LincolnMercury
Member
Coming home from work Friday afternoon, I was in the bike lane running between 25-30 mph. Traffic was light... I was doing the accordian tag with about 5 vehicles. I would catch them at a light... they would pass me; and I would catch them at the next light. Did I mention the "bike lane". The lead car of 5 slowed to make a left turn, I caught the pack again and slowed to 20-25 mph. Then with out warning (no signal) a white pickup truck turned right, into a business, in front of me. I hit the truck with my left shoulder and went down; knocked off of the bike onto the gravel on my right side. My helmet saved my head, I was actually aware when my head hit the ground thinking "road rash on my helmet... cool".
Until the pain set in. Miraculously, I had no broken bones, I had road rash on my forearms and thigh, and on the back of my shoulder; where I hit the truck. Cops were called by a good samaritan (thank you Brenda) and EMS and a Fire truck was dispatched; SOP apparently. I refused medical help after doing a self assesment. As long as I had nothing broken, I figured why ride in an ambulance.
The cop and his lieutenant conferred and took Brenda's statement ("The truck just turned right into him...NO TURN SIGNAL"); thank you again Brenda. She was behind the truck. The cop then came over and said that this was his first "automobile vs bicycle in the bike lane" accident and he did not know who to charge if there were any charges to be pressed. He went on to say that they were leaning towards charging the driver of the truck... "we have to share the road". I then signed the accident report, dusted off the bike and rode the remaining 11 miles of the 16 mile commute @ 15-20 mph, nursing my left shoulder, doing as little as possible with it.
When I got home my girlfriend, a RN, checked me out and said to ice the shoulder down. and take some ibuprophen. It is Saturday, this happened yesterday, and the range of motion in my left shoulder has increased and my right arm-shoulder is sore. Check that. My left shoulder is sore.. and on fire if I move it too far, or put any weight on it. You never realize how much you use a particular appendage or body part until you injure it and it makes itself known to you. I will continue to commute on my MB, I think I am going to paint my bike flourescent orange an get a neon yellow body suit. The truck driver said "I never saw him... I passed him once down the road", seriously we are invisible to automobiles... even the most cautious driver\rider may get into and accident due to someone elses inattention or stupidity.
Ride SAFE, ride as though you are invisible.
Until the pain set in. Miraculously, I had no broken bones, I had road rash on my forearms and thigh, and on the back of my shoulder; where I hit the truck. Cops were called by a good samaritan (thank you Brenda) and EMS and a Fire truck was dispatched; SOP apparently. I refused medical help after doing a self assesment. As long as I had nothing broken, I figured why ride in an ambulance.
The cop and his lieutenant conferred and took Brenda's statement ("The truck just turned right into him...NO TURN SIGNAL"); thank you again Brenda. She was behind the truck. The cop then came over and said that this was his first "automobile vs bicycle in the bike lane" accident and he did not know who to charge if there were any charges to be pressed. He went on to say that they were leaning towards charging the driver of the truck... "we have to share the road". I then signed the accident report, dusted off the bike and rode the remaining 11 miles of the 16 mile commute @ 15-20 mph, nursing my left shoulder, doing as little as possible with it.
When I got home my girlfriend, a RN, checked me out and said to ice the shoulder down. and take some ibuprophen. It is Saturday, this happened yesterday, and the range of motion in my left shoulder has increased and my right arm-shoulder is sore. Check that. My left shoulder is sore.. and on fire if I move it too far, or put any weight on it. You never realize how much you use a particular appendage or body part until you injure it and it makes itself known to you. I will continue to commute on my MB, I think I am going to paint my bike flourescent orange an get a neon yellow body suit. The truck driver said "I never saw him... I passed him once down the road", seriously we are invisible to automobiles... even the most cautious driver\rider may get into and accident due to someone elses inattention or stupidity.
Ride SAFE, ride as though you are invisible.