This heralded my foray into the wild world of road trauma. Despite the long list of injuries I was found to have 'no immediate life threat' FTMFW!
The shorter, original version of the following was originally posted on www.aussiestreetbikes.com
The links on the right side of the main page examine and analyse crash test data and attempt to interpret why collisions between motorcycles and other vehicles occur. After nearly a year of incident free riding, aside from the odd close call that I chalked up as a learner error and a lack of experience, I was taken out by an out of control vehicle on Toorak road on 22nd March 2014. It was around 9.30pm on a cloudless Saturday night, the roads were dry and traffic was almost entirely absent.
NOBODY LIKES SEEING THEIR BIKE LYING DEAD IN THE STREET. I ENDED UP ON THE FOOTPATH AFTER BEING THROWN FROM THE BIKE.
A fraction of a second later, the sight of headlights veering from side to side appeared in the oncoming lane and in the blink of an eye, straightened up and careened straight towards me. My primate brain took over and my sense of self preservation kicked into overdrive as I knew a sickening impact was a fraction of a second away and I had to do something, anything, to protect myself from absorbing the full impact of the oncoming car.
The car began to slide sideways and was now spearing directly into my lane at a 45 degree angle. I knew my only escape route was to flick the bike harder than it had ever been flicked before to the left in an attempt to minimise the impact. Escaping it was impossible. All this probably less than two seconds.
YOU CAN SEE THE METAL SLIDER/TOE GUARD THAT'S BEEN COMPLETELY TORN OFF THE BOOT BY THE IMPACT. THE RED STUFF IS BLOOD FROM NY DEGLOVED FOOT. OUCH!
Some part of my brain told me to tear my gaze away from the oncoming front left quarter panel that was careening towards me and that for a moment was all I could see.
I remember making the conscious effort to turn my head and look at the direction I wanted to go. Unfortunately, it was the fence of somebody's house but by this point my options were exactly nil.
THIS IS THE SIGHT THAT GREETED ME AT THE GRAND UNVEILING. A MEATY CHUNK FROM MY ARM, ATTACHED TO MY FOOT, WHICH LOOKED LIKE IT'D BEEN CHEWED UP AND SPAT OUT.
In a cloud of tyre smoke and with the sound of burning rubber filling my ears, the front, left side of the car impacted with my right leg. The bike was smashed out from under me and I was launched into the air, landed hard on the unforgiving road surface and slid towards the gutter on my left side, mainly my elbow, thigh and face...behind me, I could hear my bike bouncing and sliding across the road surface as the visor on my full-faced helmet did likewise. I ended up hitting the gutter and rolled up onto the footpath where I finally came to rest.
WHEN I DISCOVERED I COULD MOVE MY FINGERS AND MAKE THE TENDONS MOVE BACK AND FORTH, EVEN THE TRAUMA NURSES FREAKED OUT.
Lying on the footpath, my right leg was instantly on fire with an agony that was indescribable. Looking back, there's really nothing to compare it to that isn't some nonsensical analogy like, 'it felt like my entire leg was being sandblasted with razors' or 'it was as if my thigh had been firebombed with napalm' or something equally ridiculous. But I have never experienced pain like that before and I hope I never do again. It was truly horrible.
HMMMM...SOMETHING ABOUT THAT REAR WHEELDOESN'T LOOK RIGHT.
The first face I saw was the driver of the car standing over me bleating, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Clutching my leg in a futile attempt to stem the pain I weakly demanded, "Call an ambulance" Getting immediate medical assistance was my only priority at this point because to put it bluntly, I knew I was seriously fucked up.
THE PRESSURE DRESSING WITH THE VUCUUM TUBE SUCKING GLOBS OF BLOODIED GUNK OUT OF MY LEG. GLAMOUROUS.
Bystanders began to appear from nowhere and were fantastic. A guy knelt down in front of me and calmly and simply asked, "Alright mate. Whataya need?" Again I asked for an ambulance, although from the snippets of conversation I could hear behind I knew several people were already on their mobiles. The bloke in front of me helped me take of my gloves and for the first time I felt pain shooting up through my left wrist and right thumb which had been oddly cold since I hit the road and I realised my thumb had been punched through the glove as I instinctively grabbed the road to slow down my slide.
THESE GLOVES SERVED ME WELL AS I GRABBED BITUMEN IN AN ATTEMPT TO SLOW ME DOWN. IT DIDN'T THOUGH.
With the gloves off, my glasses and helmet were next and I no longer felt like the chin trap was strangling me. A woman, who I never saw and who I regrettably never got to thank, cradled my head in her lap and began stroking my hair and saying soothing things like, "It'll be alright. The ambos are on their way. you're doing really well."
It was like she was talking to a child with a scraped knee but to be honest, they were some of the most welcome words I have ever heard.
It was like she was talking to a child with a scraped knee but to be honest, they were some of the most welcome words I have ever heard.
As the pain in my right leg began to increase, so did my level of panic. I was unable to raise my head and look at my leg and was worried my foot or lower leg had been severed. That may sound a bit melodramatic but I couldn't account for the pain shooting through my entire leg which only seemed to be growing. This resulted in an odd conversation between myself and the guy who'd helped me take my helmet off.
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS. PROVIDED THOSE CHAMPIONS ARE DRUGGED OFF THEIR TITS.
"Is my leg still there?"
"Yeah mate, you're leg looks fine."
"What about my foot? Is my foot facing the right way?"
"Yeah man, you're foot's facing the right way."
"How does it look?"
After a lengthy pause he finally replied.
"It's facing the right way, mate. The ambos will be here soon. Just hang in there, man"
I was less than comforted by his response.
YUP. THAT'S ME. I FELT AS GOOD AS I LOOKED, WHICH IS TO SAY I LOOKED LIKE SHIT AND FELT LIKE SHIT
But not all bystanders were equally tactful. At one point I overheard a guy on his phone describing what he was seeing with an unnerving enthusiasm with colourful phrases like, "...yeah his leg's completely fucked. You can see the bone sticking out and everything." Overhearing comments like that didn't exactly help my frame of mind. After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably less than 10 minutes, the ambulance and police arrived.
GOOD TO SEE THE HELMET DID IT'S JOB.
I didn't lose consciousness and interestingly one of the first things the paramedics and said to me was, "Good on you for wearing the right gear, mate." Then they started cutting off my leathers and boots and a few moments later a cop leaned over, asked me a few questions I can't recall and said, "Good work wearing the right gear." Clearly they see all kinds of horrible Squid injuries and are relived to be spared having to scrape riders off the road like a blob of jam.
There's nothing like a leather jacket with CE II approved armour to make that slide across the road more comfortable. The paramedic had to cut my RST Pro Series jacket off me and I really wish they didn't have to. I bloody loved that thing...I'd recommend one to anyone looking for a comfortable, quality jacket that provides excellent protection.
Once the drugs kicked in and the pain faded away, I thanked everyone for their help as I was loaded onto a stretcher and finally loaded into an ambulance. It's amazing what a difference whatever drugs they pumped me full of-ketamine I'm guessing.
In the ambulance, one of the paramedics held up my remaining RST TrakTec boot and said, "These boots probably saved your foot."
THAT SWING ARM ISN'T MEANT TO BE AT THAT ANGLE ADN IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW HARD THE IMPACT WAS. IT WAS ENOUGH TO BEND THE SWINGARM AND SHATTER 12 BONES IN MY HIP, LEG AND FOOT. BUT IT DIDN'T KILL ME, WHICH IS A DEFINATE PLUS.
My bike was declared an irreparable write-off a few weeks later, meaning even if it's repaired it can't be registered again. The pics I've included show the damage the impact caused with the swing arm bent at crazy angles and the whole right rear bent out of shape and smashed beyond repair. The impact to the right rear set was so great it was completely torn off, which is no mean feat considering how solidly they are connected to a bike.
THERE'S A SERIOUS WOUND UNDER THAT PLASTIC CAST.
Needless to say, I suffered some pretty serious injuries, mainly to my right leg but also to my left wrist, right hand and right foot. Here's a rundown:
Broken right hip
Compound fracture of my femur
Fractured knee
Fractured tibia
Broken ankle
Seven fractures in my foot
Degloved foot from my ankle to the toes
Fractured left wrist
Fractured right thumb
Can you even IMAGINE trying to wipe your arse when you rollin' with that?
I was wearing all the right gear which reduced the damage when I was thrown over the car's bonnet and slid across the road. My left knee only suffered a minor graze from the leather pant's knee armour shifting slightly. My helmet has moderately deep scratches across the forehead and face. My right thumb broke through my gloves when I landed which broke by thumb and seriously bruised my thumb as it pushed through the glove. Despite sliding across the road for several metes my jacket suffered barely a scratch but was cut in half by paramedics to remove it at the scene. The thumbnail has since partially died and is in the process of lifting off. A new one is growing underneath it and while it ain't pretty, it should be fine in time.
DAMN I LOVED THAT JACKET. IT WAS COMFORTABLE, BREATHED WELL AND PROVIDED EXCELLENT PROTECTION WHIULE LOOKING PRETTY COOL TO BOOT.
The paramedics had to cut off all my gear at the scene to get me on the stretcher because the pain when they tried to remove my boot and straighten my leg was too intense to bear. But being stripped down to my undies in front of a group od onlookers was the least of my worries. I just wanted to get the hell in that ambulance and get to hospital.
Cat scans and an MRI showed I'd suffered no spinal, head or internal injuries. So that was some good news.
I was not at fault in any way and the driver, who thankfully remained at the scene was interviewed by police and will be charged with multiple offences, namely Negligent Use of a Motor Vehicle Resulting in Serious Injury. Depending on the level of negligence found and the seriousness of the injuries, this charge can result in a maximum jail term of five years. Even if he receives a suspended sentence, which the cop investigating considers unlikely, at the least he is looking at his license being cancelled and hefty fines. He will most likely be ordered to pay costs. I'm not really thinking about that too much and whatever happens is up to how thorough the police prosecutor is and what sort of mood the magistrate is in on the day.
The offending wasn't drunk or on drugs and it appears he simply lost control of the vehicle and was driving way too fast to maintain control once the car started to get loose. What a total arse-hat.
The bike and gear was insured with Swann Insurance who paid me out within two weeks, which was pretty pleasing. I'd over insured the bike and the gear because to the tune of about 1000 bucks because I knew I'd only have the bike for 15 months and being an older guy with a clean insurance history, I was only paying about $340 a year for fully comprehensive insurance anyway. So any the extra I had to pay in premiums was only a few dollars a month and if the bike was stolen or destroyed, I'd have an extra thousand in my pocket, which I spent more on in mods anyway. I figured if the bike did get written off at least I'd get back what I spent on it, plus some extra for my trouble which was a good idea as it turns out. If you can cheaply over insure your bike, do it.
Lessons learnt:
1. Wear protective gear. If I had have been wearing sneakers I quite likely would have lost my foot, which was seriously degloved despite me wearing heavy, purpose built boots. The leathers also saved my skin as I slid across the road. No amount of abrasive gear would have protected my leg from the impact of the car of course.
2. Always assume death is around every corner and never be complacent when riding. This crash was bad luck and I had no way of avoiding it. I was riding at the speed limit and was obeying the road laws. It was night time but the road was dry and it was entirely the drivers fault. But as my crash demonstrates sometimes you'll crash through no fault of your own and a serious collision will inexplicably find you. Wrong place, wrong time I guess.
3. Victoria's public hospitals are awesome when you have emergency surgery. I had a team of plastic and orthopedic surgeons working on me and they did a great job, considering the mess they had to work with. There was a Pain Management Team who, if they hear the right combination of words, will increase your medication so you can at least wile away the first few weeks in hospital in a ketamine and opiate induced stupor...if that's your thing. The food is shit, the nurses are all young and mostly hot and the drugs flow freely when you are in chronic pain.
It's as boring as bat crap though, you will be in a lot of discomfort and if the pain isn't managed correctly that discomfort can quickly escalate into serious pain. Any way you look at it, a lengthy hospital stay is a complete drag. Rehab is better, but you can be there for months and like anything, the lack of variety and knowing that everyday will be the same tired, old routine every day. It'll drive you mad if you let it. The nures are usually older and far less appealing at rehab, compared to the endless procession of mostly.
You'll often find yourself surrounded by old farts who are in there because they went arse over turkey in their homes and have broken a hip or an arm or whatever brittle matchstick passes for an old bastards bones nowadays.
IT WOULD HAVE EASIER FOR ME TO TELL THEM WHAT I DIDN'T WANT FOR BREAKFAST.
4. I will never complain about paying high rego again considering the fantastic work the TAC do. I'd never really thought about them before, aside from yelling abuse and hurling whatever object comes to hand whenever one of their motorcycle safety ads comes on...but they are amazing when you need them. Sure rego is high but if ever find yourself in my situation, you'll be thankful that money is there. And speaking of money, last year (2014) the TAC had a whopping $984 million dollars in the kitty AFTER they had paid out for people's medical care, rehabilitation services and the numerous hefty payouts in compensation. It's early days and I haven't had to deal with my income person or my return to work person much yet, but so far I've spent nearly a month in hospital, two months in rehab and will have several more months of ongoing rehab once I return home in a week or so. So the TAC have done alright by me so far.
5. Riders are a special breed and are some of the most kind and generous people I have ever met. After posting pics of my injuries on FB, I had complete strangers who live near the rehab facility I am typing this from asking me if I wanted them to bring anything in for me or if I felt down and wanted a chat, to just ask and they would come visit. Amazing. And I doubt that sense of commeraderie or consideration would exist among car drivers, for example. It really blew my mind and reminded what a great bunch of people riders are.
6. Make sure you have agreed value insurance and insure everything, including gear and any mods as you do them, for as much as you can afford. It's better to over insure than under insure. I got back the 8 grand I paid for the bike and the $1500 I paid for my gear PLUS another $1000 because the bike was insured for 9k. I probably spent more than a grand on mods to the bike and for the two services it had, but without bothering to crunch any numbers I think I broke even, and that's almost unheard of as far as vehicles go. All I lost was the mods I'd had done to the bike...but I could have added them to the insurance but didn't...so that's something to learn from and I'll make sure I do it next time I insure a bike.
I'm alive and if circumstances had been even slightly altered, I may well have been killed. I don't have any spinal or brain injuries and am determined to not just resume my old
life but to forge ahead with a new and improved one.
For fear of sounding
like some hippy dipshit or some lame infomercial motivational speaker, this horrible experience has actually been positive in many ways. I've made several
changes to my life and it was the kick up the arse I needed to
get out of the rut I was sliding into.
I'd finally got the helmet looking how I wanted...it's just an ornament now though
The crash forced made me realise the hatred we have for each other is just a waste of my energy.
That energy needs to go into creating positive changes in my future rather than
repeating the mistakes of the past.
Went to the Alfred for a plastics review. The nurse unwraps THIS monstrous growth and I freak out...it wasn't there the night before. Plastic surgeon explains when the skin cells hit the tendon they went into bat shit crazy overdrive to grow and viola! Hypergranulation. Great. I'm growing too much skin now and its going up instead of across.
Sorry to get all personal and soppy, but I thought it was relevant to the whole process I've undergone as a result of the crash. it was somewhat of an epiphany actually.
Sorry to get all personal and soppy, but I thought it was relevant to the whole process I've undergone as a result of the crash. it was somewhat of an epiphany actually.
It's given me lots
of time to work on my Visual LAMS guide blog...which has expanded to cover
almost everything a learner could need to know. I'm quite excited about it
can't wait to finish and make it available to learners.
So, that's the end
of that journey I suppose. Thanks again for all the kind words and support from
forum members. You guys are a unique breed and from this thread and when things
were at their worst, I felt that someone had my back through some pretty
challenging times. When you find yourself all smashed up, every piece of
support means a great deal.
As far as the future
goes, I'm off my LAMS restrictions in three months and am already researching
my next bike and to be honest, not being able to ride has been one of the
harder parts of this experience. I never knew I could miss something so much
and not being able to ride has made me realise that I'll be a rider for life. I
seriously questioned whether I would ever get back on a bike due mainly to my
injuries and the pain and fear it caused my family and friends. But that lasted
about 15 seconds and made me realise, for better or worse, I'm a rider. And
that's a group I'm proud to be a part of. But I won't get a bike and get back
on the road until I'm 100%.
So thanks again
everyone. Hopefully the first post helps all riders, but in particular learners
have a better idea of what a crash is all about and if my experiences can
assist anyone in any way, then that's a good thing.
But as I was saying, I was hit by a car travelling at 100 kilometers per hour. Now if you were to go out now and stand on a freeway and allow yourself to be hit by a car travelling at 100 kph, you would suffer multiple fractures, spinal injuries, bruised, dislodged and ruptured organs: injuries from which you would most likely not survive.
How then was I not smooshed into a mushy pink paste, leaving a trail of ruptured entrails and odious viscera behind me? So, given the speed of the car that it me and the force of the impact, why am I not dead? Why am I not fighting for life and connected to tubes and machines that go 'beep'? Why am I not languishing in a vegetative state from which I may never return?
The officer investigating my crash, ironically named Constable Chase (I'm not making that up either, that's his real name), after i gave a bedside statement from my bed in the rehabilitation center I'll be calling home for the next three to four months, suddenly asked me,
"Would you like to know how lucky you are?"
"Ummm...yeah?" I replied, not quite sure what he meant.
"Well, you know how I said the car was travelling at around 100 kays when it hit you? Well, if you hadn't have changed direction like you did, you would have taken the full impact of the vehicle. And in every BVC I've attended in (BVC is emergency services parlance for 'bike versus car'), when there's a direct impact with the rider, the rider is usually dead at the scene."
"Or dies on the way to hospital" his female partner, Megan added.
"Or they survive they have terrible brain or spinal injuries they never recover from. "
Megan added, "You see these guys and you kinda think it would have been better if they had have died sometimes."
"Yeah" Constable Chase added, "It's pretty sad really. Hard on their families too"
It was a conversation I'll certainly never forget and it took me the rest of the day to process the importance of what they were saying to me. Their message was that I had come about as close to being killed as a person in that situation can. And whether I was saved by road craft, intuition, skill or simply blind luck.
So anyway, my injuries could have been far worse but I was able to read the situation and react to it. Whether through skill, instinct or just sheer dumb luck I don't know and to be honest I don't care. I ended up with the injuries I did and I just hope nobody reading this has to endure the same injuries I did.
I consider myself lucky to be alive and able to remain a father to my two sons, who are the real priorities in my life. But I often wonder if I hadn't have flicked the bike to the left, would I even be here at all?
And THAT'S how you grow skin bitches! Sorry about that but I was well impressed with how quickly the donor graft took off.
None of what happened to me was particularly unique.
Can't we just my own use stem cells to grow more layers of new skin to cover tan tendon for good? Is there a good enough reason why that isn't available? Don't the military use 'spray on skin' for burns in the field? I'm not about to go all Fox Hole Johnny on you but the wait to grow skin on this only came with one, particular ingredient.
And that's my point.
When four nurses all armed with implements descended on me and didn't say what they were about to do, it was was a tad unnerving. What alarmed me most was their explanation, "This may be a little uncomfortable, so we've increased you ketamine, and added an infusion of morphine. Suck on this if the pain gets too much" THAT'S the last thing you want to hear when you're missing half your right wrist
You get to meet all kinds of trainee nurses who are pretty cool to chat to.
It should be.
Yes. Weird shit would leak out of my donor site every so often...
Drugs...
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