dannwilliams

Happened on Tuesdays ride. Heading southbound on new blacktop with a tail wind, looked up to see a pickup truck heading northbound veering into my lane straight towards me! I hit the ditch at about 25mph, truck jerked back towards its lane less than 10 feet away, maybe closer. Soft shoulder so my front tire sunk in and I went down over the bars, bike went flying. Happens so fast, see truck, see tire sink, see grass coming towards face, see sky. I jumped up and for an instance wanted to run down the road after the truck, but regained my composure. I was pi$$ed as it seemed deliberate to me. The truck stopped and backed up to me. A retired farmer got out more shaken than I was, very apologetic. He used to farm this land and was looking at it and had drifted without realizing.
I felt OK except a little scuffed arm where I hit the gravel shoulder, my bike was okay, so went on my way. At the first hill, I experienced slight pain in my rib cage. That's when I realized I should have gotten his info, heck, should have probably called the police and had a report filed. Later in the evening my shoulder hurt. Went to work Wednesday, took ibuprofen all day. Had trouble raising my arm to signal on my after work ride.
Today the shoulder pain has subsided, still feel it in my rib cage. I don't ever want to have a call that close again. I was fortunate this time, no more next times please.

Zinger

Sounds like you're OK, just bruised........lucky you

NVanHiker

Take good care of that shoulder. I don't know what made me feel more relieved, the fact that you weren't seriously injured, or that the driver's actions turned out NOT to be deliberate.

Insidious C. 

Glad to hear you avoided more serious injury. I think you can feel pretty good about the outcome. Good that you had the guts/ability to take evasive action, and good that it was not a malicious act that you might stew over for weeks.

linnefaulk

Wow. Glad you weren't hurt more seriously.
I would see a chiropractor and get an adjustment.
Heal quickly.

Rick@OCRR

As bad as it was, it could easily have been a lot worse!

Big picture though, you did the right thing (ditch landing much softer than grill of pick-up!) and the driver did the right thing in stopping and coming back to you (wrong thing in drifting over in the first place!).

Since you've ridden that many trouble free miles I'd say you're still well on top in terms of cycling safety!

Rick / OCRR

Clyde1820

Good reminder to all, regarding how quickly things can change.

Be safe, everyone. You never know when something is going to come 'round the corner.

jim_de_hunter

Still in my first year of riding and had a very similar experience on my last ride the other night but without the dire result. Riding in a neighbor hood the Ranger coming at toward me suddenly veered right at me. I was thinking the same thing; the driver was doing it on purpose. I shot up the sloped curb into a yard as the Ranger suddenly jerked left.

Looked at dude as we passed. He was shocked. He was widening his turn to get into a driveway and I just happened to be there. No harm - no foul, I guess.

Biker395 

Yikes. Glad you're ok ... I'd get yourself checked out by a doc, though.

Barrettscv 

Great reaction to a bad situation. Contact with the pavement would have had another outcome.

John E

Nice bit of evasive maneuvering!

We had a somewhat similar situation here in San Diego, with a drunk driver crossing the center line and plowing into a group of cyclists, one of whom is still critical.

Cyclist struck at Fiesta Island in critical condition | UTSanDiego.com

Biker395 

^ Egad. I initially heard that everyone's injuries were minor. Too good to be true, I guess.

I saw a video taken shortly after the crash, with the cyclists still embedded in the windshield. The tweaked-out driver was sitting on the sidelines ... cigarette in one hand, phone in the other ... writhing around and obviously in no condition to drive. What the hell do you do with people like that?

Mvcrash

Glad to hear your OK. Quick thinking and thank goodness for grass. Rib pain sucks. Takes a bit to go away, but it does.

leob1

You got very lucky on a few levels!
Good thing you didn't get hurt much worse.
Even though he didn't mean any harm, I still think I would have had got off on the driver. The shock and adrenaline of the situation would have tripped my trigger. I know it dosen't really help the situation, good for you for maintaining control.
And by the sounds of it he was as upset as you. Lack of attention is a hard lesson.
BTW how's the bike?

TXsailor

I had a close call myself this week and it was not the driver that would have been at fault. I was nearing the end of a little 10 mile ride that I do regularly. There is a school that spans the corner where I turn left to go home. Little traffic this time of year so I cut through the school parking lot to avoid a intersection with a lot of pot holes. I was just about to turn left and I out of the corner of my eye saw a pickup slowly passing me. I had my mind on other things and hadn't checked. He was going slow just coasting along and since I am deaf in my left ear I hadn't heard him. I usually signal all turns and check carefully before turning. For some reason I was in my own little world. I don't think he realized how close he came to hitting me as I never actually started my turn. He may have sensed it due to my body language or just was being careful. Even though nothing happened I was pretty shaken since I realized how close I came to turning right in front of him.

Moral of this story of there if there is one is keep your head out of your ... and its not always the other guys fault.

RideMyWheel

Hindsight is always 20/20, but the one thing I've learned from situations like this one is to stay put and ALWAYS call for the authorities. Of course, this is something I've failed to do 100% of the time I've been faced with similar circumstances. Hopefully next time I'll remember. Better still I'll hope that there isn't a next time.

I always laugh when I see a city bus have a mishap at 5mph. You'll see three paramedic trucks and a dozen passengers wearing neck braces. You know they weren't hurt, but by damn, they're going to get some of that action if there is any to be had.

berner

The lesson I see is to be hyper-alert at all times on the bike. I actually spend time trying to improve my focus while riding. Sometimes it isn't easy on gorgeous days and riding pretty roads and in a blissed out state.

jppe

Glad you were alert enough and looking ahead to react appropriately! If you had been a tractor trailer the former farmer would probably just be a former........

h2oxtc

Echos my own experience this year, ending with me riding off the road and causing uneccesary stress to the driver of a car. Caught up in the excitement passing another cyclist and cutting the corner along a narrow road with no visibility around the corner. Only seconds earlier the small voice in the back of mind told me it was dangerous. The driver came around the corner staring a cyclist in the eyes. Thankfully we both reacted appropriately and all is well, and the bike survived unscathed. A reminder to me that I need to ride smarter.

Glad that the OP was for the most part uninjured.

Louis Le Tour

Cut off his gonads!!

cafzali

We'll never have the will to do it -- at least in the U.S. -- but if you jailed these idiots and made them personally responsible for associated medical costs, this stuff would stop. As it is now, they're almost never held criminally liable, except in cases where drugs or alcohol can be proven. IMO, we call too many things "accidents" and apply no penalties toward them, making it extremely unlikely behaviors will change.