Okay, real roiscuba here.
My buddy Tom was just here checking on me and delivering my prescriptions and posted while I was in the shower. That was painful.
Here's what happened.
I'm traveling north bound on a 3 lane city street with a seperate left turn lane. About a quarter mile ahead of me is an intersection with an island seperating the left turn lanes for the intersection. Just south of that island you always see a bunch of asshats trying to turn left into a shopping center even though there are "no left turn" signs. I see a couple of cars lined up trying to make the illegal left and I prepare myself for it...at least I thought I prepared myself. I'm having to slow down for the red light at the intersection anyways so I'm off the throttle slowing from approx 40mph. I flip on my high beams so the cars waiting to turn left can see me.
The lead asshat pulls right across me like I thought he would. I was expecting him to continue on into the shopping center but he fooled me. Instead he basically did a 270deg turn in front of me. He ended up in the middle lane right about the time I was approx 30ft off his rear bumper. He cut it way too close but again I was expecting it. What I didn't expect was for him to continue pulling left to try to get to the twin left turn lanes. It was right about the time I was even with his drivers door did he pull into my lane and just sideswiped me and pushed me into the curb. I probably could have recovered from the initial impact if it wasn't for the curb. Bike went down and I started tumbling. The thing that sucked about that is I was on my way to a jobsite so I was wearing my computer backpack so I had approx 20lbs of laptop and accessories strapped to my back banging my back all to hell while I'm tumbling.
As Tom noted in the first post, there was a bus stop right there and I immediately had 3 people on top of me, stopping traffic and the old man who hit me also stopped in his tracks and his car was blocking traffic from hitting me, thank God. I did the usual self inspection and basically decided to just lie there until the paramedics arrived. I have to give the Scottsale PD/FD credit, there was wrecker, cop, fire, and ambulance on scene within two minutes. That was also when I noticed that the man who hit me was also leaning over me making sure I was alright. Like a previous forum member noted, when you see an old guy there obviously concerned, it kinda takes the fight out of you. For one, it was the first accident of 4 that I've had in this state where the other person stopped and had insurance. I still didn't talk to him but I greatly appreciate him doing the right thing.
The funny thing was all these people where trying to talk to me but I had my mp3 player still playing. It somehow left the storage pocket but was still attached and I couldn't find it. I kept trying to reach for it to shut it off so I could hear what people were saying but every time I tried sweeping my arm, someone would hold it still. It was like one of those weird moments where brain was confused because what I saw didn't match what I was hearing.
Ambulance loads me on the backboard and takes me to the hospital that was less than a mile down the street. I didn't complain of any pain other than the slight road rash so they didn't declare me a trauma case so that meant I stayed strapped to a backboard for almost two hours while waiting my turn in the ER. That honestly was the worst of the whole experience.
Another funny moment came when the cute as hell blonde cop (it is Scottsdale after all) showed up to return my personal effects and get my statement she gave me my cell phone so I figure while I'm stuck here I might as well make all the necessary phone calls to g/f, boss, clients, etc. So picture me strapped to a backboard, and IV in one hand, and a pulse monitor on the other trying to hold the phone directly over my face trying to dial numbers and talk....and repeatedly dropping the phone on my face. Those damned MotoQ's are a bit sharp on the corners. Kinda embarrassing explaing to the doctor how I got those marks on my face.
All in all, Xrays and CT scans came back clean and they released me later that afternoon. Helmets toast, jacket is shredded mainly from the paramedics cuttiing it off of me. Gloves and boots held up okay but I'll replace the gloves. I was only wearing jeans (I know, I know) and they came out unscathed but I'm still trying to figure out how I got road rash on my legs yet the jeans fabric didn't rip.
All in all, I'm was able to leave the hospital under my own power and things could have been much, much worse. I'm very lucky and very grateful.
I honestly don't know how damaged the bike is because I never saw it. Another car was blocking my view and the bike was towed while the paramedics were taking care of me so I haven't even seen it yet. The one paramedic mentioned that it didn't look too bad and could probably be repaired. He said he's seen much, much worse. (I'm sure)
I guess the biggest thing I wanted to say is that even though I was expecting the other driver to pull something stupid, and tried to think ahead and plan an escape route, I didn't expect the level of asshatedness he pulled and it put me down.
So now I get to deal with insurance companies, rental car, angry clients because now I'm behind schedule in my job....but I get to walk and I'm relatively unscathered and still get to kiss my girlfriend goodnight so life isn't that bad. Again, I'm very fortunate.
So how's the 08's?
