Why I get pisssed off.

[Jackrat]

It shouldn't come as any suprise to anyone thats been a member of this site for long that I don't like guys that ride fast.If it does come as a suprise,read this it may help you understand.
Easter 1985 and two other guys and myself are heading to Wellington for a club reunion.The trip was pretty uneventfull until we got to the turn off to foxton beach.The GSX1100 rider who was a good mate of mine kept leaving us behind so he didn't see when we pulled over for gas at the foxton intersection.Now I think it was Foxton but it could of been one of the other beach turn offs in that area,those of you who live down that way will know the place.The gas station is directly across the road from the intersection.
I filled up and then parked beside the Armco outside the gas station while waiting for my mate to finish doing his thing.As I'm siting waiting I see the 1100 in the distance as he has finaly worked out we arn't with him,and he's coming back looking for us.As I watch I can see he is coming real fast,what I didn't see until the last second was the Austin 1100 towing the 21foot trailer sailer coming up behind me.I guess the 1100 rider didn't notice him either,or if he did he sure didn't exspect what happened next.Just as the bike came level with the intersection the Austin turned right in front of him.I saw the whole thing unfold like some real bad nitemare and I can still see every little detail today.Of course he had no chance,He hit the Austin and bounced off that into the front of the boat,tore a big chuck off the front of the boat an then flew thru' the air an landed right in front of me,like two meters away.
I stepped out into the road and almost got collected by a car coming up behind me,I heard the noise and turned in time to see the tyre smoke and wide eyes of the driver but it didn't sink in until a couple of hours later.
I just ignored the car that had almost hit me an walked over to check out my mate.He was lying on his back but both legs were pointing the wrong way,All down the right side of his body looked like he had been done by a cheese grater.Just as I bent over to open his visor he gave a cough and blood gushed out of his mouth filling his helmet.He didn't move again after that and I just stood there like a stunned mullet.The next ten minites was real strange as some woman who said she was a nurse tryed to give him CPR,we could hear the broken bits inside him crunching as this dumb thing pushed on his chest.Then my other mate noticed the driver of the Austin siting on the road side crying,I had to drag him away as he was screaming abuse in the guys face and was set to smash him.I got him settled down and we both went an sat in the grass beside the gas station while the Cops showed up an got it sorted.The Cop had obviously seen it all before,he parked his car got out took one look,chucked a blanket over the body and then just sat in his car waiting the Ambo'.Another cop took statments from me and another couple of people who saw the whole thing and that was the last I ever heard of it,I don,t even know what happened to the Austin driver.What I do know about is the riders two kids and wife.At the service for him I could hardly look her in the eye and his kids were only two and three years old.The other guy there that day didn't even show at the sevice as he was to shattered by the whole thing.I have no problem with that as I almost didn't make it myself.
Easter has a whole different meaning to that woman and her two kids today.
It does to me as well,it used to be the big ride weekend,now it's just the weekend ##### died, I don't ride Easter weekend anymore.Not ever!!

[750Y]

a sobering story.. be careful out there people.

[Angry Puppy]

Sobering indeed. Adds perspective to the various speed and accident related topics.

Fazer Bloke

[KATWYN]

I can't believe you still ride a m/bike after witnessing that event.

[Hitcher]

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And hopefully helps you keep things in perspective. There are nearly as many people die from influenza and food poisoning each year in New Zealand than are killed on the roads, and probably even more from "hump attacks", but I still intend to eat, breathe, ride motorbikes and enjoy other pleasures that may potentially prove fatal!

Carpe diem!

[k14]

Woah, thats pretty sad to hear. Do you have an estimate on what speed he was doing?

Its storys like those that make me slow down and that are the best for getting the message through. I read a bit by bit account about this girl that went wide on a corner and hit a truck and came with an inch of dieing. It had a full account of her recovery etc, not nice to hear.

Cheers Jackrat.

[Motoracer]

Thank you for shareing your experience with us Jack. All of us can learn and benifit from this. I feel that this specially makes me want to stick to the speed limit within populated areas and intersections etc.

Hitcher is right as well. We can't stop living because of the fear of dieing. A good mate of mine just had an accident cause of some dumb ***** who did a Uie infront of him. He is someone, who I consider to be one of the top road riders out there. If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone. My mate was only saved cause he wears the right gear all the time.

All we can really do is eliminate the harmful factors (full protection, speed limiting according to enviroment etc) as much as we can and move on with our lives.

[Big Dog]

Same sort of reason I don't like christmas or drink driving.
We are our own best freinds and our own worst enemies.

I don't ride a lot at christmas, mainly cos I'm in no condition to.
I just hope you lot remember the dangers when you egg on newbies.

[Ms Piggy]

Thanks for sharing that Jackrat - I can't imagine it would be an easy thing to put down on paper (so to speak). :disapint: Cheers for being honest & open enough to share such a personal event.

[SPman]

Woah, thats pretty sad to hear. Do you have an estimate on what
speed he was doing?
Cheers Jackrat.

Does it really matter? Fast!

I can't believe you still ride a m/bike after witnessing that event.

Something like that is totally shattering, but life goes on and what would, not riding, acheive? But, it certainly affects your outlook on things.

Dad gave up riding after seeing his mate killed and nearly being done in, himself, in 1939. He wishes he didnt!

A sobering account, Jack. Thanks.

[speedpro]

Unfortunate story. This sort of experiance has taught me to always expect the other person to do the most unlikely thing. Which is why I always pay lots of attention and give a wide berth to parked cars with drivers in them and at intersections always expect the other vehicle to act as if I'm not there. It happened a few times when I was less experianced and I've had "close" calls basically because I was expecting it.

Riders who try and place the blame totally on the car driver who pulled in front of them, even if it was a typical case of "I didn't see him", need to know that it is up to the rider to avoid the accident as other vehicles are always going to be pulling out and the rider is the one who will end up in hospital. I'm sure there's a better way of wording this but riders must take some responsibility knowing that there is an increased likelihood of this sort of thing when you are on your bike versus in the car.

[Lou Girardin]

For every story like this, there are thousands who don't die. My mate died travelling at the speed limit, after 25 years of hooning around.
There's a time, place and method for enjoying speed. That wasn't one of them.
Lou

[James Deuce]

Thanks for that Jackrat. Timely reminder, especially given the way the roads are over Easter.

The Nurse was legally obligated to attempt CPR. If she hadn't and it was proved she was at the accident she may have lost her registration.

[bluninja]

Sobering stuff JR. This week a 32 year old lady in the next road died failing to negotiate a bend and hit a tree, and a 51 year old died, also hitting a tree failing to make a bend....don't know the speed they were travelling, but it was enough to kill them.

I can only imagine how this has affected you....driving along the road where I hit a tractor with my bike, (going below the speed limit) I still get anxious and worried...even in a car and thats 2.5 years gone by.
TTFN

[Jackrat]

Don't really know what to say to most of the questions and replys.
I think maybe Lou' has it right,Things happen and life goes on.
The incident did affect me in a number of ways but most I couldn't put into words.I was having a bad day when I started this thread and now if I could go back and unwrite it I would.
Maybe if somebody got something from it,it was worth it.