Day Four - Nebraska
It is almost midnight on Tuesday and it has been a long and challenging day. After an early departure from Grand Island we headed northwest on Route 2. Just shortly past the small town of Thedford, Rick had a motorcycle accident. We were behind a large tractor-trailor and gathering speed after leaving the intersection that is the town. A car pulled off the road in front of the big rig and sat on the shoulder. As soon as the trailor passed the car, I saw its wheels turn toward the road. An elderly woman (83 years old) having seen the rig pass, began making a left hand turn from the shoulder to a private drive on the left side of the road! Mark was riding lead, Rick was in the slot, and I was bringing up the rear. Mark swerved to the left and just barely missed the front of her car as she was sitting sideways almost totally blocking our lane. I suppose that the motion or noise of Mark passing her must have scared her because instead of continuing across the road, she came to a stop, giving Rick absolutely no place to go. He locked up the brakes, tried to lay the bike down, and hit her left rear quarter pannel/bumper. He went over the handlebars, took out his windshield and tumbled down the road. I was right behind him and was barely able to lock up my brakes and skid to the shoulder to avoid hitting him. I brought my bike to a stop around the same time that Mark was bringing his to a stop further down the road. I ran back to Rick to find him kneeling in the road and disoriented. I knelt down and got hold of him to keep him from either trying to stand up or fall down. He appeared to have superficial cuts on his face and did not appear to have any obvious broken bones. Mark is a Fire Department First Responder, so when he got there, I went to the top of the hill to stop traffic and let Mark take care of the first aid.
Several folks stopped and offered their assistance and we got traffic stopped both ways until the 911 responders could make it to the scene. One young lady who stopped to help turned out to be the granddaughter of the woman who caused the accident. The Fire and Rescue vehicle got there in about 10 minutes or so and it turns out that the driver of that vehicle was the husband of the granddaughter. Welcome to small town Nebraska.
Rick was bleeding heavily from a deep cut on his lip and had other lascerations on his face. The rescue vehicle personnel treated him while Mark and I were gathering all his stuff and moving it to the shoulder. A grubby guy with dirty jeans and t-shirt suggested that we move the motorcycle out of the road. We told him that we were waiting for the police before we moved the bike. He informed us that he was the Sheriff and that It would be OK to move the bike.
Mark worked with the paramedics and the Sheriff while I gathered the rest of Rick's stuff and made sure that things like wallet, registration, and any other valuables were accounted for off of the road. I had to break into one saddlebag in order to get the contents out. The tour pack (trunk) opened on impact and all of those items were scattered over the road. We recovered everything of any importance and with the help of the responding personnel, uprighted the bike and loaded it on a trailer to be taken to a Conoco gas station back in Thedford (which, by the way, was owned by a son of the woman who caused the accident).
Rick was transported to the hospital at North Platte, NE, which is about 65 miles southeast of our current location (that is back in the direction from which we came). They were kind enough to take all of Rick's luggage with him in the ambulance. This was a big help because Mark and I had no way to transport his stuff on our bikes. We followed the tow truck to the Conoco station, took pictures of the car and filled out some accident paperwork for the Sheriff. That is him standing next to the Olds Delta 88 and the damage to the left rear fender and bumper is what happens when a 1000 pound motorcycle hits it. Everyone involved was as pleasant and helpful as possible under the circumstances.
When Mark and I arrived at the North Platte Hospital, the staff was very accomodating and went out of their way to help us in any way that they could, from offering suggestions about where to stay for the evening to helping us determine the appropriate flights from the local airport so that we could send Rick home. He looks pretty good for just having a major crash, but it is somewhat deceiving. His lower lip was actually separated from his jaw on the inside and it took a plastic surgeon, around 20 stitches on the inside and about 9 stitiches on the outside to put him back together.
Mark and I checked into a Holiday Inn Express and got a room for Rick too. At his insistance, we stopped by the local Harley shop and got a quote on a new 2007 Harley Ultra Classic to replace his so that he could continue the trip with us! I think that he was in shock and confused.
We called his wife and let her know what had happened and closed the loop with everyone else who had a need to know. Mark make arrangements for a flight back to Dulles by way of Denver. Rick's wife, Janette, will be meeting him at Dulles and then driving back home to Lexington, VA. We are going to ship most of his stuff home via UPS.
Just taking a moment to chill and call Vi. Yesterday I was joking about not getting the miracle of no rain. Today we got a real miracle. Rick could easily have been much more severely injured. I am thankful for God's grace and mercy. The elderly lady was very upset about having caused the accident and may no longer be able to legally drive because of it. She was a little shook up but not injured. Had the timing, speed, or a multitude of other factors been different, this could have turned out much worse. There could have been more of us involved in the actual accident, and injuries could have certainly been much more severe. Instead, Rick is sore and upset, but he is going home tomorrow and will have no long lasting effects other than a scar or two. Mark and I are going to press on to Sturgis, allbeit a day later than planned. I believe that all things happen for a reason, and that God is in control no matter what the circumstances.
I am reminded of one of the favorite verses of my dearest friend:
Joshua 1:9 -"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
I believe that we had Him with us today. I take comfort in knowing that there will still be three heading to Sturgis tomorrow.
Several folks stopped and offered their assistance and we got traffic stopped both ways until the 911 responders could make it to the scene. One young lady who stopped to help turned out to be the granddaughter of the woman who caused the accident. The Fire and Rescue vehicle got there in about 10 minutes or so and it turns out that the driver of that vehicle was the husband of the granddaughter. Welcome to small town Nebraska.
Rick was bleeding heavily from a deep cut on his lip and had other lascerations on his face. The rescue vehicle personnel treated him while Mark and I were gathering all his stuff and moving it to the shoulder. A grubby guy with dirty jeans and t-shirt suggested that we move the motorcycle out of the road. We told him that we were waiting for the police before we moved the bike. He informed us that he was the Sheriff and that It would be OK to move the bike.
Mark worked with the paramedics and the Sheriff while I gathered the rest of Rick's stuff and made sure that things like wallet, registration, and any other valuables were accounted for off of the road. I had to break into one saddlebag in order to get the contents out. The tour pack (trunk) opened on impact and all of those items were scattered over the road. We recovered everything of any importance and with the help of the responding personnel, uprighted the bike and loaded it on a trailer to be taken to a Conoco gas station back in Thedford (which, by the way, was owned by a son of the woman who caused the accident).
Rick was transported to the hospital at North Platte, NE, which is about 65 miles southeast of our current location (that is back in the direction from which we came). They were kind enough to take all of Rick's luggage with him in the ambulance. This was a big help because Mark and I had no way to transport his stuff on our bikes. We followed the tow truck to the Conoco station, took pictures of the car and filled out some accident paperwork for the Sheriff. That is him standing next to the Olds Delta 88 and the damage to the left rear fender and bumper is what happens when a 1000 pound motorcycle hits it. Everyone involved was as pleasant and helpful as possible under the circumstances.
When Mark and I arrived at the North Platte Hospital, the staff was very accomodating and went out of their way to help us in any way that they could, from offering suggestions about where to stay for the evening to helping us determine the appropriate flights from the local airport so that we could send Rick home. He looks pretty good for just having a major crash, but it is somewhat deceiving. His lower lip was actually separated from his jaw on the inside and it took a plastic surgeon, around 20 stitches on the inside and about 9 stitiches on the outside to put him back together.
Mark and I checked into a Holiday Inn Express and got a room for Rick too. At his insistance, we stopped by the local Harley shop and got a quote on a new 2007 Harley Ultra Classic to replace his so that he could continue the trip with us! I think that he was in shock and confused.
We called his wife and let her know what had happened and closed the loop with everyone else who had a need to know. Mark make arrangements for a flight back to Dulles by way of Denver. Rick's wife, Janette, will be meeting him at Dulles and then driving back home to Lexington, VA. We are going to ship most of his stuff home via UPS.
Just taking a moment to chill and call Vi. Yesterday I was joking about not getting the miracle of no rain. Today we got a real miracle. Rick could easily have been much more severely injured. I am thankful for God's grace and mercy. The elderly lady was very upset about having caused the accident and may no longer be able to legally drive because of it. She was a little shook up but not injured. Had the timing, speed, or a multitude of other factors been different, this could have turned out much worse. There could have been more of us involved in the actual accident, and injuries could have certainly been much more severe. Instead, Rick is sore and upset, but he is going home tomorrow and will have no long lasting effects other than a scar or two. Mark and I are going to press on to Sturgis, allbeit a day later than planned. I believe that all things happen for a reason, and that God is in control no matter what the circumstances.
I am reminded of one of the favorite verses of my dearest friend:
Joshua 1:9 -"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
I believe that we had Him with us today. I take comfort in knowing that there will still be three heading to Sturgis tomorrow.
posted by George at 12:09 AM
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