Just left the scene of a motorcycle fatality.....

A930Rocket · 08-07-2011, 06:45 PM

It hasn't hit me yet...

My wife and I were coming home from a movie at about 9 PM and as I drove on a busy two lane road, I saw what I thought was a red motorcycle down on the side of the road at the woodline (10' off the asphalt).

I told my wife what I saw and as we went several hundred feet more, we saw an SUV with a boat on a trailer. Two women were looking at the back of the boat. No lights were on the trailer, but the SUV had them burning. We decided we should turn around and check to see if anyone needed help at the bike (my wife is a 30 year ICU RN).

We went back, made a U turn and pulled over to light up the bike. As we did, there was a guy laying on the ground about 10'-12' past the bike and right next to the road. He was face down and his right arm was broken badly. My wife checked his pulse and there was nothing. Within seconds, a volunteer EMT pulled up and my wife and him decided to turn him over to start CPR. As my wife started the first chest compression, she said he was gone. His chest was like jelly with bones in it she said. He wasn't messed up to bad besides the broken arm to me, but he was missing teeth in front. My wife said he was broken up worse than I thought. I wasn't as close to him, except for helping to turn him over. It's the second time seeing a dead person, except my grandparents. The first time was 35 years ago when I came up on another motorcycle accident, when riding my bike as a 15 year old. That guy had T-boned a car, gone over the roof and landed in the road. I had forgotten all about it until now.

A policeman pulled up and as we were talking to him, the SUV with the boat passed us. We pointed him to a policeman and as he took off after the boat owner, more police, EMT, etc. pulled up. They took our names, number, etc. and after an hour, we were allowed to head out.

What a night.

Be careful out there.

E38Driver · 08-07-2011, 06:56 PM

As a motorcyclist I thank you for stopping to help. As someone who has been hit by a car it means a lot when somebody stops to help or see if you are okay.

Dave

masraum · 08-07-2011, 07:03 PM

It's very sad. And that's why I won't even try a bike. It's WAY to easy to end up broken or like the guy tonight. Here in Houston every road is 8 lanes wide, every lane is huge, and the roads are straight as far as the eye can see. I think that leads to people paying far less attention than they should. I don't really trust myself completely on a bike (never ridden one, but I suspect I'd like it), but as much as I don't trust myself, it's far, FAR more than I trust the other 30 million zombies out there.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Steve, you exaggerating. There are only 4 million Zombies in Houston...My wife has few adamant things. One is no motorcycle. She prefers me to have a Porsche!

I'm sorry for the guy that lost his life and that both you and your wife had to be a part of it. I do thank you for doing the right thing and trying to help.

speeder · speeder's Garage

Sorry to hear, that's never pleasant. It's summer and that means MC fatality season.

A930Rocket · 08-07-2011, 07:43 PM

A few more thoughts. It was a Honda 1000 of some type. He was wearing Tevas and one was off. The other was under our car as it turns out. His wallet was on the asphalt just outside my driver door. We were parked 20' behind the bike. Looks like the bike was on it's side before he went off the road and iinto the tree line. His shorts were undone and the zipper was down.

Another guy who pulled over just after us had seen him flying past him a few miles away.

Oh yeah. It wouldn't gave helped him, but he wasn't wearing a helmet either.

jyl · jyl's Garage

So do you think the trailered boat was involved somehow? Interesting.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Just about every week I hear of a kid drowning in a swimming pool and a motorcyclist dying on a local road. Seems just about all the bike fatalities are organ donors riding sans helmet, usually at highway speeds. I don't get it. I'll ride down to the corner gas station with no helmet, but anything past that intersection, I'm in full gear, no matter the heat. And I average 800-1000 miles a month on the bike.

A930Rocket · 08-07-2011, 08:03 PM

The boat trailer was involved some way. Not sure if he hit the back if it because there were no lights or he saw it, went down trying to avoid it and ended up in the wood line.

Quote:

So do you think the trailered boat was involved somehow? Interesting.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I'll add that I don't think I have ever been on my bike when I didn't come across a car or truck or trailer with missing brake lights. It drives me crazy. And there's no vehicle inspection in AZ, so you can run that way until the cops pull you over for it, which can be many years.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

my wife saw a guy on a bike hit a boat that some dummy was towing and pulled out right in front. Girl on the back of the bike was dead, broken neck, crushed airway. The guy was impaled on the boat's windshield frame. She directed the other bikers in getting him down and dealt with the sucking chest wound, he died that night at the hospital

LakeCleElum · 08-07-2011, 09:02 PM

Thanks for stopping and trying to help....Always a sobering experience that will bother you for some time.

Mark Henry · 08-07-2011, 09:07 PM

At about 20yrs/old I got hit by a drunk from behind, I was waiting to turn left in heavy traffic. An RV's front tire missed my head by inches.
I've never owned a street bike since.

pwd72s · 08-07-2011, 10:34 PM

In all the years I've driven, guess I've been lucky...never witnessed a fatal accident. Hope this doesn't haunt you too long.

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

A few more thoughts. It was a Honda 1000 of some type. He was wearing Tevas and one was off. The other was under our car as it turns out. His wallet was on the asphalt just outside my driver door. We were parked 20' behind the bike. Looks like the bike was on it's side before he went off the road and iinto the tree line. His shorts were undone and the zipper was down.

Another guy who pulled over just after us had seen him flying past him a few miles away.

Oh yeah. It wouldn't gave helped him, but he wasn't wearing a helmet either.

Isn't it funny the details you remember from a thing like this? I posted here about a fatal car accident that happened right in front of me. I remember the dead woman's jeans got down over her azz somehow. She was a bit hefty, but I remember how small and white and delicate her hands and wrists were as i was taking her pulse. And I remember she had blue eye shadow. Odd.

billybek · billybek's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Isn't it funny the details you remember from a thing like this? I posted here about a fatal car accident that happened right in front of me. I remember the dead woman's jeans got down over her azz somehow. She was a bit hefty, but I remember how small and white and delicate her hands and wrists were as i was taking her pulse. And I remember she had blue eye shadow. Odd.

+1
When I was in college I was pumping gas at night to support myself.
I was out at the pump when I heard something fast coming down a 30 mph road and was looking for it just at the moment when a lady turned left in front of a very nice Boss 302 Mustang.
I remember the windshield coming out of the Mustang and that it seemed to hang in the air for seconds before hitting the ground.
Two guys died that day in the mustang (it was one guys 18th birthday), the driver walked away.
The lady that turned left in front of them couldn't be blamed. It was estimated the mustang was close to 100 mph at the time of the crash.
There are some other things I remember about this crash and still don't like to think about them after almost 30 years.
It was very good of you to stop and offer assistance.

vash · vash's Garage

my CHP friends said that a motorcycle rider more than likely dead, when they roll up and see the footwear gone. they cant explain it, but if the shoes are gone chances are the person is dead. we all used to ride. the saying was, "tighten up those boots!"..right before we headed out. it was an inside joke/good luck phrase..whatever.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

I'm sorry you and your wife had to be a part of that tragedy...

gunlover05 · 08-08-2011, 08:24 AM

wow, sorry man...my wife and i saw one of those about 5 years ago, guy from a motorcycle laying in the middle of a busy street with EMTs just casually walking around him...that is when i knew he was gone....i'll never forget it....

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I was riding down I-5 to Irvine in March when traffic came to a standstill. I just kept going by lane-splitting and then came upon the accident. There were two CHPs' BMW bikes with lights flashing parked around a guy laying in the middle lane. His bike was in many pieces a few yards down the road. He had a helmet on and I could see him moving, so that was good. But it sure brings it home when you ride by something like that. I-5 is insane when traffic is light. I got behind a truck there once that lost its blue tarp from the back. It hovered in the air as I approached and looked for ways around it. When I hit it, it shot under and out from my tires and nothing happened. But it could have been real bad, had it wrapped around me or jammed up my wheels.