Pacific Northwest - Dang. Right Out My Back Door.

On the same day I put our Share The Road plates on our car, and spent time at the LBS talking about parts for the pimped out Torelli (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=462850&highlight=) I mentioned in another thread, a cyclist had a nasty crash with a car right out the back door of our office:

http://homepage.mac.com/pez72/photo9.jpg

The cyclist survived. According to our local paper, (http://statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080916/UPDATE/80916029) he was cruising down the one way street behind our office when the driver ran through a stop sign on the cross street. Notice the smashed windshield, dent on the fender, and hubcap that was knocked off from the impact.

This is the second accident that was not too far from our office in a weeks time. This one was right out the back door, on the side street I use to come back into our parking lot, and the other was just down the road. I know Salem is nowhere near the bike town that Portland is, and I feel it more and more. So ironic that it was starting out as such a good 'bike day' -- and ended up so terribly for this guy.

My prayers go out to him for a speedy recovery.

Paul

"Heggenberger was not wearing a helmet."

whew, at least the article's author got that in there. For a minute, I was worried he wouldn't have the space. The editor obviously cut the part where he mentions whether or not the drive was wearing a seatbelt.

Yes, that's a very annoying (IMHO) standard operating procedure for articles about bike collisions. To mention helmet presence, regardless of relevance in the story.

I'm glad they mention the helmet, the trend I see is to NOT ride with a helmet. Looking at the windshield on the car makes you realize just how stupid you are not to wear this simple protection of your brain.
It should be part of the headline in the media "Idiot smashes skull by not wearing helmet"

I'm sad and sorry about the accident, hope the rider recovers well and fast.

Yes, that's a very annoying (IMHO) standard operating procedure for articles about bike collisions. To mention helmet presence, regardless of relevance in the story.

It's pretty relevant when the cyclist was injured.

Just like they mention whether or not driver/passengers were wearing seatbelts if they're injured in a traffic collision.

I assume they didn't mention whether the driver of the car was wearing a seatbelt or not, because it has no relevance to the story due to his lack of injuries.

I'm glad they mention the helmet, the trend I see is to NOT ride with a helmet. Looking at the windshield on the car makes you realize just how stupid you are not to wear this simple protection of your brain.
It should be part of the headline in the media "Idiot smashes skull by not wearing helmet"

I'm sad and sorry about the accident, hope the rider recovers well and fast.

Yeah that car wouldn't have run the stop sign, and the cyclist wouldn't have gotten hit, IF ONLY HE HAD BEEN WEARING A HELMET. Stupid cyclist.

Brilliant, you completely missed the point! Go drink another beer Bro!

LOL I hear ya shifty. And I Agree, The Trend Seems To Be To Ride Without A Helmet. What Is So Disturbing Is That Most Riders Without Helmets Around My Area Are Kids. I Think The Use Of Helmets Or The Lack Of, Should Be Pointed Out. It Does Give Parents Somthing To Visit With Our Kids About

It's pretty relevant when the cyclist was injured.

Just like they mention whether or not driver/passengers were wearing seatbelts if they're injured in a traffic collision.

I assume they didn't mention whether the driver of the car was wearing a seatbelt or not, because it has no relevance to the story due to his lack of injuries.
Is it?

The article mentions the possibility of a broken leg. It doesn't mention head injury. Are you aware of something that I don't know? If not, then at this point, it really is NOT relevant to his injuries.


I'm glad they mention the helmet, the trend I see is to NOT ride with a helmet. Looking at the windshield on the car makes you realize just how stupid you are not to wear this simple protection of your brain.
It should be part of the headline in the media "Idiot smashes skull by not wearing helmet"
I'm sorry, I missed the part of the article that mentions a head injury. It mentions a leg injury, and "serious injuries", but I see nothing about his head.

Maybe the headline should be: "Idiot experiences serious injuries because he let a car run a stop sign" :rolleyes:

For the guys constantly ranting about helmets, unless you also wear full bicycle body armor and knee braces (which actually might have helped this cyclist prevent a broken leg); just give it a rest.

Hummmm....looking at the dent in the fender, most likely the bike, and the round damage to the windshield, it seems pretty obvious to me that if he wasn't wearing a helmet it was his skull that did that to the windshield given the way your head travels when the bike stops suddenly. Pure speculation and assumption on my part, but I've been riding for many years, so I've seen a few things along the way. Medical records are hard to get a hold of these days, but I would just bet that he has a really, really bad headache at the very least.

Hummmm....looking at the dent in the fender, most likely the bike, and the round damage to the windshield, it seems pretty obvious to me that if he wasn't wearing a helmet it was his skull that did that to the windshield given the way your head travels when the bike stops suddenly. Pure speculation and assumption on my part, but I've been riding for many years, so I've seen a few things along the way. Medical records are hard to get a hold of these days, but I would just bet that he has a really, really bad headache at the very least.So you have hit a lot of windshields with your head. Is that the experience you are talking about?

The windshield damage is just as likely from his body, not head.

Do you really think that the writer that mentioned "not wearing a helmet" would miss out on "serious head injury" if it had occurred?

So what type of body armor and knee braces do you wear, Shifty?

Yep, it was a very brief article, I guess we need more facts. Don't really know what the reporter was thinking, or who he got his info from.

Body armor consists of the helmet and good judgment, seems to have worked over the years. Started my kids wearing helmets in the Burley trailer at 2 years old, it's automatic for them, helmet first, then on the bike.

You'll need to have the JAG sue me if I'm wrong on all of this CB, you must know them all.

Hummmm....looking at the dent in the fender, most likely the bike, and the round damage to the windshield, it seems pretty obvious to me that if he wasn't wearing a helmet it was his skull that did that to the windshield given the way your head travels when the bike stops suddenly. Pure speculation and assumption on my part, but I've been riding for many years, so I've seen a few things along the way. Medical records are hard to get a hold of these days, but I would just bet that he has a really, really bad headache at the very least.

Hey shifty, I Have The Feeling That These Folks May Be Missing The Possibility That Mentioning The Helmet May Be Relevant To The Cyclist Not Having Massive Head Injuries. Nonewere Mentioned Anyway. I Would Like To See The Helmet Andthe Windshield Tho. Ihave Been Around For A While Too And The Impression A Head Makes In A Windshield Is Pretty Unmistakeable.

Oh he was NOT wearing a helmet! My bad! Hope He Gets Well Soon And Remembers His Helmet Next Time!

There is a woman looking over the Paramedics, do you think she might be the driver of the car? If so it looks like she wet herself, scared the pee out of her!

I have some friends in Salem, I'll try to get a few more details, including how the rider is getting along, I feel bad for all involved.