam on the brakes, further causing issues behind them. Before starting to ride on the street, I took some private lessons from a retired bike cop (who trained police bike riders) and his words of advice were constant, "keep your head up and scan the road as far ahead as possible and play what-if" Sometime I have to admit, its difficult to be continuously scanning far ahead and playing what-if, mentally tiring after an hour or so. Therefore my need to take frequent breaks.

[KMG_365]

First off, Tom: thanks for stopping and helping out!

 

But oh man, reading about this story and seeing those pics gets to me. I can't tell you how many bikers I've scraped up, though usually where I work it's their own doing. I've also been on a few group rides where someone has gone down and it's a very different story when it's one of your own--can't say enough about "keeping that high visual horizon". I guess that's why I'm inspired to offer the occasional First Responder Course for Motorcyclists. "Stuff" happens on two wheels, but would any of you know what to do if it was one of your riding buddies sprawled out on the pavement in front of you? I hope you never have to see it, but wouldn't it be better to KNOW what best to do than to stand there helpless?

[Francois_Dumas]

I hope you never have to see it, but wouldn't it be better to KNOW what best to do than to stand there helpless?

 

Very true, you are RIGHT of course......

Personally I have thought about it often enough... also did some (very limited) first aid training at one of my previous employers.

 

But I am one of those whimps who puts doctors visits off for two years... imagine me anywhere near blood, bare bones and other misery !!???

 

I have the highest esteem for all those medical people who actually HELP others and do not faint at the mere thought of a droop of blood or seeing someone in pain.... all I managed was to hold Nina's hand during two births.......

[KMG_365]

You know, it's funny but I am a total wimp too when I see blood or someone getting cut like in those shows on TV where they show surguries. I can NOT watch that stuff as it turns my stomach!

 

However, I found when it was real and someone's life was hanging in the balance, I was able to put my personal queasyness to the side and focus on helping. Obviously not everyone can do that and your experience with childbirth is not uncommon--many fathers faint dead-away in the delivery room!

 

But when the chips are down and it's YOUR riding buddy of some years who went flying over the bars and is now lying motionless in a ditch--even if you couldn't stomach the blood yourself, just knowing how to protect the rest of the group from further problems, how to best summon help, direct others to care for your friend, etc. would not only potentially save your buddy's life, but it would leave you with a better feeling afterwards than being haunted by: "I stood there helpless because I didn't know what to do."

[RFW]

One thing I never understood (and I don't know if this is unique to this area) is why some people on the freeway who don't need to slow down all that quickly feel a need to apply their brakes. The simple solution is to take the foot off the accelerator and the car will magically slow down, but no, they have to apply the brakes.

The answer is simple. A fair proportion of the motoring public drive automatic transmission cars, and in fact are too incompetent to master a manual transmission. This incompetence leads to a driving technique where one foot is placed on the brake, and one on the gas.

 

Speed is therefore controlled by the relative pressure on each pedal, it seems.

 

Bob.

[hophead]

"One thing I never understood (and I don't know if this is unique to this area) is why some people on the freeway who don't need to slow down all that quickly feel a need to apply their brakes."

 

People do this in all parts of the country and I am afraid that it is because for a large percentage of these noncomps it is their way of communicating to you that they think you are too close to them. I honestly believe there are drivers out there who instead of moving over feel compelled to slow you down and back you off by hitting their brakes. They are speed nazis.

[SDMike]

Was riding westbound on 17 Sat at about 1700 and saw a guy on the ground on his cell, his SO standing behind him with hands on hips, and a Harley upside down under the front end of a pickup/SUV.

 

This was right after the first set of turns going westbound.

 

Don't know what happened, but my guess is either A. going to fast for the road (and the bike) and he needed to slow down NOW and got rear ended by the vehicle behind him, or B. ran the curve wide and ended up with the same result.

 

Any of y'all read about this in the paper?

 

M

[TMH]

Was riding westbound on 17 Sat at about 1700 and saw a guy on the ground on his cell, his SO standing behind him with hands on hips, and a Harley upside down under the front end of a pickup/SUV.

 

This was right after the first set of turns going westbound.

 

Don't know what happened, but my guess is either A. going to fast for the road (and the bike) and he needed to slow down NOW and got rear ended by the vehicle behind him, or B. ran the curve wide and ended up with the same result.

 

Any of y'all read about this in the paper?

 

M

Glad you said Saturday. Harley rider was apparently not as lucky on Friday (from SJ Mercury News):

 

"A motorcyclist who died Wednesday evening when he fell off his bike and was struck by at least two hit-and-run drivers on Highway 17 north of Santa Cruz has been identified as Kevin Earl Wischnesky, 42, of Sunnyvale, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office reported today.

 

California Highway Patrol officers found Wischnesky lying in the roadway next to his overturned and severely damaged 2000 Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle around 8:30 p.m.

 

Wischnesky, who worked at the University of California, Santa Cruz, was traveling north on Highway 17 just south of Pasatiempo Drive when he hit the brakes, lost control and fell off his bike. Witnesses told CHP at least two drivers subsequently struck him and drove away. He was pronounced dead at the scene."

 

I didn't find any info about an incident on Saturday.

 

Tom

[SDMike]

Was riding westbound on 17 Sat at about 1700 and saw a guy on the ground on his cell, his SO standing behind him with hands on hips, and a Harley upside down under the front end of a pickup/SUV.

 

This was right after the first set of turns going westbound.

 

Don't know what happened, but my guess is either A. going to fast for the road (and the bike) and he needed to slow down NOW and got rear ended by the vehicle behind him, or B. ran the curve wide and ended up with the same result.

 

Any of y'all read about this in the paper?

 

M

Glad you said Saturday. Harley rider was apparently not as lucky on Friday (from SJ Mercury News):

 

"A motorcyclist who died Wednesday evening when he fell off his bike and was struck by at least two hit-and-run drivers on Highway 17 north of Santa Cruz has been identified as Kevin Earl Wischnesky, 42, of Sunnyvale, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office reported today.

 

California Highway Patrol officers found Wischnesky lying in the roadway next to his overturned and severely damaged 2000 Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle around 8:30 p.m.

 

Wischnesky, who worked at the University of California, Santa Cruz, was traveling north on Highway 17 just south of Pasatiempo Drive when he hit the brakes, lost control and fell off his bike. Witnesses told CHP at least two drivers subsequently struck him and drove away. He was pronounced dead at the scene."

 

I didn't find any info about an incident on Saturday.

 

Tom

bump bump... wassat? Must be a deer...

 

Oh well. Gotta get to Sunnyvale. No time to stop!

 

M

[Carnadero]

..was traveling north on Highway 17 just south of Pasatiempo Drive when he hit the brakes, lost control and fell off his bike.

Sounds rather unusual. Northbound traffic typically doesn't jam up in that location at that late an hour. In the mornings it might, but not in the evenings.

[Carnadero]

bump bump... wassat? Must be a deer...

I managed to strike a doe on 17 N/B by the old Santa's Village exit in '93 at about 1AM on the way home from work in my long-gone VW Jetta. More than a bump, that's for sure.