Friday, June 1, 2007
Recalling the Accident
On the morning of my accident, I failed to check the weather report and assumed the sunny morning meant a sunny day ahead. If you're from Colorado, you know the fault in that assumption. As the day progressed, the temperature dropped and the rain fell non-stop until about 5 p.m. On the 14-mile ride home from the office, I was miserable with only my summer air-flow jacket and dress slacks to keep me warm. When I arrived home, I changed my clothes and riding gear so that I would be comfortable for the ride to the store for some last-minute items for the trip. I put a sweatshirt over a t-shirt and put on my padded BMW Club Jacket. I was now wearing jeans, but because I was uncertain of more rain, I put on overpants and a three-quarter rain jacket. And as usual, I was wearing my Nolan helmet and BMW leather gloves.
Because the roads were still slick from the rain, I was taking it easy down the same 6-lane main thoroughfare I travel at least twice daily. As I was riding west, I noticed an east-bound car waiting to turn across the west-bound traffic to enter a McDonalds. There isn't an intersection there, just a continuous turning lane for either direction of traffic. Because I had the right-of-way, I thought nothing more of the vehicle waiting to cross as I began to pass it. It was at the point of passing that I noticed out of the corner of my eye, the green car head towards me. Imagine playing back a DVD in slow motion frame by frame. Seeing that green car approach me from the left would account for only a single frame. The next frame was the instant that simple ride to the store would change into something out of a dream.
Much as how a dream can switch from one story to the next without any rhyme or reason, the next memory I had was of darkness and calm. It was as if at that moment I was sleeping. My eyes were shut and so I don't remember seeing anything. I don't even remember hearing anything. The only sensation was of something very heavy insistently "nudging" me as if to wake me from my slumber. I reached out with my right arm to stop the nudging and upon touching it realized it was my motorcycle that was slamming into me. I immediately 'woke up' and realized I was in the process of experiencing an accident. I had just been t-boned by the green car. My bike continued to slam into me as we both slid down the road. My fear was of it rolling over me and crushing or burning me. My eyes opened just as I had stopped bodysliding down the street.
I got myself onto the sidewalk as quickly as possible so that I wouldn't get hit by another vehicle. I was stunned, dazed and confused. A man came up to me and worriedly asked, "Are you OK?" It took a moment to respond. My eyes surveyed the scene. I saw his green car parked next the McDonalds with a dent in the fender and a line of cars waiting behind my laid-down motorcycle. I looked back at him and replied, "I don't know."
He continued, "I'm sorry."
"What happened?" I asked.
"I didn't see you. I'm sorry. I was just trying to get to McDonalds."
I looked back at my bike, its headlights looking back at me, and said, "My bike, my bike." A man came running out of McDonalds saying "I've called 911, there's an officer nearby."
Then a woman came up to me saying, "You're alive! You should be dead. I watched the whole thing as it happened. You should be dead." "You saw it?" I asked, "Were you in the car? Where were you?" I reached and grabbed her hand and she said, "You're in shock. I'm going to stay and give a report."
"My bike - my trip" was all I could think. Both gone.
You would think after cheating death that I would simply be thankful just to be alive, but that's just not how I'm feeling at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy to still be breathing and mostly able, but we're all guilty of taking each breath for granted. I can't begin to explain the level of disappointment and anger that I feel right now. Today marks the day I was to depart Denver and meet Peter in Twin Falls, Idaho. Since early November 2006, Peter and I have been planning this trip. All the time, effort, and money put into this whole endeavor has been for nothing. That's not even counting the excitement and hype built up over the past 7-plus months only to come to a literal screeching halt. And let's not forget my beloved K1200R now laid to rest. And all for what? A McDonalds hamburger? To say I'm pissed is an understatement.
Because the roads were still slick from the rain, I was taking it easy down the same 6-lane main thoroughfare I travel at least twice daily. As I was riding west, I noticed an east-bound car waiting to turn across the west-bound traffic to enter a McDonalds. There isn't an intersection there, just a continuous turning lane for either direction of traffic. Because I had the right-of-way, I thought nothing more of the vehicle waiting to cross as I began to pass it. It was at the point of passing that I noticed out of the corner of my eye, the green car head towards me. Imagine playing back a DVD in slow motion frame by frame. Seeing that green car approach me from the left would account for only a single frame. The next frame was the instant that simple ride to the store would change into something out of a dream.
Much as how a dream can switch from one story to the next without any rhyme or reason, the next memory I had was of darkness and calm. It was as if at that moment I was sleeping. My eyes were shut and so I don't remember seeing anything. I don't even remember hearing anything. The only sensation was of something very heavy insistently "nudging" me as if to wake me from my slumber. I reached out with my right arm to stop the nudging and upon touching it realized it was my motorcycle that was slamming into me. I immediately 'woke up' and realized I was in the process of experiencing an accident. I had just been t-boned by the green car. My bike continued to slam into me as we both slid down the road. My fear was of it rolling over me and crushing or burning me. My eyes opened just as I had stopped bodysliding down the street.
I got myself onto the sidewalk as quickly as possible so that I wouldn't get hit by another vehicle. I was stunned, dazed and confused. A man came up to me and worriedly asked, "Are you OK?" It took a moment to respond. My eyes surveyed the scene. I saw his green car parked next the McDonalds with a dent in the fender and a line of cars waiting behind my laid-down motorcycle. I looked back at him and replied, "I don't know."
He continued, "I'm sorry."
"What happened?" I asked.
"I didn't see you. I'm sorry. I was just trying to get to McDonalds."
I looked back at my bike, its headlights looking back at me, and said, "My bike, my bike." A man came running out of McDonalds saying "I've called 911, there's an officer nearby."
Then a woman came up to me saying, "You're alive! You should be dead. I watched the whole thing as it happened. You should be dead." "You saw it?" I asked, "Were you in the car? Where were you?" I reached and grabbed her hand and she said, "You're in shock. I'm going to stay and give a report."
"My bike - my trip" was all I could think. Both gone.
You would think after cheating death that I would simply be thankful just to be alive, but that's just not how I'm feeling at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy to still be breathing and mostly able, but we're all guilty of taking each breath for granted. I can't begin to explain the level of disappointment and anger that I feel right now. Today marks the day I was to depart Denver and meet Peter in Twin Falls, Idaho. Since early November 2006, Peter and I have been planning this trip. All the time, effort, and money put into this whole endeavor has been for nothing. That's not even counting the excitement and hype built up over the past 7-plus months only to come to a literal screeching halt. And let's not forget my beloved K1200R now laid to rest. And all for what? A McDonalds hamburger? To say I'm pissed is an understatement.
Comments:
<< Home
Man, I feel like you were talking about my accident. Almost to the T, no pun intended. Just so you know, I got $11k out of that not including a new bike, and that was back in 95'. Good luck with that.
Mike Husmann
Post a Comment
Mike Husmann
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]