Road Cycling - Pretty bad day....

Woke up as I was being loaded into the ambulance. I had crashed about 1/2 way into my usual ride, and was unconcious for that long, and don't remember a thing about the crash. All I knew was my back and neck really hurt. Someone had called 911 from a local house.

Well, went through the trauma system at the local trauma center, which I would not recommend unless you are into lots of probing. Got scanned about 3 times, and admitted. Total tally: 7 fractures of 6 different vertebrae, 4 in my neck and 3 in my mid-back. Thankfully no neurological damage other than the major concussion, which causes severe headaches and nausea, by the way. It's not fun to throw up for 2 days with spine fractures. Got home last night after 2 days in the hospital, and am stuck in a big neck immobilizer for 6-8 weeks.

My helmet has a big flat spot on the front-right, and the foam is broken. It saved my life, or at least my life as me. It looks like Barry Bonds cornered me in an alley and whacked me a couple of times on my right forehead, my jaw, neck and 5 or 6 times all over my right shoulder. Then once or twice on each side of my ribcage for good measure. Everything below the waist is fine.

I'm done. I've been riding for about the last 2.5 years (on this go-round), but I don't need any more of that, and my family doesn't either. Good luck to all the rest of you, be careful, and wear your helmets!

And good luck to you holicow I hope some day when you are at 100% you think about getting on the bike again. Hope you have a Speedy recovery...

I'm glad you came out of that alive. Sounds scarry! Sorry you are giving up cycling, but given what you are going through I can understand your decision.

Best wishes and healing vibes!

Glad you were wearing a helmet! Any idea what happened at all? Sounds like you flipped over your bike, probably hit a pot hole or something.

sorry to hear about your accident, sounds like a real bad time, but i'm glad it wasnt worse, good luck on the recovery.

'Crash'..... You got hit by a car? You ran into a trash can? What in the world happened.

I hope you have a complete recovery. Good luck.

Damn - did you get hit by a car!? What did you do to sustain all that damage?

I totally understand your desire not to get back on the bike...but...I can tell you from personal experience that feeling may be temporary. When I was in college I got hit by a car while riding my bike thru a crosswalk. Impact was fortunately car-to-bike not car-to-person, and despite not wearing a helmet I lucked out to land on my butt and back. After knocking down about 3-4 parked motorcycles I lay half in street, half on curb, and as I looked up at the onlookers I said, "I'll be OK...just give me a sec..." Several minutes later when I could finally get to my feet, all the crowd had dispersed, with not a SINGLE offer to help -- damn spoiled, self-centered college kids, more interested in seeing a spectacle and rushing off to class instead of helping someone who was clearly injured. :mad: Worst part was the dude who hit me was in the mix, but by the time I rose to my feet he was speeding off down the road. Not a single kid thought to write down his license plate, and I never found him. I don't even remember his face, I was so stunned.

As I finally got to my feet I realized I was NOT alright. My back hurt and my wrist was broken, and I could feel myself going into mild shock. I managed to drag myself and bike across the street to student health center, walked in, and ordered ambulance. My back hurt for two months or more, to the point I had to walk gingerly for the first month or more. Doc said nothing was broken, just the muscles in back were severely strained.

Getting to my point, every time I entered a crosswalk thereafter, I got really nervous, very phobic. That eventually faded as months went by though, and I returned to riding. Hopefully you might feel better enough in future to change mind...

Thanks for the support. What happened? I wish I knew. I am pretty sure a mail truck was involved, on my side, and possibly another car in the other direction, but nobody could tell me. I think I hit the mail truck.

Woke up as I was being loaded into the ambulance. I had crashed about 1/2 way into my usual ride, and was unconcious for that long, and don't remember a thing about the crash. All I knew was my back and neck really hurt. Someone had called 911 from a local house.

Well, went through the trauma system at the local trauma center, which I would not recommend unless you are into lots of probing. Got scanned about 3 times, and admitted. Total tally: 7 fractures of 6 different vertebrae, 4 in my neck and 3 in my mid-back. Thankfully no neurological damage other than the major concussion, which causes severe headaches and nausea, by the way. It's not fun to throw up for 2 days with spine fractures. Got home last night after 2 days in the hospital, and am stuck in a big neck immobilizer for 6-8 weeks.

My helmet has a big flat spot on the front-right, and the foam is broken. It saved my life, or at least my life as me. It looks like Barry Bonds cornered me in an alley and whacked me a couple of times on my right forehead, my jaw, neck and 5 or 6 times all over my right shoulder. Then once or twice on each side of my ribcage for good measure. Everything below the waist is fine.

I'm done. I've been riding for about the last 2.5 years (on this go-round), but I don't need any more of that, and my family doesn't either. Good luck to all the rest of you, be careful, and wear your helmets!
Blessing to you and your family, whatever the reason this happened for me it a reminder of how I must err on the side of safety and ride another day...thank you, be patient with yourself. :)

I wish you a great and speedy recovery. That sure was a tough crash.

Sorry to hear about your wreck
I know what back problems can be like ( been living wiht them for years )
sounds like one of the best resons to group ride or atleast have a partner

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

I don't want to know what the medical bill for that would be.
No witnesses?

I'm glad you're still with us and wish you a speedy recovery. Hang in there and be patient with the therapy.

Blessings!


Olds

I understand your fear and concern about not getting back on the bike. I too sustained neck injuries from a crash, forunately not as severe as yours. As a healthcare professional though I see the end result of quite a few accidents with bicycles. It makes me a bit nervous at times. I do believe its best to ride with a group. You are more visible and at least you can look out for each other. I wish you a speedy recovery and hope you are able to get back to your normal routines soon.

Were you in Winston when you crashed? Where? just moved from there after a few years-great cycling scene. Good to hear you made it out of the wreck. Sounds like it could have been much much worse. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Tough spill! You might have been run over? Left for dead? Maybe no cars involved, I know a guy who got multiple face fractures when a pothole or something twisted his front wheel out from under him, I broke a finger that way. But so many broken vertabrae! I have to suspect motorist involved, are the police looking? Have they questioned the 911 caller? Maybe you "scorpioned" (got bent over backwards). At speed that could cause some damage.

Well, I'm glad you survived. Best luck in your recovery. I don't blame you for quitting bikes, I would too, if it wasn't my job and primary form of transport. I won't ride on roads for recreation. You might come back to riding bike path or non-extreme mountainbike trails. It's nice to get out in the woods, ok to walk the steep downhill for sure! If you choose golf we'll understand! Best wishes!

Alright. I guess I have to be the first to say it...

Holy cow, holicow! Sounds pretty awful. But I'm glad to hear you'll be ok. Rest up, and take care of yourself, huh?

Check with your local post office.... see if they had a truck with fresh damage. They will know who was driving it. File a police report.

It seems that if the ambulance picked you up, there would be a police report. Here at least, if 911 is called, an ambulance, firetruck and cop car are dispatched.

I find it hard to believe that no one knows what happened. Unless it was a true hit and run, in which case there would still be a police report.

Take care of yourself and get better.

good luck man. keep comin around here though, k?

It seems that if the ambulance picked you up, there would be a police report. Here at least, if 911 is called, an ambulance, firetruck and cop car are dispatched.

I find it hard to believe that no one knows what happened. Unless it was a true hit and run, in which case there would still be a police report.

Take care of yourself and get better.

My wife went to get the report from the Highway Patrol station, since they were the ones who came, apparently. The report says I ran into the mail truck.

The road I was on is fairly straight, and I have a hard time believing I just blindly rode into it. I would have seen it a long way out. But, hey I' ve done stupider things, I guess. I would classify myself as a very careful rider, though. Like I said, there was another car coming in the other direction,too, is the story, but I don't know what significance to place on that.

I have nothing...NOTHING,..from about 5 minutes before. That bugs me. First time I've be rendered unconscious, that i remember at least.