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Texas Rider Down - Lessons Learned

17K views 95 replies 61 participants last post by  porsche4786 
#1 · (Edited)
In my failed attempt to organize a Vstrom group ride previously scheduled for today, after much initial interest but no one confirming (all too familiar) I decided to take a ride anyway. Fellow South Texas rider Aharbi from Austin (an inmate on this site) agreed to meet me in Medina TX and that we would ride the infamous "Three Twisted Sisters" (a 100 mile twisty Hill Country loop consisting of Hwy's 335, 336, and 337) which begins and ends in Leaky TX.

I had never ridden or even met Aharbi prior to this morning, only conversed a few times via posts and PMs on this website. Anyway, we met as planned in Medina and talked for about 15 minutes before beginning our ride together. We rode the 40 miles into Leaky with me in the lead. I didn't know Aharbi's comfort level or ability so after "testing" the pace up and down for a few miles I settled in right at the posted speed limits and Aharbi was never more than a few bike lengths back in my mirrors and showed to be a solid and capable rider.

After a burger in Leaky, we headed out Hwy 337 to begin our loop ride. Right away the road gets very twisty with multiple back-to-back 90 degree hair-pin, blind cliff-side turns with posted speeds between 10 to 20 MPH. This is a very narrow road with 2-way traffic so when a car is approaching from the opposite direction you cant see it until you're in the middle of one of the many turns. And because of the sharpness and quantity of turns, it's really tough to be proactive and look ahead because your focus is directed at the turn you're navigating. All that said, leaned over in one of the turns as a car comes whizzing by 3 feet away from the opposite direction can be somewhat startling.

I lead us through the first few turns and came to a small stretch of straight road where I checked my mirrors and Aharbi wasn't there. I slowed to a crawl, then pulled to the side of the road and waited about a minute but he didn't appear. We had only gone about 2 miles so I knew something was wrong. I turned back up the road and two corners later I found him laying in the middle of the road with his bike on its side......

I ran over and found him conscience but very startled and shaken up. A few other bikes soon stopped and began directing traffic (mostly other bikes) around us. Eventually he was able to sit up and confirm nothing was broken and that he could move all his parts. He was wearing ATGATT which I think probably saved his life. We got his helmet off and helped him to the side of the road, still dazed and very confused, not able to remember what happened or even where he was at. It was a tough situation.......

About 15 minutes later the Sheriff and then the Ambulance arrived. The Paramedics checked him over and confirmed no bones appeared to be broken but they were concerned with his dizziness and dementia. We checked his helmet and found multiple deep scratches and gouges. He was wearing a full face HJC. The Paramedics decided to take him into Uvalde which was the closest hospital, 40 miles away.

Aharbi's Wee was mashed bad. The front wheel was shattered and the forks are bent back to the left side of the frame. The front of the bike is toast and I'm sure the frame is tweaked as well. Its probably a total. I decided to stay behind to wait for the wrecker and accompany his bike back to the tow lot in Leaky. I'm not a doctor so there was nothing I could do for him at the hospital, so I tried to put myself in his shoes and think what I would want someone to do for me given the situation. After the wreck Aharbi couldn't even remember where he was so I felt like he would probably later appreciate that his bike was confirmed to be in safe keeping.

While waiting with the Sheriff we concluded that based on the pavement gouges it appears that while in the apex of the left-hand turn Aharbi made an abrupt right-hand correction which stood the bike up and sent him head on into the guard rail...... Good thing the guard rail was there because the other side was a 50+ foot drop off........ I confirmed to the Sheriff that we were not speeding (entered the corner at approx. 20 MPH) and he agreed that an on-coming car most likely startled him and caused him to veer to the right and into the guard rail. There were no skid marks found and no flat spots on either tire, so it appears he hit while still under throttle....... Per the Sheriff, they are called out for motorcycle accidents on the Three Sisters at least 2 or 3 times each weekend during the summer. And about half of them result in fatalities. This was one of the more well known turns for accidents.

While we were waiting for the tow truck, the Sheriff got a call on his radio stating that while in transit to the hospital, Aharbi had gone to a "Code 1". The Sheriff explained that this meant he had gone critical...... WTF? This just seemed to be a routine concussion 10 minutes ago? The Sheriff stated that unfortunately it's common because once the adrenaline wears off the real injuries come to the surface.

So I ditched the plan to stay with his bike and decided to make a bee line for Uvalde. The Sheriff was a super guy and gave me his card, stating he would make sure Aharbi's motorcycle was secure. I made it the 40 miles to the hospital in 25 minutes.

When I arrived Aharbi was in bad shape and fading in and out of unconsciousness. They had already done X-rays and CT scans and found swelling on his brain and fluid in his right lung. Uvalde is a little country hospital so they called in Life Flight and helicoptered him to San Antonio.

Ok, here's where it gets interesting. First the Sheriff, then the Paramedics, then the hospital, all asked me loads of typically routine questions;

What's his name? Aharbi
What's his real name? I dunno
How old is he? I dunno
Where does he live? Ummm, somewhere North of Austin
Where exactly? I dunno
Is he married? I think so
What's her name? I dunno
What's her phone number? I dunno
How can we contact his family? I dunno

OK sir, you're not very much help. Are you being serious? What do you mean you just met him over the Internet? All this sounds pretty crazy sir.

Due to the head trauma while out on the highway and in the hospital, Aharbi couldn't recall much at all. He remembered he had his cell phone in his jacket, but couldn't remember his pass code so we were unable to unlock his phone to find any phone numbers. He couldn't remember if he had any allergies or prior medical conditions. He couldn't remember much personal info at all. Eventually he recalled his home phone number, which I called but got an answering machine. I had no choice but to leave "one of those messages" that he had been in an accident, was in the hospital in San Antonio, and to please call me. This was 2:00 this afternoon and it's now 10:00 and I have received no call. I hope to God the hospital was able to locate his wife.

Not sure of Aharbi's status at this time. I did confirm that he made it to the ICU at SAMMC hospital in San Antonio, but because I'm not blood they won't tell me anything more. I'm gonna try again tomorrow and also try and contact his wife.

Lessons Learned

1- ATGATT. As it implies, always, all the time.......Period
2- Don't skimp. Buy the best gear you can afford. If you have to, borrow the money to buy the best gear. How much is your life worth?
3- Wear a quality helmet. I don't know much about HJC, other than I think they are among the lower priced helmets. Was it good enough to prevent further injury? Apparently. Would a higher priced helmet (Shoei, Arai, etc) have prevented the injury he did receive? Maybe, but who knows really. I'm not knocking HJC I just don't know much about them.
4- When you ride with someone you don't know, first things first, exchange basic information. I'm not saying a complete medical or personal history, but basic info like spouses cell phones, home phone, where the Hell they live, their real freakin names, etc.

Sorry for the long post, but I figured this story needed to be told.

Say a prayer tonight for Aharbi. God will know his real name........
 
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#3 ·
Tough incident to be sure. I wasn't there so don't take this as a criticism of anything but one thing to consider if there was a 'head trauma' is to not try removing the helmet unless you have to go to basic life support. He may not think that there is anything broken but you have no way to know about neck injuries at that point.
Hope that he recovers well.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I hear ya Joe. Myself and the Harley guy that stopped to help went back and forth on removing the helmet or not. After Aherbi was able to sit up, he moved his head (slowly) up, down, side to side, so we agreed to remove the helmet. Looking back we probably shouldn't have done it, but seemed like the right thing to do at the time as it was 85 degrees and he was wanting water......

I hope I'm never in the position to have to make that decision again........
 
#5 ·
Wow that's quite a story. Looks like the guy's handle here is actually "aharbi". Checking some recent posts, appears he has a wife and a daughter.

Sure hope he recovers OK.
 
#6 ·
My thoughts go out to him, and you for doing all you could. I hope there is someone like you with me if it happens.

Other hobbies I do we have proticols in place for incidents or injuries, A whole S.O.P. including who has the med kit, who has the task of transporting injuries and who secures the scene and gear in the event of an accident or trama, we also ask for medical concerns such as Diabetes or allergens, I do firearms training with a bee allergy and a diabetic. It might be a good idea to extend these "safety briefs" to our rides.

Food for thought.

Hope to hear good news shortly.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Wow, thanks for writing that up. It's amazing how quickly things can change. It sounds like you handled the situation as best you could. It's got to be weird being in your current situation, not knowing what's going on or how to help. Hopefully you'll hear he's doing well soon. My thoughts are with all involved and I hope everything turns out okay. Please keep us posted and thanks again for sharing.

BTW, I do a fair amount of outdoor stuff solo and always wear a RoadID bracelet that has a bunch of personal info on it, in case I find myself in a similar situation. It gives me and my family a little piece of mind that at least someone will know who to call if I'm found wandering around in the wild.
 
#22 ·
BTW, I do a fair amount of outdoor stuff solo and always wear a RoadID bracelet that has a bunch of personal info on it, in case I find myself in a similar situation. It gives me and my family a little piece of mind that at least someone will know who to call if I'm found wandering around in the wild.
+1 on the RoadID. I wear one whenever running or bicycling in case I get hit by a car. After reading this story if makes me think it would be a good idea to wear one while motorcycling as well.

Road ID® USA's #1 Source for Runners ID, Cycling ID & Medical ID Tags if anyone is interested. For around $20 you can have great piece of mind.
 
#9 ·
And don't get "survivors guilt". Been there, done that. It makes you feel bad that he had an accident while behind you, but his riding ability and comfort speed is his responsibility, not yours. You did everything right! So if that little tinge of guilt starts to whisper in your ear, nip it in the bud quick.
 
#12 ·
Sorry to hear that. Ride your own ride is a great thing to remember. We all have different levels of experience especially turns if you live in a relatively flat area like I do in the midwest. Sounds like he impacted very hard due to the damage to the bike. I hope he pulls through ok. It might not have been his head at all but internal organ damage due to impact.

I usually stay away from group rides and putz around at my own speed. That way I can concentrate more on the road then worrying about keeping up or someone rear ending me.
 
#13 ·
I hear you

I hear you loud and clear RoosterMan.
Went for a four hour ride today, by myself as usual. Sometimes flying past cars etc on the twisty mountain road.
I was looking at the steel cable barriers they have here where there is a gully, or mountain side/drop-off. I thought -- that looks like it's so bikes don't just dissapear without a trace, but get bounced back onto the road. Odd thought, but I guess I was thinking about nobody seeing me if I dived off the mountain road.
The summer before last, I had a strange phenomena happen -- perhaps, due to working outside that day, and not drinking enough? -- but I developed a state that was later called 'transient global amnesia'. Luckily I phoned my girlfriend and sounded strange -- or I wouldn't have ended up in hospital until I came to my senses.
I'll get a medic type bracelet to wear with the ICE information on.
Great reminder!
Thanks.
 
#28 ·
The summer before last, I had a strange phenomena happen -- perhaps, due to working outside that day, and not drinking enough? -- but I developed a state that was later called 'transient global amnesia'. Luckily I phoned my girlfriend and sounded strange -- or I wouldn't have ended up in hospital until I came to my senses.
I'll get a medic type bracelet to wear with the ICE information on.
Great reminder!
Thanks.
Chrisbre,
By any chance are you taking statins for cholesterol? There's new information out that implicates them in causing memory impairment and Transient Global Amnesia. Scary stuff! My wife made me stop taking them....

RoosterMan,
How about an update on Aharbi's condition? We are hoping for good news...
 
#14 ·
personal info

i have made it a habit to wear a pouch around my neck w/ THE FACTS on a special card, i got from my clinic check out desk(free)

this is a requirement of all riders who participate in THE RUN FOR THE WALL

they furnished the dog tag chain & the pouch, the clinic furnished the card

only had it in my billfold @ THE WRECK, but the officer found it & proceeded w/o further delay

i, now, carry 2..., billfold & around the neck

just a point 2 ponder

sw
 
#16 ·
That's a horrible story, RoosterMan. I can relate a bit. I used to make the 300+ mile run each way to ride the Twisted Sisters fairly regularly. On one of my trips, I met a friend and coworker there, much like you did. He disappeared from my mirrors while northbound on FM335. I turned around to find that he'd gone wide in a left-hander and bounced out thru the rocks and small mesquites. Battered and bruised a bit but the bike was totaled. That was a long day since the crash was in such a remote spot. Turned into an adventure getting the logistics sorted.

I'm planning to return to the area next weekend on the Strom after about a 5 year absence. My wife and I are planning to tent camp and ride those roads for a couple of days. Beautiful country!

My prayers go out to your injured friend.
 
#17 ·
You did what you could , don't get spooked

No one will ever know what happened car, rabbit, bee, jackalope or some medical

Lets just hope for a full recovery

Cautionary tale

I have all my meds, insurance, blood type, alergies etc. in my wallet. A slip with who to contact etc would also be helpful

The helmet thing is always a guess just do it by spreading the straps to minimize neck strain. If your a mensch take CPR and 1st aid assuming your state has a good Samaritan law.
 
#18 ·
I hope it all works out. I hate hearing about things like this, but it is the reality of life. It always make me 2nd guess the hobby a bit. FWIW, it I had been the guy down I would have wanted someone to have an idea of where my bike was once I was in good medical hands.

The sheriff suggested that the rider was 'spooked' by an oncoming car. Really, it could have been anything. Animal in the road, car parked taking pics in a weird place, just plan screwing something up in the corner. Don't know why but just kinda hit me wrong that the sheriff looked at some scuffs on the road and concluded rider error.
 
#20 ·
It can happen to anyone, any time.

... The sheriff suggested that the rider was 'spooked' by an oncoming car. Really, it could have been anything. Animal in the road, car parked taking pics in a weird place, just plan screwing something up in the corner. Don't know why but just kinda hit me wrong that the sheriff looked at some scuffs on the road and concluded rider error.[/QUOTE]

That is so true. I can still recall my "technical fall", long ago. I never knew
why it happened, but I simply failed to steer when the road curved to the
right. Hence I went off the road to the left, and ...

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... and there was a handy dirt road right under my wandering wheels. I slowed gradually, stopped, parked, changed pants, and had a smoke, all the while thinking about paying attention better. I have apparently paid attention, because that was 49 years ago and I have not repeated my error.

Keith
 
#19 ·
Basic info

Having made several long distance solo rides, I never really gave it much thought. I will not be making another one without being more prepared with the basic info. You would think that the Sheriff would have been able to run the guys tag to get the contact info, i.e address, phone #. Just my thoughts.
 
#29 ·
Having made several long distance solo rides, I never really gave it much thought. I will not be making another one without being more prepared with the basic info. You would think that the Sheriff would have been able to run the guys tag to get the contact info, i.e address, phone #. Just my thoughts.
He could and probably did but theres no guarantee that whats in the computer is up to date. He could also go through the guys pockets, get his wallet, cell phone or whatever. But when you have a witness right there you naturally ask that information as well, when investigating more information is 'mo better.
 
#21 ·
Sorry to hear about the accident. I hope he recovers fully.

Great idea about sharing information.

I used to do this on all of the group rides that I led, but I have become complacent. Your post will serve as my wake-up call.

Here is the ICE info that I used to, I mean will collect:
Name
Phone Number
Emergency Contact Name
Emergency Contact Phone Number
Insurance info ( name and policy number )
Blood Type
Allergies / Conditions
Meds currently taking

I will add address to this list due to your post. I've never had to use this but after reading your post it all makes perfect sense.

Thanks for sharing.
 
#24 ·
I wear the Icon Hi-Vis Vest that offers a neat little velcro ID patch on the left breast area, right near the heart area. I have ALL my important information typed out on the card. Name, address, NoK, blood-type, spouse POC info, parents POC info, insurance info, you name it and I hopefully have it on that card. It is also waterproof so it stays dry. I do a lot of riding solo, so this info might help one day, but I'd rather not find out.

Hope we find out more about this guy and get some good news soon.

 
#25 · (Edited)
/
What's his name? Aharbi
What's his real name? I dunno
How old is he? I dunno
Where does he live? Ummm, somewhere North of Austin
Where exactly? I dunno
Is he married? I think so
What's her name? I dunno
What's her phone number? I dunno
How can we contact his family? I dunno/
On right side of my helmet (and hockey helmet - if you put it on the back they have to move you to read it) with a label maker I put my name, city, blood type, "No Allergies" and ICE contact (my wife and her cell #).

I did this after a friend of mine hit a deer on a dirt road in NH. He was unconscious about 10 minutes later when a woman in an AWD Subaru happened up that road to go bird watching. Continuing his good luck, she had a cell phone, cell phone reception, and happened to know what town she was in and the name of the road (many dirt roads in New England are hundreds of years old).

His wife goes by her maiden name. They searched his cell phone and wound up calling his 82yo mother in FL to tell her that her son was in the hospital, unconscious, with unspecified injuries.

He woke up in the hospital at 6pm - about 10 hours later, and his wife had arrived by that time. He got off with a trashed bike, concussion and a broken collarbone - but it could have been a lot worse.
 
#26 ·
I've been on both sides of this story and its a bad deal for sure. Sometimes I still ride out to the curve I crashed in and just pull over and ponder. I still really don't recall exactly what happened (been 10-11 years since the crash).

Prayers for all involved.
 
#30 ·
Thanks for posting this and I hope for fast recovery.

I duuno what I would do differently, sounds you helped in a tough situation, good stuff.

I rode the sisters 2-3 times and they are tricky for sure. Dangers lurk around corners for us more often than we think though. Some good food for thought here though. Funny thing is, I also wear the Icon high Vis vest and did not know what to use the outside pocket for so I took it off. Time to dig it up...
 
#31 ·
RoosterMan, you asked some questions about helmets in your OP. Speaking as a retired Emergency Department RN, I will discuss this some. You said the helmet Aharbi was wearing had scrapes and deep scuffs. I assume that the helmet was otherwise intact. I suspect what caused his brain to swell was secondary brain impact (meaning that his brain hit his skull from the inside hard enough to cause the swelling). The only type of helmet that can mitigate with this type of injury is a brand new design (talked about in my latest Cycle World and Motorcyclist magazines). I don't think they are even on the market yet. They crush and allow the head to come forward inside of the helmet thereby causing the head to decelerate slower thus reducing concussions and maybe reducing brain swelling due to the brain striking the skull internally as I suspect happened to Aharbi. No guarantee here, but maybe helping if he had one of the not on the market yet helmets. The brand of the helmet matters not with this type of injury if the helmet remains intact. This was not a helmet failure we are looking at here. He hit his head hard, very hard. The most expensive helmet in the world would not have helped here unless he was in that helmet that is designed for just this (and as I said, I don't think it has fully entered the market yet and may or may not be available for purchase). He just had a bad motorcycle accident. I am not going to speculate as to why he went down as I don't even have enough information to say more than I have and I could be wrong even in what I have said as with incomplete information I could be missing a crucial piece of data. It is just that we do see these type of injuries in the Emergency Department far too often.

I will pray for him.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Status

Hello to all and thanks for your posts and concern...

I received a call from Ahabri's wife late last night and he was still in ICU but doing much better. The swelling on his brain is under control and he is starting to get some of his marbles back. He has no recollection of what happened to cause the wreck, and no memory of the events that unfolded afterwards. She had a positive attitude about the whole situation and was in good spirits.

I figure ill give it a couple of days then touch base to see how he's doing.... I'm really glad he's doing better as I was pretty distraught last night worrying. I've been down twice myself before, but nothing like what happened to Aharbi.

Thanks again for all the comments and ill post again once more is known.
 
#33 ·
Hello to all and thanks for your posts and concern...

I received a call from Ahabri's wife late last night and he was still in ICU but doing much better. The swelling on his brain is under control and he is starting to get some of his marbles back. He has no recollection of what happened to cause the wreck, and no memory of the events that unfolded afterwards. She had a positive attitude about the whole situation and was in good spirits.

I figure ill give it a couple of days then touch base to see how he's doing.... I'm really glad he's doing better as I was pretty distraught last night worrying. I've been down twice myself before, but nothing like what happened to Aharbi.

Thanks again for all the comments and ill post again once more is known.
That's great news. Good to hear he's getting better. :hurray:
 
#34 · (Edited)
Thoughts and prayers go out to Ahabri and his wife. This sounds like a terrifying experience all around. I'll second the comments on the Icon high-viz vest, and I just ordered two sets of the ICE device for me and my dad. Keep us posted on his progress, and glad to hear he's beginning to come out of it.
 
#36 ·
Good to hear he is doing better and happy to hear that his wife called you. Not knowing what happened can cause a fair bit of worry.

As was mentioned before, his injuries are most likely the result of his brain bouncing off the inside of his skull. My wife sustained such an injury almost 2 years ago when she was assaulted by a patient where she works. Hers was not as serious as the one you recently encountered.

I've worked in EMS for almost 20 years now and I don't think the manufacturer of the helmet makes a damn bit of difference. If its DOT certified, it meets a minimum criteria, and they all have that. However, the guy who crashed his 'Busa a few years aog wearing the Arai that I helped remove from his head still can't remember what the days of the week are...
 
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