I went down Sunday the 21st
04-08-2004, 10:09 PM
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL
Age: 46
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I went down Sunday the 21st
For those that do not know already I went down on the 21st of March really bad. I was going to South Beach with 10 other riders. Heading down 95 south there was a car more than 4 car lengths ahead in the hov lane. It had it's hazzard light on. I remember seeing that. I was the lead bike in the right lane next to the hov lane. I turned around to signal everyone behind me that a cop was a came on the highway. As I was signaling the car with the came over into my lane. I turned back around and that's all I remember.... I woke up that night in the trama unit of Jackson Memorial Hospital. My friend that was riding behind me told me what happened later.
The car which was a honda element had a flat tire and was driving in the hov lane at 15 mph. Instead of pulling over in the emergancy lane the person was trying to get off the highway. They cut over into my lane and the car in front of me had to swear out of the way because it was going so slow. When I hit it the car was at a dead spot as it was trying to cut over all the lanes to get off the next exit. I was doing about 50 mph when I turned back around and the car was less than 10 feet in front of me. My friend said I lock the brakes, the bike then hit the rear of the car sending me into the rear window head first. I shattered the window with my face and then fell to the ground. My friend said he was the first person to me and I was laying in a pool of blood. He said I was moning and my eyes were rolled into the back of my head. He also told me that I was bleeding out of my nose and mouth and I kept choking on my blood as I tried to breath. Just from holding me he said he was covered in my blood.
Now this the part that really had me realize how lucky I am. While he was holding me, I wasn't reponding to anything anyone said, but he knew I was alive because I was blowing bubbles from the blood out of my nose everytime I took a breath. After sometime he said I stopped shaking and shortly after the bubbles stopped and I stopped breathing. He thought I died in his hands at that time. Some women in the crowd surrounding me saw that and started crying as they thought the same thing.
I woke up at the hospital that night in a neck brace and the first thing I did was wiggle my fingers and tows just to see if I lost any. Remarkable, I didn't break any bones and after I took a cat scan they released me from the hospital 3am that morning. Now there was a person across from me in the trama unit that fell on a 4 wheeler with no helmet on. He died while I was in there. The nurse told me he wasn't wearing his helmet and they tried everyhing but could not bring him back. I heard when the doctor pronounced him dead. If it wasn't for my helmet it would have been me
The car which was a honda element had a flat tire and was driving in the hov lane at 15 mph. Instead of pulling over in the emergancy lane the person was trying to get off the highway. They cut over into my lane and the car in front of me had to swear out of the way because it was going so slow. When I hit it the car was at a dead spot as it was trying to cut over all the lanes to get off the next exit. I was doing about 50 mph when I turned back around and the car was less than 10 feet in front of me. My friend said I lock the brakes, the bike then hit the rear of the car sending me into the rear window head first. I shattered the window with my face and then fell to the ground. My friend said he was the first person to me and I was laying in a pool of blood. He said I was moning and my eyes were rolled into the back of my head. He also told me that I was bleeding out of my nose and mouth and I kept choking on my blood as I tried to breath. Just from holding me he said he was covered in my blood.
Now this the part that really had me realize how lucky I am. While he was holding me, I wasn't reponding to anything anyone said, but he knew I was alive because I was blowing bubbles from the blood out of my nose everytime I took a breath. After sometime he said I stopped shaking and shortly after the bubbles stopped and I stopped breathing. He thought I died in his hands at that time. Some women in the crowd surrounding me saw that and started crying as they thought the same thing.
I woke up at the hospital that night in a neck brace and the first thing I did was wiggle my fingers and tows just to see if I lost any. Remarkable, I didn't break any bones and after I took a cat scan they released me from the hospital 3am that morning. Now there was a person across from me in the trama unit that fell on a 4 wheeler with no helmet on. He died while I was in there. The nurse told me he wasn't wearing his helmet and they tried everyhing but could not bring him back. I heard when the doctor pronounced him dead. If it wasn't for my helmet it would have been me
04-08-2004, 10:16 PM
#3
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: St Louis, Missouri
Posts: 1,303
Re: I went down Sunday the 21st
damn man i'm glad your ok. hope you get some money from the dude 
if not i'll buy your bike 
seriously though i'm glad you made it and i hope you have a strong recovery. i'm glad you were wearing your helmet. i take for granted that its a law in my state to wear your lid but if you weren't and its not a law in florida, it woulda been a bad outcome
if not i'll buy your bike seriously though i'm glad you made it and i hope you have a strong recovery. i'm glad you were wearing your helmet. i take for granted that its a law in my state to wear your lid but if you weren't and its not a law in florida, it woulda been a bad outcome 
04-08-2004, 10:23 PM
#6
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: maryland
Posts: 518
Re: I went down Sunday the 21st
well i am glad your alive a person i knew died in daytona this year after being in a coma for 6 days. he was not wereing a helmet if he had been he'd problably walked a way is what i herad he might of gone to the hospital for a check over and been released. the only problem woulda been the bike
04-08-2004, 10:24 PM
#7
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Albuwhat
Age: 51
Posts: 1,217
Re: I went down Sunday the 21st
Glad to hear you are OK. Lucky like ****! Props on wearing your lid! Did the person even see you? Hopefully you get his all straightened out in time for summer? What kind of bike you gonna get next?
04-08-2004, 10:57 PM
#10
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Ottawa Canada
Posts: 1,813
Re: I went down Sunday the 21st
Man good to hear you pulled thru.....I am glad that we have helmet laws up here as now I am so accustomed to wearing one it seems like no big deal.
It always amazes me when I see a stunt clip with no helmet..I just cant believe anyone would take such a chance !!
2 years ago we had a buddy go down, major tankslapper out of a standup wheelie..He hit the ditch doing easily 120mph...He was knocked out cold and had to be emergency transported to the hospital..No broken bones but had severe head trauma...After looking at his helmet there was a hole about the size of a quarter half way thru the back of his helmet....Not sure what the hell did it !!
It took him a good 6 months for the fog to clear..But at least he pulled thru..
Bottomline is helmets save lives....
Thanks for sharing your story, hopefully we can all learn something from it...
Cheers
SK
It always amazes me when I see a stunt clip with no helmet..I just cant believe anyone would take such a chance !!
2 years ago we had a buddy go down, major tankslapper out of a standup wheelie..He hit the ditch doing easily 120mph...He was knocked out cold and had to be emergency transported to the hospital..No broken bones but had severe head trauma...After looking at his helmet there was a hole about the size of a quarter half way thru the back of his helmet....Not sure what the hell did it !!
It took him a good 6 months for the fog to clear..But at least he pulled thru..
Bottomline is helmets save lives....
Thanks for sharing your story, hopefully we can all learn something from it...
Cheers
SK
Re: I went down Sunday the 21st 
04-09-2004, 12:21 AM
#14
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL
Age: 46
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Re: I went down Sunday the 21st
I already got a lawyer and I got some good witnesses. I plan on winning this case hands down. I already started looking for a new bike. I should be riding again within a week. I got a stunt bike that down right now, but my boy let me borrow his TL 1000 to ride while he's away. So I've got a bike to ride for about a week.
04-09-2004, 01:09 AM
#16
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Re: I went down Sunday the 21st
Originally Posted by R6bbie
what made your face bleed with the helmet on?
glad you are ok!!
glad you are ok!!
My face hitting the inside of the helmet on impact. I went face first into the rear window of the honda element, shattering the rear window. The impact was so strong that it pushed my two front teeth in. I had cut on the inside and outside of my mouth and nose.
04-09-2004, 01:28 AM
#18
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Casper, Wyoming
Age: 38
Posts: 387
Re: I went down Sunday the 21st
Always wear ur gear 
I had a pretty bad wreck 6-7 months ago and the doctors said I was lucky.... but mine wasnt 1/2 as bad as that i dont think.. glad to see ur still here
I had a pretty bad wreck 6-7 months ago and the doctors said I was lucky.... but mine wasnt 1/2 as bad as that i dont think.. glad to see ur still here
