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Well, here are the details of what happened. I decided to go for a solo run into western Massachusetts last Sunday around 2pm. When I got about 20 minutes into the ride it got very foggy so I turned around and went to my uncle’s house. It was very clear when I got there. At around 6pm I went outside to start the bike and saw that the fog rolled in something fierce. My uncle lives by a lake and he told me that it will clear when I get by the mountain passed. They gave me some paper towels and off I went.
The visibility was very limited at best. I drove no faster than 25mph while going through the pass. This was only about five miles long so I got through pretty quickly. When I came out of the pass, I stopped and cleaned my shield so I could see better. I then proceeded at about 40mph. Visibility was much better so I ran with my high beams on.
Now here comes the accident part. The road is very straight and flat at this point. This area is sparsely populated with only a few side roads and houses. As I was coming up to a Catholic Church I noticed a couple of cars coming in the opposite direction. I shut my high beams off and continued at speed. When the car got close, it turned left to go into the church. I hit the brakes to scrub off as much speed as possible and to assess what I need to do. Traction was limited due to the moisture on the road from the fog. The car appeared to continue moving so I veered to the left towards the middle of the road. There was an oncoming car so the other lane was not an option. As I turned to get behind the minivan it seemed to just stop in its tracks. At that point I was too close to go anywhere else. I actually twisted my body and braced for impact. I ended up slamming into the rear pillar with my upper body and the front corner of the bike. The hit swung my bike around to where I was facing the right side of the road. It then fell to the left in a small high side and slid for a few feet. The bike came to a stop at the edge of the road with me on top of it.
I immediately crawled off my bike and went to the grass on the edge. My back hurt profusely and I could not breathe. I rolled over and while try to breathe I did a limb check and moved my head around. My helmet never hit during the collision or the bike drop so I took it off. The couple came running over and the wife was flipping out and apologizing. Someone called 911 and they showed literally within five minutes. By then I could talk and breathe. I thought for sure that my ribs were broken. I kept a good attitude and made jokes just to keep myself at ease. The paramedics and the cops were amazed at the gear I was wearing. I had my full two piece race suit on with boots and gloves.
I went to the hospital and was put in the trauma area. Everyone who took care of me were motorcycle riders. It was great. The Ambulance driver owns the same exact bike as mine. The doctor and his wife ride BMW’s. The nurse owned a CBR 600 and the lady who pushed me in the wheel chair raced dirtbikes. They kept me overnight because of the blood in my urine but they released me the next day and feel that I will heal on my own.
My injuries are as follows. I have heavy bruising and swelling on my right oblique. My right kidney is swollen but there no lacerations. My hip is very sore. I have several small tears in my right latimus (back muscles). This hurts the most. I am very limited on my movements because of the back. The doctor said that my gear kept me together and was very impressed at the quality. The nurses were amazed also. They said that they never see people come in with the right protection.
I am very lucky considering how hard I hit the minivan. I am also amazing that I was able to control myself and think about my options in the seconds it took for the accident to happen. Even though I still crash I had control over myself and the bike. I was able to brace for the impact and I controlled how I fell when the bike went down. This is a big learning experience for me and it will not deter me from riding again. I don’t know of the bike will be totaled until later this week. My friend’s body shop has the bike and they feel it should be totaled. Think I might have an Aprilia Tuono in my future.
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the only thing i can tell you is i happens fast
