Motorcyclist Hits Deer

[Dgd6mm]

Stopped by the local Café a few minutes ago. The "unofficial" update was, numerous road rash lacerations, fractured pelvis, five broken ribs, one punctured lung.
Not a glowing report, but all in all, about as good as might reasonably be expected.

It's a blessing you were there for this man.

 

[M-61]

Years ago a friend told me if a deer suddenly appears crossing the road , and you can, steer towards his ass.
Why, I said?
Hopefully he’ll be gone when you get there.
Sounds good and thank God I’ve never had to try it.

 

[Ernest T]

Two years ago I hit a deer while riding a motorcycle in West Texas. The road had a 75 mph speed limit so I was probably going 80 mph or so when I made contact with the deer. Me and the bike went down and slid about 200'. I woke up two days later in the hospital with no memory of anything that happened after the day before the accident. Shattered clavicle, six broken and displaced ribs, collapsed lung, and concussion. Apparently I was able to call 911 (thank God I had cell service) before passing out. It took over an hour for an ambulance to get to me and not one car came by in that time as the bike was lying in the middle of the road. The ambulance ride to Wichita Falls took 90 minutes. Two surgeries, one titanium plate, 11 screws and I'm as good as new!

The helmet saved me life, it looked like I hit my head at least six times on the way down the road. The other side looks like this one.

 

[Bocephus]

Brief update:
Talked to the fellow a few days ago. He came by to thank me for picking up the pieces, his wallet and cash.
Turns out the frame was broken on the bike, insurance company totaled it out.
He is out of the hospital, on a walker, mending pretty well. Able to drive his pickup short trips, but thinks it will be quite awhile before he can throw his leg across a bike seat.

 

[mousegunner]

Responded to a guy hit by a car on the interstate, car was going 75, guy landed on his head. You don't forget something like that.

 

[Ron Blain]

Glad the guy is doing well. After all my years enjoying riding after my little mishap I plan to sell the bike. Broken ribs and a crushed ankle really hurt. At 72 I really don't want to break anything else. Really glad the guy is doing well and getting around.

Thanks for the refreshing update...

Ron

 

[m1jeff]

Large elderly population here in SE Florida. I’ve responded to several T-bone accidents where the car pulled out in front of the motorcycle. No, they weren’t always riding over the speed limit. I will never forget observing in the trauma ER. Never.

I rode dirt bikes as a kid. Very different from congested urban traffic. A couple of decades ago a friend let me take his 1100cc crotch rocket for a spin. I very quickly realized it was not for me. I about fell off the back shifting into second gear.

That being said I’ve been watching the Itchy Boots channel on YouTube the last few days. Makes me want to ride the NW US, and get a Honda CRF300L(?) to do it.

 

[JFrank]

Brief update:
Talked to the fellow a few days ago. He came by to thank me for picking up the pieces, his wallet and cash.
Turns out the frame was broken on the bike, insurance company totaled it out.
He is out of the hospital, on a walker, mending pretty well. Able to drive his pickup short trips, but thinks it will be quite awhile before he can throw his leg across a bike seat.

He’s lucky you happened by, I’ had an asshole pull out on me 7/1/80 10:05 pm . I hit the fu#%*+ker right in the radiator’ totaled my Harley and damn near killed me and my girlfriend.

 

[JMayo]

In 1971, I witnessed a motorcycle hit a car in New Bern NC. I was getting gas at the time and the car pulled out of a side street crossing 2 lanes of traffic to turn left. the MC hit the car at the drivers side front wheel.
The first thing that came off was the helmet along with his shoes. The guy was launched over the hood and traveled some 20 yards before he hit the road. The helmet was ahead of him bouncing down the road like a basketball and traveled about 50 yards.. He was alive when the EMT's got there but I don't know the final outcome.

Wow that's exactly my story except passenger side tire. Gal turned left 20' Infront of me.
My bike hit the tire and turned the bike into a guillotine going the opposite way.
Darn near split me in two vertically.
Took years and several surgeries just to be partially normal.
I Aged 10 years but I get around all right.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Slightly different experience "stopping to help". Early 80's I was on an interstate hw about 1:30 am. 2 motorcycles passed me at a high speeds. 3 miles further was my exit. As I exited I see 2 similar bikes on the shoulder. I passed by and looked in my door mirror, saw a person waving. I stop, debated the situation. Put the truck in neutral(manual) and rolled back, after grabbing a tire iron. I had the door locked and window was only down a couple inches. As I passed back by the bikes I realized it was actually 1 and 1/2 a bikes, both on their kickstand. The guy yelled I need help. I set the parking brake, jumped out with the tire iron and a flashlight. He started to lead me down toward the interstate lanes, stopped and pointed into the mowed grass. I saw something and approached, the other biker was laying there. He was gutted like a deer. I asked the other biker if he had a blanket and I followed him to the bikes where he gave me an old army blanket. I went and covered the guy. I got in the truck and told him to wait while I went and called for help(no cell phones then). County dispatch asked me to go back out, so I went driving thru the ditch and up the exit ramp. Only the 1/2 bike there, I parked passed about 100' away. I could see emergency lights approaching behind. Deputies, ambulance. Showed the deputies the body. One of the officers I knew asked me to wait at my pickup and came and asked me what happened. Soon the state patrol showed up, several . Long story I know, but the games began as they kept switching officers asking what happened. The deputy I knew came over and told me that I maybe cuffed and taken by the state patrol. A few minutes later, I looked up at the overpass at more lights. Saw a car stop and in the dim light saw someone walking down. I realized it was the other biker, I told the deputy I knew(he had stayed with me) that's the other guy. He yelled for other officers and they went and got him,cuffed him and took him to a state patrol car. A few minutes later, my deputy friend came and told me I could go.

 

[Ron Blain]

He’s lucky you happened by, I’ had an asshole pull out on me 7/1/80 10:05 pm . I hit the fu#%*+ker right in the radiator’ totaled my Harley and damn near killed me and my girlfriend.

This is what worries me. I watched a car pull over changing lanes right into my friend I was riding with. I saw it coming and fortunately my friend was able to move over. Had we not had an open lane to our left my friend would have had nowhere to go. When a bike gets hit the statement is always "I never saw the bike" which is of little consequence when you are crippled or worse dead.

Ron

 

[rwj]

With today’s distracted/unobservant drivers, I’d never consider riding a motorcycle on public roads!

 

[CaptainMal]

Bought my first Harley in 1956. At one time owned 22 motorcycles at once. Today down to only 8 motorcycles and try to ride as often as possible. Rode all over North America, Central America, much of South America. most all of Europe, north Africa, Middle East and some in Asia. Been quite a life of experiences made in the saddle and not on a couch watching TV. After a recent serious bought with Rheumatoid Arthritis and that crippling my medication allowed me to just now return from two weeks with the wife riding the mountains of the Carolinas.

Heard stories like all the above posts repeated most all the time clean back to the 1950's. Pretty much the same theme. Always a reminder that.... you should never live in your fears.

"It would be a shame to arrive at death's door and find out you never really lived."

 

[Charliemac]

Me and the missus still go for ride but I pick the route, the day and time to minimize the risk.