accident today

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Was having a great day today. And, I guess truthfully, it ended on a very good note considering.

Son Andy and I headed North for some riding about 3 PM today. We rode up to see my inlaws, wife Mel and Andy's wife and kids were already there. My bike was still dirty from getting caught in the rain Friday so the 5 miles of gravel roads weren't a big deal. I try to avoid them when the scooters clean.

Had a great ride there, great visit, drove around in their off-road buggy with the kids, went down to the creek, the kids played in the woods and it was one of those days which seem almost too good to be true. Son Joe and his family were there too, was just an around great day. Andy and I left first so the cages wouldn't powder our noses on the dry gravel roads.

About 20 miles North of the house on HWY 59 we were stopped at the light at HWY 36 as a pickup approached the same light from the South. The pickup did a U turn and headed back South and we went through the intersection behind it. Andy was riding point. About 60 yards South of the intersection the lady in the pickup appeared to be pulling off to the right side of the road. As Andy started around her she suddenly turned left when he was beside her rear wheel. He did a hell of a job trying to slow down in time to let her pass in front of him but there just wasn't room or time. He slammed into the side of the bed behind the rear wheel with the bike partially sideways, he got control back and shot off the left side of the road ahead of the truck down through a huge ditch, into a yard and out of sight, he hit the truck hard. She didn't turn on her signal until after he hit her or maybe right at the same time. Either way, she was turning long before she turned on her signal. There was no way he could have seen the signal because he was already past her tail light and hitting the truck. I stopped with my front wheel at the edge of a drive on the wrong side of the road because she was blocking off most of both lanes. I didn't know if Andy was upright or not, he disappeared from my sight when he went off the road.

I was still trying to see if he was OK when she shrilly yelled at me "what the F!!!!! happened. I told her (loudly) she had turned without using her signal and nearly killed my son. At which point she started bitching about the damn bikers driving up and down the road too fast and told me to "get that piece of crap out of her way so she could get in her driveway". Until then I thought she was doing another U turn when she caused the accident. I left my bike where it was and headed into the yard where I was thankful to see that Andy had stayed upright. Amazing riding. The lady was very angry that her truck was damaged and said it was the third wreck she'd had in that truck. I told her that was more wrecks than I'd had in over 40 years of driving. Then she claimed she had her signal on and it was his fault, not hers. I was pretty cursed angry. A guy came out of the house with a beer in his hand and I was thinking "here we go" but he turned around and went back inside.

The lady claimed she had her signal on. She didn't. She never expressed any concern about Andy's welfare. I told her that her signal wasn't on and she was lying. At which point I was ordered off her property. In all my years of driving that was probably the worst example of poor driving I have ever seen. I wondered if she was drinking but I didn't smell it on her if she was. Thankfully Andy seems OK but I'm sure he'll be sore tomorrow. Could have been way worse. As it happened in front of me I wasn't sure if he would survive it or not. Thank God he did. The lady had a motorcycle in her garage too. WTH?

Andy's valk has paint damage to one saddlebag, and the exhaust was pushed in enough to rub on the rear axle nut until he pulled it back out. His right foot and leg are bruised as is his right arm. We rode home after the police left and his bike felt OK so we're hoping all is good. We'll look it over closer tomorrow. I'm sure he's gonna be feeling it tomorrow too. When he left the highway he rode down a 5' embankment into their yard, kept the bike upright, missed all the trees and rutted it up pretty good turning and stopping. The trucks fender between the left rear fender well and the bumper is caved in maybe 5" deep.

I told the cop I wondered if she'd been drinking but he must not have thought she was since she didn't get a breathalyzer test. We were very lucky, when he disappeared off the road I was very worried to say the least.

[mike4sho]

Same thing pretty much happened to me a few weeks.  It seems the drivers are just getting worse out there.  Head up their a**es.  I am glad your son is okay.  I walked away with a bruised right knee and that's it.  I was a little sore the following few days, but not bad.  I hope your son is as lucky as I was with the soreness.

I hope everything works out with the insurance.  I am seriously starting to think that it's time for dash cameras or handlebar cams.  People will lie lie lie.

[Savago]

Dear Friend

I'm really happy that both you and your son are safe. A damaged bike can be fixed, that is annoying but is just material... a life of a loved one can never be replaced.

It is thanks to those stupid drivers that I have a gopro installed in my bike. The best argument for such scenario " _ Dear lady, rest assured that I got it on my camera and we will see who is at fault."

Cheers


Savago
ps: just curious, but why you list your location as Brazil?

[..]

Well done Andy for doing a successful Evil Knievel 

[Patrick]

Its nice to hear this turned out OK and Andy isn't hurt too badly, but, you didn't mention whether that bitch was issued a coupon for a visit to the judges office.

[Bonzo]

I am very glad to hear that Andy and yourself came out relatively unscathed from a potentially horrible situation. People, they just don't care.
When the lady with two previous suspensions made a left turn in front of Patty and me, she got out of her van, on her cell phone and says "i didn't f...... see you"  and turned her back.
Again very glad you guys are OK!

[Willow]

Good work on Andy's part.  I'm glad it turned out as well as it did.

I hope the "lady" gets taken off the road before she kills someone.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Dear Friend

I'm really happy that both you and your son are safe. A damaged bike can be fixed, that is annoying but is just material... a life of a loved one can never be replaced.

It is thanks to those stupid drivers that I have a gopro installed in my bike. The best argument for such scenario " _ Dear lady, rest assured that I got it on my camera and we will see who is at fault."

Cheers


Savago
ps: just curious, but why you list your location as Brazil?

The camera is a good idea. I have an older gopro but had never thought about running it all the time. Maybe I should. I live in the country North of Brazil Indiana. We do have a monument in the city park donated by the Country of Brazil many years ago.

[Robert]

Wow I would say you had a great day! Yes there was one unfortunate mishap but it could have been soooo much worse. I applaud the riding skills and the blessings of Andy in that OH SH++T moment when you absolutely do not want to go down. The fact that there was no obstacles and he was able to keep it upright and ride it out is nothing but incredible. Even to the point of riding home. I wish the cop had checked into the drinking issue a bit more but probably a boring day. I would say that in a bad situation you came out relatively unscathed. As for going next to someone who seems to not know where they are going I have gotten caught by this pulling right to go left before and I stay well away of anyone like that. Similar story even down to the blinker but it was 2 motorcycles riding that saw the whole thing and stopped to see if they could help. The guy swore he signaled they saw it and said no he in fact did not. Pretty trashy woman with a trashy response and lack of caring if not alcohol probably drugs. Hence the not knowing where to turn in her own driveway yet not appearing drunk. I would say you have a story and a real blessing that nothing more happened. Many have had less happen and been far worse off.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

The lady didn't even get a ticket. She did at least have a licence and insurance.

Ordering me off the property was the only smart thing she did. Since my bike at the side of the highway was blocking traffic the cop, rightly, asked me to move it into the yard. Since I wasn't allowed there I rode back up to the intersection and parked in a parking lot where I met my wife and Andy's family who were following in a cage.

This meant I didn't get to talk to the cop again. Andy's a very even tempered, forgiving guy. Me, not so much. I would have insisted on her getting a breath test and hopefully a ticket. Andy told the lady and her guy who came back out after I left that I'm not usually such an A hole. Not sure if that's true or not. I do know that even though he's 27 years-old and 6'3" or so the parental thing kicked in and I was pretty hostile.

I was thanking God as we rode yesterday for such a great day in the wind on his amazing world. Now I've got even more to be thankful for.

[MP]

Pretty hard to be "even tempered", when you see your child almost get killed!  No matter how big, or how old, they are.

MP

[solo1]

I'm glad that Andy is ok.  I also know the feeling when I see my kid in front of me go down on his Valk, even though Andy didn't, it is the same feeling.

A number of years ago, I learned a lesson that I never forgot.  I was following a car that would slow way down then speed up,  There was no place to pass until we got past the final intersection.  He was doing about 20mph at the time. I shifted down and proceeded to go around him on the left. I was pissed and my judgement was affected.

Just as I was accelerating and on the outside of his left rear but about 10 feet back, he started to make a totally unannounced left turn into a private driveway.  I laid on the horn and both brakes immediately.  He slammed on the brakes and straightened up. No contact, no problem except a "dumb crap' that I told myself.

100% my fault!  Even though he gave no warning, his actions should've told me something.

I learned but not the hard way.

[cookiedough]

I would probably been seriously injured on Thursday driving my scooter to my moms to mow her yard/visit on the way back.  An older lady in a Buick pulled off the side road to a straight, clear visibility county road I was on.  I was going 55 mph but as soon as I saw her creap forward,  look left my way, then look right,  I knew she NEVER saw me coming her way.  She pulled out VERY slowly didn't know if she was going to cross the road or not it was that darn slow but THANKFULLY I was DEFENSIVE driving and slowed down and ALL OF A SUDDEN LOCKED up both front/rear brakes had to slow down to 15 mph IN A BIG HURRY otherwise I would've flipped over her buick going 50 mph or so.

In your instance,  I would've been probably STAYING WAY BACK OR PASSED RIGHT AWAY from that pickup truck doing a u-turn the first time since drivers nowadays are dumb-_sses BIG TIME.  I see it daily or near daily.

I cannot stand following someone too closely and try at all times to avoid country rural traffic if at all possible which is 90% of my driving.   The further away you are from other vehicles the better off we are but just have to worry about those darn deer jumping out in front of me at night.

Just yesterday going to Monroe WI in my pickup I was in the right lane of the 2 lanes I had and a car was merging into my right lane from an on ramp so I naturally moved on over.  It was a young lady guessing under 20 talking on her damn cell phone to her ear NO TURN SIGNALS TO MERGE INTO MY LANE and DIDN'T EVEN LOOK OR CARE I WAS THERE.  She was actually moving on into my lane WELL BEFORE she should've been able to so I HAD TO get over into the left lane sooner than expected.  Plus,  most people either speed up or sometimes if need be slow down to merge onto an on-ramp with cars on the main road.  She didn't do neither just slow and steady same pace in her P.O.S. PT cruiser not looking around or paying attention at all.   If she would've sped up like 90% of people do onto an on-ramp instead of worrying about her cell phone conversation NOT even seeing me am sure of it since wasn't paying attention, she could have easily merged in front of me.  Instead, I moved on over to the left lane much sooner than I normally would have, floored the truck doing 70 mph to get around her quickly, and back into the right lane only 100 yards ahead so that I could get off on the next off-ramp on that road.  You don't want to see me in big city traffic like Chicago stand still or stop and go traffic for hours.  I CANNOT handle it drives me nuts and my wife can vouch for me on that thus will NEVER live in a big city with stop and stop and go traffic.

Glad you son is o.k. but hope the lady in the pickup gets what she deserves.  Sounds like she didn't even get a ticket did she?  make sure you get a copy  of the accident report and your insurance company goes to bat for you and works it out with the other ladies insurance since am sure you don't want to talk to her after that with her being a dick.

I once had while my wife was sitting in our newer minivan about 11 years ago in the dentist office while I was inside getting a routine cleaning,  a _itch of a lady in a P.O.S. very old and rusted minivan slammed her drivers door into my minivan passenger side where my wife was and took a dime sized chip LUCKILY out of just my door handle.  My wife was a witness and got me out there ASAP since lady denied opening up her door and hitting our door even though her paint was on my door handle some and if you open her door it matched up exactly where the door was hit.

I got cops there ASAP and she wanted to leave the scene of the accident.  I said NO you are not and put my body in front of her car door NOT allowing her to get inside her vehicle and leave.  5 minutes later cop showed up.  She said that I hit her body and did physical abuse to her.  I laughed my ass off.  Cop said show me where he hit you.  She couldn't since she lied no physical abuse anywhere.  I told cop she is lying which am sure he knew already. 

Anyways,  cop told me next time get her license plates and let her leave really cannot block her access to her own vehicle so she can't leave.  Ended up it was ONLY an 80 dollar repair to repaint door handle is all and her insurance company paid for it is all it was.  All of this fighting and NOT admitting she did it over a simple under 100 dollar repaint job. 

Face it,  most people are a-holes and should be wipped off the face of the earth.   

[saddlesore]

"I was pissed and my judgement was affected."

That may well be the death of me. I do crazy things after dealing with crazy drivers on the road.
I'm glad no one was seriously injured. Cooler heads will prevail.

[Jess from VA]

Sorry to hear this Mike.  Hope Andy will be OK.  

It sounds to me like he was the poster child for... NEVER QUIT RIDING AND NEVER GIVE UP.  Referred to as heroic measures.  

You weren't arrested, so I'd say you acted OK.  

With her getting no ticket, not much chance her ins will pay for his bike.

Beware she may claim damage to truck from Andy's insurance.

If ins does not cover, even without a ticket, you could always try your luck in a small claims court case, which research shows goes up to $6K in Indiana.  (If you decide to do this, PM me and we can talk in detail on the phone).  Main thing is that it is two witnesses against one (unless a bystander shows up), and you start the story with her initial (illegal ?) U-turn.

Get a copy of the police report asap.

[wiggydotcom]

I'm glad this story didn't turn out any worse. It sounds like Andy did a super job of negotiating a tough obstacle course after contact.