svtmike

I was hit making a left turn (I was at the head of a 12-man group) on a rural 2-lane road by a guy who claims to have made it to 24 without knowing that 12 outstretched left arms means "we're turning left" -- he took it as "pass us, fast!". As he hit the gas and swung out to pass, I'd already started the turn and he swerved onto the road I was turning onto and sideswiped me at (I'm estimating) about 40 mph. The side mirror caught my knee, throwing me. I think my other knee got torn up as the bike twisted away and separated from my cleat. The crushed vertebrae were from landing on my butt.

The guys I ride with say there was nothing I could have done. We all knew there was a car approaching from behind; that's nothing new. The only thing that would have stopped it would have been to abort the turn due to the presence of a vehicle behind, and that's not predictable riding nor always possible, so it's not really a reasonable option.