[skanking biker]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wauk/may05/324809.asp

ON WISCONSIN : JS ONLINE : NEWS : WAUKESHA : E-MAIL | PRINT THIS STORY

Cyclist, 20, critically injured in race crash
UW student Wittig also survived accident last year
By JACQUELINE SEIBEL
jseibel@journalsentinel.com
Posted: May 9, 2005
Muskego - After surviving a similar accident last spring, avid cyclist Matt Wittig was in critical condition Monday after a weekend accident during a Wisconsin Cup race in Muskego County Park, a hospital spokesman said.

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Wittig, 20, of Mequon, was breaking away from the pack of the Muskego Park Criterium when his right foot slipped out of the pedal, his right knee hit the handle bars and he was flung over the bars onto to the pavement, said Hans Higdon, fellow rider and event organizer.

Tess Corners paramedics were called to the park at 12:43 p.m. Saturday, said police Lt. John LaTour. Wittig suffered a head injury, and he was taken to Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Wauwatosa by Flight for Life.

A licensed U.S. Cycling Federation racer, Wittig was competing in the Category 3 division. He was probably traveling 25 to 30 mph when the accident occurred, said Higdon, president of Milwaukee's Hampshire Cycle Club, which organized the race.

Higdon was 10 to 15 feet behind Wittig in the race. "It was basically a freak accident," he said.

"You lose your nerve when you see something like that," Higdon added.

Five races already had been held, and race organizers considered canceling the remaining three scheduled races, he said. "Matt would have said to keep racing, so we did," Higdon said.

Wittig is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he is also an officer in the UW Cycling Club.

Club president Steve Knurr said Wittig's accident is reverberating through the cycling community, a close-knit group.

As the club's road season coordinator and for his love of racing, Wittig is "a very, very important part of the team and the UW cycling program," Knurr said.

"He's genuinely good and one of the most dedicated and honest people that we've had in our program," Knurr added.

Last spring, Wittig was involved in a similar accident. According to a newsletter written on Nov. 8 about the 2004 Wisconsin Cycling Association Cup awards, Wittig was honored for fighting back. It reads:

"A remarkable thing happened when recognition was given to Matt Wittig (Nova/IS Corp), who is recovering from a bad spill last spring. Matt inspired WCA by his determination to ride again and his acceptance of the award brought the crowd to its feet for a long, standing ovation. Ride on, Matt!"

"The gravity is spectacular," Knurr said of Wittig's latest accident. While the previous crash was significant, "this second crash is almost too much to comprehend."

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[mmerner]

that hits a little close to home. I don't know the guy, but I did race in one of the earlier races.

[Feldman]

A grim reminder to check cleats and pedals for wear; this isn't a totally uncommon thing but the consequences are usually less awful.

[discosaurus]

I met his family in the waiting room at the hospital. My gramma was in the same unit as him. He had all kinds of visitors and family there constantly; it was really great to see that much support.

[Helmet Head]

I wonder what kind of pedals he uses.

[Hawkear]

Last I head from his older brother, he was ruled brain-dead, and his organs will be donated.

:(

[lilHinault]

:-(

this is why I won't race crits.

[ofofhy]

:-(

this is why I won't race crits.

Sounds like this could have happened at any time. How many people give it a charge up that last hill on their way home from work? The best thing about all of this is that it did happen at a race where there would have been medical staff on hand. It gave him the best chance of getting medical attention fast, even though it appears to have been unsuccesful. It is too bad, and my heart goes out to his family and friends, but it is good to hear that they are donating his organs.

[Hawkear]

Apparently the first guy that got to him, a volunteer at the crit, was a neurosurgeon. It didn't help, though.

[kingprawn42]

According to the Cyclingnews website the rider Matt Wittig has died from his injuries. More info here

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/may05/may11news2

Young Wisconsin rider dies after crash
Matt Wittig, a 20-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and rider with the US amateur ISCorp team, has died in hospital after crashing during a Wisconsin Cup criterium race in Muskego County Park on Saturday May 6.

[drarab42]

On Thurs, apx. 10:30, Matt was declared officially brain dead. It was a moment of clebration for the family as the Beating Heart Procedure could be successful and Matt's organ donations were possible. Recent info was that Matt contributed his heart, both lungs, kidneys, pancreas, spinal cord, bone and bone marrow, and his corneas. It is hoped that Matt's contributions may affect up to 75 families. What a gift!

Matt's dedication to his academics at Madison, and to his chosen sport of cycling, was indeed a joy to behold.

He finished his life as he lead it...a winner all the way.

Ride on our dear Matt....ride on..

[ctyler]

Here's an artcle for a local newspaper:

Student killed in bike accident donates organs to five people

(Published Sunday, May 15, 2005)


Associated Press

MEQUON, Wis. - A University of Wisconsin-Madison sophomore who was killed in a bike race has donated his organs, resulting in five strangers getting a chance to live longer.

Matt Wittig, 20, of Mequon, succumbed Thursday to head injuries he suffered May 7 in a bicycle race in Muskego.

The 5 people - 4 from southeast Wisconsin and one from Indiana - received one or more of Wittig's organs in transplant surgeries Friday.

Wittig's mother, Susan, said he decided to be an organ donor four years ago when he got his driver's license.

"One of the reasons Matt wanted a driver's license was to say that he would be an organ donor," Susan Wittig said. "He was as excited to say that he would be a donor as he was to drive.

"That's the kind of kid he was," she said.

A licensed U.S. Cycling Federation racer, Matt Wittig was injured during a Wisconsin Cup bicycle race in Muskego County Park on May 7. He was pulling away from the pack of riders when his right foot slipped out of a pedal, his right knee struck the handlebars and he was flung over the bars onto the pavement, said Hans Higdon, a fellow rider and event organizer.

Wittig suffered head injuries. He was wearing a helmet, but he likely was traveling 25 to 30 mph when the accident occurred, Higdon said.

Wittig was involved in a similar serious bicycling accident last spring. He was an officer in the UW Cycling Club.

He continued racing this fall because "that was his passion," his mother said. "This was the light that kept him going."

The recipients were:

-A man in his mid-30s who received Wittig's heart.

-A woman in her late 40s who received his lungs.

-A woman in her mid-50s who received his liver.

-An Indiana man in his early 30s, who received one of Wittig's kidneys.

-A man in his late 20s who received Wittig's other kidney and his pancreas.

[Lord Chambers]

Wow, I kinda thought helmets prevented death from head injuries as long as your impact was on the helmet. A concussion sure, but I didn't think death could come from it. That...sucks.

[powertoold]

Good chance he hit his head first on that crash since he went over. Hit your head at 30mph and it's over, with or without a helmet!

[closetbiker]

Read the sticky on helmets at the top of the advocacy page.

(and by the way, there are many cyclists dying from head injuries while wearing helmets)

[slvoid]

Wow, I kinda thought helmets prevented death from head injuries as long as your impact was on the helmet. A concussion sure, but I didn't think death could come from it. That...sucks.

Helmets lessen the impact from a crash.
At 30 mph, if you land directly on your head, even if your skull can take it, your brain and the spinal column might not be able to withstand the impact.
It really depends on how you land. Hell, at 30mph, if you go smack into a wall, even if you don't hit your head at all, your internal organs would shatter. Or you can fall off at 60mph like on a motorcycle and just roll and slide.

Learning to bike in a safe and law abiding manner has nothing to do with what happened here and it's a shame if anyone tries to use that to persue their own agendas. What happened here is an accident, nothing more. There are certain things you can anticipate and certain things you can't. My pedals are pretty secure but when I'm really cranking on it, I might twist my foot by accident. You also can't control where and how you crash, unfortunately.

[operator]

Which is why as soon as you can crank the crap out of the tension adjustment on your pedals.

[slvoid]

Which is why as soon as you can crank the crap out of the tension adjustment on your pedals.

Hehe then I might not be able to pull out if I'm tipping over at a light and that would be embarassing. :p

Besides, most times I pull out isn't cause it pops straight out, it's cause my body's so contorted that I actually twist out. Though I'm sure there are some people here who have enough power to completely rip the cleat right out. I wonder if people in the TDF get special pedals with like 2-3x the amount of clipping power.

[spacefuzz]

He was a good guy, and will be greatly missed. He really was a nice person and awsome bike rider. Someone was wondering what pedals he rode, they were ultegra SPD-R.