16 Years Without An Accident and now .......

Hi all,

Yep, it's happened. 16 years (plus 5 more years when I was 16) without an accident and then I go and have one.

Last tuesday evening I was riding home from work, came round a bend to find a landrover stopped in the road waiting to let a car our of a side road, admittedly it was a bit further up the road from the junction but I should still have been able to stop. Unfortunately, there was a car coming from the opposite direction which complicated matters further.

I have no recollection of the accident, my last memory is of seeing the Landrover and thinking I'm going to have to go around it. According the the driver of the landrover and the car coming in the opposite direction, once I realised that I wasn't going to get around the landrover without hitting the car I bailed off the bike, this turned out to be a good move and the bike hit the car and then the landrover. I, apparently, slid down the road.

The next thing I remember is looking up at a face and asking what am I doing here and who are you?

The ambulance crew were great, got me settled and off too hospital (Musgrove in Taunton) where I was told I had a broken collarbone and several (3) broken ribs. Very painful. I was admitted into hospital and stayed there until last night when I managed to convince the hospital staff that I was fit enough to be let home. On reflection, it might have been a day or so early but it is great to be home.

The hospital staff have been amazing, just couldn't do enough for me. Of course, me being such a good looking chap helped (joke). My partner Trischa has been great as well and I don't know what I would have done without her.

So now begins the long process of rehab. The bike, I'm pretty certain, is a write off. The good news however, is that after years of only insuring the bike 3rd Party, this year I went Fully Comp as it was only £17 per year more expensive. Lucky or what. I'll be getting another bike, what I'll get though I don' t know yet.

Trischa had ridden on the bike for the first time last Saturday and thought it was ok and wanted to go out some more. Now though, she is completely off the idea, and I can't say I blame her.

Anyway, I'm still here. I have to be honest and say that the accident was my fault and I've been very lucky. It just goes to show, just because you have been riding for many years without an accident, you cannot take your eye off the ball.

Enjoy your riding, but be safe.

Tony

Really sorry to hear of your off.

Hope you heal and recover fully, and don't rush it.
Good call with the old in-sewer-ants, hope you don't get to much grief from them and it's an easy sort out.

The big thing is, you're reasonably intact . . . bikes can be repaired or replaced . . . we, the squidgy bits, are a bit more complicated to repair and impossible to replace.

Shame about the bike . . . many a fantastic ride out and european trip under it's belt as well as some great memories and the odd (stone in the) radiator (mid east germany) war story.

Does Trischa know you've been using your 'dashing good looks' & 'disarming charm' to baffle and lead the nursing staff astray ???

Keep us in the loop on a replacement and your recovery

Cheers
Tel

Sorry to hear that Tony, sounds frightening! Very glad you are relatively unscathed and feel well enough to charm the medical staff

Good reminder for us all, you never know what's around the next bend!

Get well soon, hope the recovery isn't too lengthy. Remember, bones heal and chicks dig scars

Chris

Sorry to hear that Tony, pleased your on the mend.

Take care and keep us posted

Glad you are OK, (relatively), and on the mend soon.

Cheers
Billy

Sorry to hear about the accident but glad you are in as good a shape as you are, sounds like it could have been so much worse.

Hope you mend quickly & get another bike that you want sorted.

Paul.

glad to hear that even at your age you still bounce well
take care dude & get well soon
pete

Sorry to hear that Tony! But glad you seem in good spirits.

Hope you heal quickly and can get a new bike soon.

Any ideas what's it gonna be yet? Were you on the Blade still?

Anyway... All the best and keep us in the loop

Haven't seen or heard from you for ages Tony.

You were the most photogenic baldie bloke I had the pleasure of snapping

I bet the nursing staff had no chance armed with your injuries and charm

Your admission and advice is appreciated

"Anyway, I'm still here. I have to be honest and say that the accident was my fault and I've been very lucky. It just goes to show, just because you have been riding for many years without an accident, you cannot take your eye off the ball.

Enjoy your riding, but be safe"

I've had the same experience(s) myself albeit getting away with less injury
I'm certainly older and wiser now but still fallible and need to keep reminding myself of that.

Glad to hear you are on the mend and you faired better than the bike.

Keep us posted please and try and get well soon - alps 2013 ..... Tempted????

Cheers
Ross

Cheers for good wishes all.

Thomas - Yep, it was still on the trusted Blade. Only about 2-300 odd miles and it would have been on 40,000. I'll be really sad to see the bike go, it's been with me now for going on 11 years.

Rosco - I think the reason I was the most photogenic baldie bloke you ever photo'd was because I was the one who almost always got myself into the craziest situations.

As for my honesty and advice - aways freely given, not sure it's ever taken though.

The bike, we will have to wait and see. Alps 2013, we'll see.

Thanks again for the good wishes.

Tony

Sounds very scary! Hope everything gets sorted swiftly... Glad you are home and on the mend. Take care

Paul

Get well soon Tony [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Glad your ok Tony,, get well soon and keep us posted
Pete

And here was me thinking that I got all my riding tips/knowledge from you.

Minus my off's aswell but you was the one that I just wanted to have an equal ability with, ya know. Plus Linz really likes ya.

And now you go one better. I just hope you see the light of day and brush the accident aside, get your leg over again, come out riding with the group. Just like old times.

Not for a while though, as first you need to rest, heal, then be fit, then get yourself an R1. Or a sensible bike come to think of it.

Wish you all the best though. Just hope your other half except's that its a very rare occurrence (1 accident per 21 years) so hopefully she'll still go 2 up with you.

Rob

I think

Get well soon. And I hope you do get your leg over as soon as possible.

Rich.

Robcat wrote:And here was me thinking that I got all my riding tips/knowledge from you.

Minus my off's aswell but you was the one that I just wanted to have an equal ability with, ya know. Plus Linz really likes ya.

And now you go one better. I just hope you see the light of day and brush the accident aside, get your leg over again, come out riding with the group. Just like old times.

Not for a while though, as first you need to rest, heal, then be fit, then get yourself an R1. Or a sensible bike come to think of it.

Wish you all the best though. Just hope your other half except's that its a very rare occurrence (1 accident per 21 years) so hopefully she'll still go 2 up with you.

Rob

Thanks Rob, quite humbling words and I'm very touched.

My partner Trischa went out for a drive yesterday (getting fed up with nursing me, can't blame her) and she went on the road that I had the accident. When she came home, the first words she said to me were, you didn't stand a chance. Apparently, the left hand bend is very tight and the junction is almost right after the bend. Even if the Landrover was stopped opposite the junction it would have been impossible to stop at 30mph, even a car would have gone into the back of the Landrover.

I'd like to say it made me feel a bit better but when push comes to shove, I should have been able to stop and I couldn't. At least Trischa understands a bit better now though.

I'm getting better slowly. The pain in the ribs and collarbone is gradually getting better. I'm able to spend an hour or so a day now out of bed before the pain gets too much. I'm trying to increase the time out of bed every day, slowly but surely.

Insurance people are doing their thing. I've got to go back to hospital for check by consultant on Tuesday, followed by an appointment with Ear Nose and Throat. It would seem that I got concussed and blood came from my ear so I have to get that checked. Then, the following Tuesday I have got an appointment with physio. That I am not looking forward to as it will hurt. Still, it can only do me good.

I'll keep you posted with updates.

Stay safe.

Tony

Best of luck mate, it could have been a lot worse. :/

sorry to hear about your off, hope everything mends well, and quickly for you

Well, the good news from the hospital is that all the bones are aligned correctly so it's just a case of them knitting back together. No operations needed.

As for my ear, it would appear that I had a bleed in the inner ear, caused by the concussion, but there is no damage to the ear drum so it should all clear up within the next 3 months.

Phew.

Thats good news Tony, hope you get well real soon

Ellie xx

Glad to hear the positive news Tony.

Keep getting well soon

Positive news, keep yourself well

We're very sorry to hear of your off Tony.

Glad you'll mend without a knife, hopefully it won't take too long nor be too painful. All the best mate.

Pam & Steve

Well I'm glad that your still going to be a straight kinda guy. Without any fixes I mean.....

Chin up and enjoy some tlc from your beloved.

Rob