Almost lost my son Saturday night.....

[Terry Sumner]

Late Sat night into Sunday morning around 0200, my son TJ got struck from behind on his Harley by a girl friend of his driving her Jeep Cherokee. The impact sent him flying through the air and his hip landed on the guard rail and he ended up over the side of the guard rail. The Cherokee ended up with it's front bumper on top of his seat and the bike was under the front axle! The seat was mangled as was the rear fender, tire, wheel, belt guard and other parts in the rear. No damage to anything forward of that although his left handlebar was bent downward a few degrees. He is getting better every day with no bad injuries...he's just sore all over and felt like he got into a fight with Evander Holyfield! ...and lost!

Story goes like this incredibly... He was at a friends house with a bunch of other friends...some on bikes. Friend 1 leaves and heads south, followed a minute or two later by friend #2 on his bike with his girlfriend on the back. Then TJ left about 5 - 6 minutes after #2. About a mile down the road, friend #1 crashes and is on the side of the road unconscious. Friend #2 comes upon the accident and immediately parks his bike and runs over to #1 to see if he is alive or what. Girlfriend calls 911. 5 minutes later TJ is coming along and the stupid girlfriend hears him coming and jumps out into the middle of the road, right on the friggen centerline, and starts waving her arms frantically at TJ. TJ is startled by the female in the middle of the road at 2 AM and swerves to avoid her. Meanwhile his female friend is following TJ in her Jeep. She can't stop in time and she slams into TJ sending him for his aforementioned trip through the air.

TJ got up and with the adrenalin flowing feels ok and runs over to #1 and immediately goes into EMT mode and attends to his buddy, #1, who is unconscious. TJ gets him conscious and does an assessment, finding lacerated face, and a triple compound fracture in right arm. Then he held his head straight (C-spine) until the ambulance people get there. I get called at 2:30 and go to the scene. Scared sheetless of course.... But TJ appears ok. It wasn't until Sunday that the soreness came upon him and he has a monster bruise on his right thigh....probably from smacking it on the guard rail I guess...

Friend #1 was hospitalised and just was released today. Has a broken neck. Doctors told him that if it wasn't for TJ he would probably have been dead or at least a parplegic. He knows he has TJ to thank for his life and has said so numerous times. And this kid #1 is like a second son to me. His father was a cop with me for many years and died 7 years ago from an infection resulting from knee replacement surgery! He even calls me Pops all the time.

Came close to losing both those boys that night... and no...no helmets. Although...wouldn't have mattered in this case for there were no skull injuries. Just lucky in that regard I guess.

And it is unknown why #1 crashed in the first place. Where he crashed is on a sharp turn to the right. It's out in the sticks so there could have been a deer run across the road. Or there could have been a car coming at him that crowded the lane...just don't know because #1 doesn't remember a thing!

I tell ya guys...ya just never know......

[James2]

Been rid'n a long time, hate to hear of these late night leaving from my buddies house stories. Could a been a lot worse.

Hope all heal up quickly, ride on!

[Fat Brian]

Wow, they are very fortunate.

[Guest G Holding]

Sounds like they ride with the Lord

get well, ride free

[charlie8575]

Lucky indeed!

I hope they realize they all used their free passes on this one! Those guys need to be in helmets, and the girls need to be taught some common sense.

I hope they all heal and have full recoveries.

Charlie Larkin

[Guest Johnny]

Glad to hear he is alright Terry! Sounds like there was two very lucky riders that night!

I always loved riding at night but yet found it to be scarey too!

[mnwildpunk]

Glad to hear everyone will be ok

[Junkman]

Terrible, terrible, terrible.

I have to say that I had my share of shunts in 25 years of motorsport, I have seen people die, I recently had my first big crash with a car on public roads which left four people injured (albeit slightly, but still), I had a towing service for several years, and I've been an undertaker for almost 10 years now.

Even with this track record, I'm not hardened enough that fatal accidents, or accidnets that leave people seriously injured, leave me untouched.

But - knock on wood - I never had even the slightest mishap on a motorbike, race, or road. I have lost a few of my biker friends, and I have collected a larger number of unknown (to me) bikers over the years, than I would have liked.

In short, I know exactly how you feel. And what my parents must have felt like when I bought my first motorcycle.

Be glad that your son lives to tell the story, and I hope his friend will recover quickly.

[Dr. Cranky]

Terry, that sound horrifying, and I am glad to hear there were no casualties. Helmets, for me, are a big deal. I never get on without mine. No way, no sir.

[Danny Lectro]

TJ sounds like a good man, leaping into action to help his friend like that. All the more reason for him to wear his helmet, as we need people like him to still be around.

[Agent G]

I held my breath when I saw this. It got worse as I read. Thank Goodness everyone's ok.

G

[Terry Sumner]

No question it was a tough night. Even though I've investigated or assisted or supervised the investigations of many many fatal accidents over the years, it's a hugely different thing when it's your child! So thankful for how it turned out. Thanks guys...haven't mentioned this until now just because I've had a hard time even talking much about it....

[Ben]

Glad to hear everyone made it! I bet TJ's girlfriend feels terrible.

[Rob McKee]

What a terrible situation Terry.

I wish TJ all the best on his road to recovery.

[jcbigpaw]

Sure glad to hear everyone came out okay. Motorcycles are a blast but when things happen they happen fast and the results are usually messy. I've ridden my whole life and thank the Lord I've never had anything worse than a few scrapes. You seem to think about it more when you get older though. Give your son a big hug and be thankful for every minute you have. None of us ate promised to have tomorow.

[Joe Handley]

They're a couple of lucky kids you got there Terry, that first wreck could have gone sooooo much worse and if their friend's Cherokee was the same type as what my Dad, Sister, and myself have had, those can pack a serious wallop for how small and light they are when compared to other SUV's (and some mid sized and larger cars)!

[Dragline]

WOW, LUCK is the only word that comes to mind here. I am very happy that things were only as bad as stated. It could have been far worse. Your son did a wonderful thing and helped save that boy that was on the road side. I hope there was a lesson learned and that the future will see them BOTH wearing helmets.

In 1985 I was in in Daytona during bike week on my scoot. At only 15 MPH I was run off the road and stuffed underneath a mailbox with multiple fractures, punctured lung and a broken bike to boot. All by a 72 year old retiree who was late for his Tee time. I had a small skullcap on which is my preferred helmet and that was all that saved me from being a drooling idiot for the rest of my days.

I still have most of the scooter and [arguably] most of my grey matter. I consider myself lucky and I'm certain they do as well. 6 years later I was AGAIN run off the road at a much higher speed and again was saved by my admittedly small skullcap type helmet. Although considered a minor accident by the police and Ins co it was not minor to me.

Bike accidents are NEVER minor. Nice to know they are in good nick.

Bob

[Terry Sumner]

Glad to hear everyone made it! I bet TJ's girlfriend feels terrible.

She sure does. The poor girl didn't see TJ go flying and she thought he was under her car and that she killed him. She was still shaking when I got there....

[mikemodeler]

Very scary story to read Terry but the outcome seems to be promising. My wishes for a full and speedy recovery to all and hope this is the last such experience for them!

[jamesG]

glad your boys are ok. also glad to here that the accident was not because they were doing something stupid.

do they plan to keep riding? If so tell them to take a rider safety course if they haven't already. I did when I started riding 11 years ago and it has helped keep me shiney side up many times.

[Dave Van]

Thank God it was no worse than it was....sounds like it could have been!! Reminds me of what my mom would tell me the day after I'd come home a 2 or 3 am......'nothing good happens after midnight'!! I hated it when she would say that...but understand better now that I have 3 kids!!