Putting up the roadside cross - The forgotten highway

[Nasty]

This is from my knowledge and no one elses ... we must learn from others mistakes and that is something that Grub believed in ... we must take action to ensure that what happened is not able to happen so easy again and that the right things happen in future in case someone elses life can be saved. The final crash report is yet to be issued ... same with the coroners findings.

Summary before christmas

A couple of days before Christmas the Serious Crash Investigator called me - to ask a simple question - how long had Grub been riding ... 43 years - with a break when he was married. He came back with me on a FXR150 before getting onto the CBR600 he had when he died. He quickly discussed his findings which were not a lot - and I told him that it was rider error ... he made a mistake .. that was the reason - or he wouldn't be dead. He said the corner was a complicated one .. unmarked ... and could not be done at speed, there did not appear to be any road reason for the crash e.g. rocks or oil etc.

I said when I get there I will know - I ride and really will see what happened. I was right.

Nine weeks after Grub died Twosup KoroJ and I rode to Grubs corner number 3
What a couple of days ....

On Friday night I rode to Wanganui ... this was to reduce the amount of kms I needed to do on Saturday .. .koroj and I had talked the round trip was around 800 kms to where Grub died ... and that is just beyond what I think I am capable of. So the ride report starts with 168 kms of straight and generally boring roads ... which we turned into a little fun by hooking onto another rider going up the himitangi straights and having another join us at the back.

Had a bit of a rough night ... comfy bed at mums though ...

The next morning up at 7ish ... off to the shell station to meet up wtih my fellow riders ... KoroJ and Twosup - Sent a text to Elle-f to let her know we were leaving. Weather report was dirty ... but we set off over the paras without all our wet weather gear on. That did not last long ... it started to rain and wouldn't stop ... the road was great ... so we pulled over and found a use for the cheesecutters on the roadside (sitting on to put on wet weather gear!!). Back on the bikes and off to finish that part. Raetihi ... and a quick stop and text to Elle to let her know where we were for timing to meet us in Taumaranui ...

Next part was still a bit damp but not as bad. Got a call from Elle telling us of a great cafe where we were to meet her ... which we did after gassing the bikes we found this amazing green coloured cafe (name which I forget) ... and fueled ourselves ready for the next stage. It stopped raining so away with the wet weather gear and off on the next part of the trip.

When asked Twosup said it was around 50kms along the forgotten highway ... "around" ... hmmmm it was 50 kms along the highway ... almost to the point. Twosup, koroJ and me on bikes with Elle in the car ...

What a most awesome and spactacular area to get to ride in ... apart from noting all the road signage (to see what had changed since the accident) ... I have never been on this road but it was one that grub and I talked about often ... when he said it was the most awesome road with some of the best scenary .. he wasn't wrong.

We get to a corner marked 25kms ... and Twosup pulls over .. there were a couple of driveways ... I thought we needed to walk up a little .. but not it was the courner now marked 25 km (far too low for what I think) ... Twosup and I went for a walk, looked and talked at what happened and where it happened ... and how it happened. No one will ever know exactly what happened ... but Grub and I discussed that should anything happen to either of us others were to learn from our mistakes.

The corner itself was a left hander - Grub came around the bend and we think got distracted - or lost attention - he wound up on the ride side of the road - and went into the culvert - there was fencing on one side with curbing on the other which meant that he could not get the bike out. We don't think he scrubbed much speed off - definately not enough as when the bike hit a sharp rock he was thrown on the road.

Due to the camber of the road when he hit he did not roll or skid .. he just hit. There was a doctor on the ride who helped with Grub .. made him comfortable .. and assessed him as best she could ... I thank god for her. There was little or no cell coverage. Alot happened from here ... people went for help ... and there was lots of action ... I thank all the guys involved who tried to save Grub ...

The fence at the corner now has a cross on it. it faces up the hill - so that it can serve to warn others of the dangers of the road. I said a few private words in a walk and taking pics (I will post at some point) ... lots of people asked me to remember them .. I did.

Grub I love you .. but somehow you screwed up - you died in the most beautiful place - with people around you - you will not be forgotten.

And on with the ride
A rider went past us a couple of times ... the third time stopped ... we all had a chat about what we were doing .. and what they were doing. Their mate had a puncture .. how far to taumaranui etc. I had a repair kit and KoroJ had a pump .. so off to help ... get down there and help them ... them off on the rest of the trip. Taking punts of good weather (wrong) we rode on ... the roads were highly windy and nothing like I have ridden before .. which was challenging ... it was great fun. I completed the forgotten highway .. and that I dedicate to Grub ...

I started to get plenty sore by now. we stopped again and put on wets ... and then off to Wangas ... we stepped at the orange cafe .. had a meal before heading back to Welly (via fordell) ... with minor stops along the way to work out my shoulder pain. A boring and really wet ride home down state HW 1 ... thanks guys for doing that I know you really didn't want to!!


Thanks heaps to KoroJ, Twosup and Elle-F for joining me on this journey and to others for their thoughts as we made the trip.


Further details of Grubs death

There have been many threads about riding and dying in accident ... and lots of discussion that no one shares the details. Well here is my interpretation.

I received the autopsy on new years eve - Grub broke all ribs on his left side from 2 - 9 front and back .... he broke his left wrist, punctured his lung and ruptured his spleen - there was 300ccs of blood in the chest area and 1000ccs in his abdomen. Grubs cause of death was Hypovolemic Shock - due to severe Chest and Adbominal Injuries caused by a motorvehicle accident. This means that he bled to death - there was no external bleeding .. no one knew that he was that badly injured and there was nothing that could be done roadside to save him.

There was a problem with the ambulance, first responder and helicopter not getting the right location information I will be taking this up as it is a major screw up ... I don't know that them being there sooner would have made a difference - we will never know that. But for the next accident .. there has to be better action to ensure that help is there as fast as possible. This is what I will be fighting for.

[chanceyy]

:hug: chick was thinking of you yesterday for sure, glad to hear the corner is now signposted

well done for completing the highway as well :yes:

[Trudes]

:hug: Thanks Kari. You are so brave.

[Nasty]

1. Twosup showing nasty the corner and area Grub died

2. KoroJ and Twosup preping for attaching the cross

3. getting it on right

4. Almost finished.

[Nasty]

1. The Cross - Nameplate designed by and made by Nudemetalz!!

2. from a little up the road

3. looking back ...

My darling died in the most magical of places.

[86GSXR]

Kari, what a wonderful post. As a direct result of that day, a few of us here have investigated purchasing an emergency satellite beacon to take along with us on rides into remote areas such as this. They're not expensive and maybe, just maybe, may help.

[Okey Dokey]

Thinking of you again, Nasty. This was a wonderful write-up and I can only imagine what you must have been feeling on the site where Grub died.

The cross looks really good.

I admire your sharing the autopsy facts to help others here on kb realise what sort of injuries can occur to bikers.

Take care.

[Monamie]

Kari your post pours with your love for Grub.

You talk of lessons ......for me the lesson has been one of life more than loss.
Your unconditional love and understanding of your man, he was an extremely lucky man to have a woman with so much love and `True Grit` by his side.
If we can find a `lover`to to go through lifes journey with what you two have (he is still by your side)-then life really would be fulfilled.

Thank you for sharing and giving us all something to strive for.:hug:

[Number One]

Kari the cross looks awesome and congratulations on completing the Forgotten Highway - I am sure Grub was watching you the whole way and is proud of you for that achievement :sunny: (among other things of course!)

Your strength, honesty, humour and generosity in sharing how you are feeling and letting others in to grieve with you and offer support throughout this journey has been absolutely awe inspiring - you are amazing lady.

:hug:

[roadracingoldfart]

Wow, That was an awesome read Kari .
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the details , your a strong lady.

Paul & Dianne.

[MsKABC]

Thank you for so bravely sharing that with us. I hope you have found a little more peace from the experience.

[Str8 Jacket]

Thanks for sharing chick. You amaze me more and more everyday with your strength!

[jrandom]

... an emergency satellite beacon to take along

Doesn't need to be fancy; even the most basic of GPS receivers (a lot of cellphones come with them these days) would help, particularly on a group ride - emergency services operators should be able to pass the latitude and longitude fix numbers onto the chopper.

And thanks for sharing the info, Kari.

[elle-f]

Kari, I was impressed at your riding in that crap weather on that beautiful (crap) road! There were times when I was in the car jealous and wished I was on the bike and there were times when I was like OMFG, they are CRAZY!

John and Steve - you two are great reasons to belong to KB.

Kari, I have every reason to believe that you will succeed in making the ambos account for what happened. Your reasons for wanting it worked out are just you - thoughtful. You also have impressed me with the way you have handled everything - if the saying is true "The measure of the person is in the way they handle the bad times", then you are truly a remarkable gal/bitch!

[Sharry]

That was such a lovely read Kari. You are showing such strength in character and love for Grub. Thank you for sharing with us:hug:

[MSTRS]

What can one say? I was there in spirit, Kari. And I am glad that you were able to do this for yourself, and got home safely.

[Paul in NZ]

This is a c#$t of a thing.... Dammit... :crybaby:

Top points for sharing Kari, cannot have been easy. If you need anything let me know eh?

[Kendog]

As others have said, thanks so much for sharing.
It is inspiring reading your posts and talking to you.

[ajturbo]

wow... thanks kari...
BabyB and i did that ride over easter last year, in the wet.... no mater what the weather.. i love that area....

[Gareth51]

Thanks for Sharing that with us Kari
I will stop there for a minute or two and think of Brett while doing the Chateau to Plateau in a couple of weeks
Gareth.

[boman]

Very well written, and it looks like a fitting memorial for your partner. I had to do the same for my 26 year old wife 6 months ago, so I have a fair idea of what you are going through. You have an amazing group of friends, from what I have seen written, they certainly help to keep you sane under the circumstances.

Keep your chin up.

Darren

[Hitcher]

That east Taranaki hill country is one of this planet's very special places, and the best way to experience it is on a motorcycle traversing SH43 -- in either direction. I have a rich tapestry of experiences relating to that part of the world dating back to my earliest memories. Grub's untimely death is another special moment for me in that context.

Thanks for sharing your story, Kari. I shall stop at "Grub's corner" next time I pass that way.

[oscarnz]

Kari, its takes a strong person to write and share what you have been and done for Grub, and you are this person.

Thoughts are with you honey, just remember he will always be your guiding light during those rough times.

Big hugs:hug:

[Daffyd]

You're a brave girl doing what you have done. I have much admiration for you.

Well done, girl!

[Funflea]

This post is testament to the very special love that you shared with Brett, your commitment to helping others understand and the outstanding person that you are.

It is wonderful that you were able to complete this ride and to place the cross, I will also make the trip to that special place one day, probably not on a bike unfortunately though.

I agree that the services need to be made accountable for their errors in the hope that someone else will benefit, let me know if you want me to put pressure on as well.

Thank you again Kari, our family is enriched by having you as a part of it.

Love Flea:grouphug: :love:

[Genestho]

:hug:Kari.

I also would encourage a beacon or locator thingy whatsit, there was quite a delay in location by the ambo to "our" accident too, by nearly an hour - the golden hour.

Which is to be addressed in pt 2 of "our" inquest, amongst another couple of incidents in relation.

There was no cellphone reception, so someone had to run to a top of a hill, it was a long time for any help to arrive..so guys, Id encourage riding with these things.

Cheers Kari, thinking of you hun. Take care.

[KoroJ]

Yeah, long day, good ride and good riding Kari. I was pretty shagged last night but...!

[Charlie41]

You are an amazingly strong women!!
Thank you for sharing this with us!!! That cross looks great there!

[birdhandler]

You guys obviously did a lot for motorcycling in Wellington judging by the feedback, i was impressed by the offers of support and condolence.

Could i suggest a sat phone and a GPS when venturing into the wilds

telecom offers one its a mere $2,250.00 but can priobable be begged, borrowed or stolen. Did not check vodaphone

http://www.telecom.co.nz/content/0,8748,205273-201928,00.html

Can i also make a small plea about emergency services in rural areas are volunteers so they are likely to be at home on the PC , feeding the dog etc when the pager goes off and this is reflected in their response time.

Cheers

[KoroJ]

....................Can i also make a small plea about emergency services in rural areas are volunteers so they are likely to be at home on the PC , feeding the dog etc when the pager goes off and this is reflected in their response time.

Cheers

First responders aren't the problem. It's the dick on the phone that is told 3-5Km east of the Tangarakau gorge & asks, "What street address is that?" .....then sends an ambulance from Stratford to Douglas!!??

[birdhandler]

my undersatanding is all those red #'s you see on farm gates are for the emeergency services and are the distance from the main road in 100m units
e.g. 50 means 5km from the road junction another e.g. 153 is 15.3 km
Not sure how we can help with geography lessons though

[Nasty]

Can i also make a small plea about emergency services in rural areas are volunteers so they are likely to be at home on the PC , feeding the dog etc when the pager goes off and this is reflected in their response time.

Cheers

The first responder is this case is pissed that she was sent 20 minutes away when she was two minutes from the site. It does not matter that she was a volunteer ... when given wrong information ... SOMEONE HAS TO PAY .. and its the comms centre in this case.

[Ms Piggy]

Thanks so much for sharing your journey and story.

[Trumpess]

Hi Kari

Like everyone else has said ... thanks for sharing your very special road trip.
I was thinking of you yesterday and how things went.
Cudos for acheving the Forgotten Highway hun! :hug:

[yungatart]

Well done Kari
Its so sad that a moment's inattention, loss of concentration, or loss of focus resulted in Grub's death and the need for you to do this trip.
There is a message in there, folks. We just can not afford to let our focus slip while riding, it could very well be the death of us.

[slimjim]

life goes on slowly...well done and a great effort...take care...

[skidMark]

Lost for words kari, thanks for sharing.

[MotoGirl]

Thanks for your post, Kari. You providing details about Grub's death certainly reinforces that our gear only protects us from abrasive surfaces, not impact.


my undersatanding is all those red #'s you see on farm gates are for the emeergency services and are the distance from the main road in 100m units
e.g. 50 means 5km from the road junction another e.g. 153 is 15.3 km
Not sure how we can help with geography lessons though

I always thought they were in smaller units than that? We used to live rurally and our little red number was 609, which was roughly 6km up the road. When I'm riding off the beaten track, I try to remember the towns/road signs I pass so I could give someone an idea of my location, if need be.

[nudemetalz]

Wow, what courage you have, Kari.
Brett would have been proud of you.

I'm just honoured to have been able to make a cross to best remember him. It's the first one I've ever done (and hopefully the last).

Like others have said, I shall definitely stop there if I ever ride up that way and remember Grub.

[gijoe1313]

Thank you for relating your trip and experiences and honest feelings about all of this ... I well remember riding this stretch for the first time and thinking how special it was.

To hear of Grub and his death there brought that connection back to me. Your ride back to the area and your remembrance of him with the attendance and help of others touched my feelings and makes me reflect on our journey through life.

Thank Kari for sharing. Ride on ...

[ynot slow]

Just found this thread,great strength Kari.

The rural area have differing marker pegs for emergency services,they give approx distances from town or road start,i.e 150 is 1.5km,2350 is 23.5km.Some areas (Taranaki for sure have odd and even numbers represent lhs or rhs of road)have them on the gate posts or in the Naki on blue pegs by roadside entrances(most get mown or flattened).

The only redeeming thing about Taranaki rescues is the chopper pilots usually hover up SH43 if the victim isn't found where despatch says they should be.

[Nasty]

This morning I made contact with the St Johns person whose role it is to oversee all communciations centres. We have agreed that he will investigate the calls and details around the incident when Grub died, and follow up with a report for me. This is not to find and blame anyone for systemic fault - but to find if there was one - which I believe there may be.

If there is something to be found I hope that they find it ... for me there is no way it could have made a difference he was so badly hurt .. but for others in future I don't want this to be a problem.

[sunhuntin]

kari, i wish id known you were in town. glad you found a decent use for a cheese cutter... grub would have been laughing his head off at that one.

thank you for having the bravery to write out the report... reading it brought tears to my eyes, so i cant imagine how you felt writing it.

i will always be honored to have known brett... there are are not enough people like him in this world, and his death was a loss many people will not realise. it always impressed me how he was able to cross generations and be everyones best friend, no matter the age. i feel sorry for the people who didnt have the chance to either meet him in person or know him online.

one day, i will ride that road, and i, like others, will stop at grubs corner and probably end up having a cry.

.........

a gps or beacon sounds like a great idea, and will be something i will investigate. bit like the beacons the boaties use, right? i do hope you are able to get some answers from st john, and im also hoping to read confirmation on what the farm numbers mean.

[86GSXR]

This is what we in the Manawatu have come up with as a result of Grub's accident. So far, it's looking invaluable and I urge anyone going into these types of areas to get one. It was only $450.00 plus a small subscription, which shared among a group of regular riders is nothing compared to it's potential value.

http://gps.about.com/od/handheldgpsreceivers/fr/spot.htm

[XP@]

Thank you, for being open and sharing.

Loves to you :-)

[Taine]

wow... nice post... that highway can be notorious and dangerous like many others it is good Grub had people with him...

never forgotten.

[nivram]

This is what we in the Manawatu have come up with as a result of Grub's accident. So far, it's looking invaluable and I urge anyone going into these types of areas to get one. It was only $450.00 plus a small subscription, which shared among a group of regular riders is nothing compared to it's potential value.

http://gps.about.com/od/handheldgpsreceivers/fr/spot.htm

I have also been looking at this unit amongst others but have come across some bad reviews, how are you finding the unit?

SPOT Fails in Actual 911 Emergency, January 12, 2009
By JMNewell

"Do not under any circumstances buy a SPOT unit! Their search and rescue service is totally unreliable, and customer service is the worst that I have ever experienced.

Here is my story. I bought the unit for $200, and paid the $200 annual fee. I figured that if I ever needed it, the 911 feature could get me out of deep trouble, so it was worth the cost.

I went car camping with my 4 little kids, ages 10, 8, 6 and 4. While I was on the trip, the unit sent out a 911 message due to a malfunction. The good news was that I really wasn't in danger.

Here is the bad news: When the SPOT unit sends a 911 message, it does not actually go to 911. It goes to some call center in Houston. There, some dude gets the message and has to figure out what to do with it. From there, it is all down hill.

In this case, the dude called my wife and told her my unit had sent an urgent 911 message, and were we OK? and did she know where we were? Of course, she freaked out, thinking the kids and I were dead somewhere. She had no idea where we were and whether or not we were OK, and SPOT completely fumbled. The SPOT guy was completely clueless about what to do next. He acted like he had never gotten a 911 message before.

The SPOT guy then called my business partner and asked him were we OK? and did he know where we were? Now, the SPOT unit is supposed to tell SPOT where you are, right? The SPOT guy's computer wasn't working properly that day, or he couldn't figure out how to zoom in and out, so he could not tell on his screen even what state we were in. Totally pathetic.

The SPOT guy then called information (411!) and got the number for the fire station in the little 10-person town near where we were. No one answered there. He left a voicemail at the fire station. Then he called my wife again. Then he called my business partner again. Tick tock tick tock tick tock. Both of them are freaking out, and the SPOT guy has no idea what to do. This fumbling around by SPOT took years off of my wife's life.

Eventually, the SPOT guy called the right emergency service location, and they immediately dispatched an emergency crew to the scene.

From the receipt of the SPOT 911 call, to the dispatch of emergency services, it took SPOT 45 MINUTES! During the 45 minutes that SPOT wasted, we could have been DEAD.

I have spent countless hours on the phone with the top officials people at SPOT. I probably had 20 calls with them and a similar number of emails. I got nothing but stonewalling for months. First, they told me that “this could never have happened”…they "always" dispatch within 2-3 minutes. Then, after FIVE MONTHS of asking them for their logs, they finally admitted to me that in fact it did take 45 minutes, and then they claimed that 45 minutes was an acceptable timeframe to reach emergency services.

After they finally admitted what had happened, they promised to send me by Fed Ex a new SPOT unit and give a year's service credit. Five weeks later, I have received no unit, gotten no service credit, and SPOT now won't return my phone calls. SPOT sets an absolute new LOW for customer service.

SPOT is a bunch of Keystone Cops. Don't buy this unit under any circumstances. And if you already bought it, do not rely upon it. If you ever need 911, you are better off trying to drag yourself up from the bottom of the canyon by your fingernails than hitting the 911 button and thinking that help is coming. It may not."

[chanceyy]

:gob: ... thanks for that review ...

[86GSXR]

Interesting, sounds like the Americans have the same issues as we do with our emergency services.

To be honest, I haven't experienced the SPOT 911 function. I do know that whenever it is activated in normal mode I get an email telling me it's location via google maps. So, it seems to do what it is supposed to do.

I think it's 911 function is set up to go to the NZ S & R guys, so they may be more onto it.

From what I've seen so far tho, I think it was a good buy, certainly better than nothing at all in an area without cell coverage.

Thanks for that though, hopefully we won't have to use it for real!