Last May I struck a raccoon and went down, I healed and this may 3rd. while on a long ride alone apparently I was struck by an Elk while riding on hwy 9 through Arkansas south of Mulberry. This time the injury's were much worse.
An Arkansas state trooper arrived shortly after the incident and called for a lifeflight from southern Missouri they were taking me to Little rock, AR. but had to land at Heber Springs hospital since I was coding on them they resumed the flight a few hours later and arrived at Little Rock where the surgeon first thought I was dead since I hadn't had a heart beat in 15 minutes but decided to resuscitate me and did surgery to repair a torn Aorta and remove my spleen. I had a total of 12 units of blood.
I also had a broken collar bone and scapula with some ribs and a wrist fracture but they didn't dare do any surgery until they knew I was stable....the bones healed as best they would... the next 11 days I was on a machine until I came too the surgeons were prepping me for a surgery to install a stomach tube and trachea. since I was going to be brain dead and would need nursing care.. wrong how about more testing!
So the first memory I have after a great day of riding was some lady the surgeon telling me I was a miracle and my wife explaining to me where I was and why I must not pull the tubes out, shoots they had tubes in every orifice I had, and a couple of new ones chest tubes on the 13th. day I was released from ICU to general care and on the 16th. day sent home after a load of x rays and other tests including a competency test.
My wife was informed by a local sheriffs deputy that I have ridden with after the local police were informed by the trooper in Arkansas. The accident happened around 2 in the afternoon and it was almost 8 pm when my wife found out. She caught a ride down with a family friend and stayed until I left the Hospital.
The next several weeks were spent recuperating It was on July 1st. my birthday that I rode again not my scooter it was totaled finally with 47,000 miles on it so now I am riding my wifes old scooter her Kymco Grand Vista 250 it fits poorly but beats walking she has her new Honda Forza she bought a week before I went for my ride.
Ten weeks later I was back at work still can't bend from the waist and my knees are still healing from the fairing rash. I still wear a wrist protector and spent a week riding the twistys in Arkansas a couple of weeks with the STO or scooting the Ozarks group. We are heading back down in October for a weekend stay with a friend.
So would more gear have helped? No how much time did I have to react? the brush was like 6 feet from the road and at 65 mile per hour and the Elk traveling 15-20 from the side I must have had .1 second to think OH sh**!. The scooter was equipped with a dual 35/55 watt HID lamp set and highway pegs, the Engine had just been gone through top end rebuilt and the transmission was new the fall before with Dr. Pulley sliders. I miss the old People 250 S maybe I will find another to work on and ride again.
Till then everyone keep the shiny side up and never pass up an opportunity for happiness because life is too short.. Shalom
