Scooter Crash, November 5, 2008

Notwithstanding the excellent election results last night, I was inattentive on my ride today.

About two blocks from work, I pulled a U-turn to pick up an attractive election sign.

I ran off the road into a shallow, gravel-strewn gully beside the blacktop.

The bike and I went down.
The bike landed on the relatively soft dirt.
I was thrown hard onto the rocks in the neighboring ditch.

I lay on the rocks for a while. The pain in my back, chest, and shoulder was intense.
My breath had been knocked out of me and I was completely helpless.

I may have passed-out for a few moments, and was unable to move for a while.
After what could have only been a couple of minutes, I heard someone pull off the road
and come to my aid. He said he didn't have a cell phone, but would help if he could.

I was able to croak out that I was probably OK, but that I could not yet move, and that I had a cell phone.
At that point another fellow pulled over and came up to us, saying he had a cell phone.

With help from my rescuers I was eventually able to get to my knees by the bike and fish my camera
out of my pocket. I asked one of the rescuers to take a couple of pictures, as you can see here.
I explained how the crash occurred, and the other rescuer went and got the sign for me.

I was nauseous and took off my helmet to puke, but the moment passed without that happening.
After a few minutes more I was able to stand. My helpers righted the scooter and I thanked them
profusely for the assistance. They waited until I got on the scooter and started trying to get it running.

The bike was flooded or something, but eventually it did restart and I finished the ride to work.

I was moving very slowly after the crash, and was not looking forward to the next day.
The full weight of the damage to my shoulder, arm, ribs, and back would arrive then.

I called and got a doctor appointment at 3:40 on the day of the accident. My regular doctor
was out of town, but the substitute just looked up my records and prescribed the same things
I had after the last crash: Vicodin, Flexeril, Diclofenac. He also order chest, rib, and shoulder X-rays.

After my X-Rays, I took a few pictures of the scooter.

Overall, not much damage to see.

Some dirt and grass embedded in some frame gaps, and some scratches on a motor cover.

The mirror was knocked out of alignment.

I took the next day off work and stayed home to take it easy and let the drugs work.
I also got the X-Ray results. Good news! No fractures.