What started out as the "dream" motorcycle vacation ended as a life altering experience
Nancy Crowell - Feb 7, 2008
 
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Always inspect your motorcycle before each and every ride. Especially, make sure your tire pressure meets manufacturer recommendations. I learned this the hard way! On the way to my dream vacation, I had an accident on my Harley Davidson Heritage Softail motorcycle. There is no way to determine if I ran over something, lost pressure slowly, or exactly what happened. But, I learned later that motorcycle tires can explode, melt, and/or shred, as shown in the accompanying picture if the tire pressure is too low.
Secondly, I would highly recommend that motorcycle operators and passengers always wear protective gear. I was “lucky” considering the limited protective clothing I was wearing at the time of the accident. Here is what happened to me.
I bought my first Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail as a Valentines present to myself in February of 1999. Harley-Davidson motorcycle sales were strong, and I had to put my name on a list. I attended the California Motorcycle Safety Course (which I recommend to everyone) to obtain my motorcycle license, and received my license before my bike even arrived. My new Harley-Davidson finally arrived in May. I was not an experienced rider, so my neighbor accompanied me to Bob Dron’s Harley-Davidson in Oakland to pick up my bike.
Skip forward to 2007, after 8 years of riding experience, I felt I was ready for the “big adventure.” My neighbors, who also owned a 1999 Heritage Softail, and I had been planning a vacation for five years; waiting for our kids to be old enough to leave at home.
We planned our route and were to spend the first night in Reno after picking up my friend, Ross, in Susanville. The second night was to be in Boise with my relatives for the 4th of July, and then the next few days making our way along a scenic route through Idaho to my second home, just south of Coeur d’Alene Idaho. The plan was to spend the next few weeks riding and exploring the fabulous, scenic Northwest, even venturing into Montana and possibly Canada. We made no plans. After all, part of owning a motorcycle includes the freedom to hit the road with no concrete itinerary. Our trip home was to be through Washington and down the Oregon and California coast. Three weeks of pure heaven!
As I left my house the morning of July 3rd, little did I know my trip was destined to end that very day.
The weather was perfect, and dressed in full gear, we headed up to Susanville to meet my friend, Ross. The ride took about five hours, and we arrived in tact. We took about a half hour break, and then hit the road for the last leg of our journey for the day. Reno was about 60 miles away.
Ross took over as driver of my bike, and I was now riding on the back. Because the weather was about 85-90 degrees, I took off my leathers and full-faced helmet. I put on my small cap helmet and went sleeveless. After all, I reasoned, we were on back roads, and it was a relatively short ride. BIG MISTAKE!!
We left the beautiful wooded area just outside of town. With sun on my face and wind in my hair, the last picture in my mind was the beautiful valley with Susanville in the distance. My thoughts were, “God, this is going to be a wonderful trip!”
I have no memory of what was to occur next. I guess our “guardian angels” have a way of protecting us from trauma. At least mine do, and I am grateful. I woke up approximately five hours later, and the first thing I noticed was my neighbor walking towards me crying. I said, “Debbie, what’s wrong?” She said, “you are in the hospital, and you have been in a motorcycle accident!” I looked around the room and realized I was in intensive care. She proceeded to tell me what was wrong with me and what happened.
The brand new back tire, purchased four days earlier, “burst with a puff of smoke” according to the witnesses, and began to shred off in small pieces. Ross, who had riding experience, was instrumental in slowing the bike from 60 mph to 40 mph, while keeping the bike upright. Unfortunately, we ran out of pavement as we skidded to the right, and when we hit the edge of the pavement, the bike went down. Ross went down with the bike, and I continued to sail through the air. As my neighbor Gary said, “great flight, bad landing.”
Ross suffered minor injuries, including a concussion, cut on his face from his helmet, road rash on his hands (he wasn’t wearing gloves), and some scraps and bruising on his legs and knees. He was whisked off to the local hospital and released that night. He was sore for a few weeks and still has aches and pains.
I landed on my right side and bounced a few times. I have no memory of what happened until I woke up in the hospital, except for one moment when I was on the ground. It seemed like I was in a “dark void,” and I asked what happened and if Ross was okay.
I was airlifted to Reno Renowned, a trauma hospital in Reno (and a very good place to be as it turned out). I had suffered a concussion, bump on my forehead, road rash on my arm, and cut over my right eyebrow which required stitches. I broke my right clavicle, scapula, five ribs, and lacerated my liver. I also bruised my kidneys and lungs, jammed my hip into the socket, and completely crushed my left wrist.
After six days in ICU and after my liver stopped bleeding, I had surgery on my clavicle to insert a metal bar to hold it in place, two surgeries on my wrist, which ended with doctors having to fuse it. The doctors told my sister I would probably not be able to use my left hand, but after months of therapy, I can open it all the way and make a fist, and I am now typing! Because of the wrist fusion, I won’t ever be able to bend my wrist again, but am adapting.
I have always believed everything happens for a reason, and I have found many blessings which occurred from this accident.
I spent two weeks in the hospital followed by three months at home recuperating, before returning to work part time. I am now back at work full time, and although still recovering with minor issues, feel very blessed to have made it through the accident without suffering more serious consequences.
With time to reflect on my accident, I strongly recommend the following:
- Make sure your tire pressure is accurate before each and every ride. There is no way to determine if we ran over something and slowly lost pressure, or exactly what happened, but I did learn that tires will explode, melt, and/or shred if the tire pressure is too low.
- Always wear your protective gear. I feel I was just “lucky” not to have sustained worse injuries with the little amount gear I had on.
- Always carry current medical and emergency contact information including blood type and allergies to medication. This information helps first responders make good decisions.
- A positive attitude along with affirmation and encouragement from family and friends assist in the healing process. I am grateful for my healing. After finding out how many people were praying for me, I am a firm believer that it also assists in ones healing. (Not being what I would consider religious, but more spiritual, I certainly believe in divine intervention after this experience).
I feel so fortunate having had the opportunity to experience riding for those eight years. I am now selling my bike to help pay for the medical bills. I will no longer be riding a motorcycle, due in part to the promises I made to my family after their gracious, loving care this past summer.
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Article Comments
2/13/2008 3:45 PM
Glad to hear you're doing better. Have to admit, I think we're all guilty of the same flawed thinking from time to time. Thank goodness you're okay. Thanks for sharing. Take care!
Glad to hear you're doing better. Have to admit, I think we're all guilty of the same flawed thinking from time to time. Thank goodness you're okay. Thanks for sharing. Take care!
2/7/2008 8:37 PM
Thank you for your comments radio! Happy and safe riding.
Thank you for your comments radio! Happy and safe riding.
2/7/2008 3:30 PM
I, too, am occasionally guilty of not wearing a helmet and bearing skin in the summer heat. I also feel safer riding the backroads versus the highways. This article points out the flaws in that thinking. We all know the freedom and happiness we feel when we leave on a trip. None of us expect our vacation to end this way. This article made me stop and think. Thanks for sharing your story, Nancy.
I, too, am occasionally guilty of not wearing a helmet and bearing skin in the summer heat. I also feel safer riding the backroads versus the highways. This article points out the flaws in that thinking. We all know the freedom and happiness we feel when we leave on a trip. None of us expect our vacation to end this way. This article made me stop and think. Thanks for sharing your story, Nancy.
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