Rta Today

Evening all - so not sure where to post this so I'll just stick it in the Lounge Forum for the time being - someone will move it if necessary I'm sure.

So half 11 this morning and I realised I'd not bought any bacon for my Saturday bacon buttie so I hop on the V-Max to nip to Sainsburys like you do. End of my road, turn left, over the brow of the hill and I arrive at what can only be described as mayhem.

People in the road, on phones, shouting, people with hands on heads people waving at cars to slow them down etc. etc.
So I filter past the queue of 10 or so cars, park up the Max and start to pick up the bits.

Basically a guy in a Skoda got a bit impatient and went for a half arsed overtake of a Land Rover Discovery and a motorhome on a set of twisties, not realising an XJR1300 was coming the other way. As I understand it the XJR somehow managed to avoid the head on (thank god) but the Skoda clipped his leg and spat him off into a field beside the road.

So I've arrived literally 30 seconds later and its pandemonium obviously.

So what did I do ?
Checked the bike, turned off the ignition and hit the kill switch, scanned and smelt for petrol - no sign so no ruptured fuel tank.
Next asked if there was anyone who knew first aid - there wasn't so went to check on the biker - he was screaming and writhing in pain so clearly in a way - knelt beside him, grabbed his hand and started talking to him. Calmly and quietly.
What's your name.
Where does it hurt
And you know what - the whole scene just got very calm right there - 3 people on the phone to the ambulance, they wanted his name so I asked and then gave it to them.
Kept the guy talking, who was he ? Where was he going ? No, don't look at it - other than the leg where does it hurt ?
Did you black out ?
Who took your helmet off etc.

By now a binman had taken control of the road and was directing traffic around the scene, a lady had brought towels to cover his leg to stop the flies (big horse flies in this neck of the woods) getting to the open wound, and another girl and her boyfriend brought some hoodies to rest his head on - he'd taken his helmet off so I handed it to another girl and told her to put it under his knee to take the weight of his leg which (once he'd stopped screeching) actually helped him immensely.
Basically his leg was a 'Z' shape from the knee down - bone sticking out and blood everywhere - so his lid took the weight of his leg and he calmed almost immediately as a result. Amazing what seeing bone outside the body and significant blood does to people - sheer panic in some cases.

Anyway, he was calm enough to ask me to get his phone so he could call his wife which I did (3 attempts to unlock - I'm such a spanner with those things) and he then had a very garbled conversation with her before handing me the phone - so I spoke to her as well, told her he was fine, that his leg was a bit of a mess and that I'll get someone to call her once they knew which hospital he was heading to. He'd not let go of my hand at all at this point btw - he just kept clinging on to it so I knew he was close to going into shock. His missus was a little hysterical at first but after talking to me she seemed to find that inner strength that women seem to have and she calmed to understand what I was saying and then we rung off.

Air ambulance came, paramedics turned up and I have to say, those guys were top drawer, very calm, very collected and they took total control of the situation and unlike me only made him squeal once !
Rozzers finally turned up as well and to be honest, they must have been going some lick because they were hyper on adrenaline - I may even have had a calming word there as well you know

Road closed, statements etc etc.

So not looking for any plaudits just wanted to put this out there to say
1) ride safe, this guy had done nothing wrong and just got taken out, wrong place, wrong time - keep aware of your road ahead and always expect the unexpected !
2) drive safe - the skoda driver was a biker - he was absolutely distraught and it took all his mate and I could do to keep him calm as well - he took full responsibility, he went to straight to the guy with his first aid kit - he fucked up, he knew it and the ramifications of that had hit home. So take it easy in the car as well then guys huh ? Them big bits of steel are very unforgiving.
3) Turns out I was the oldest (at 48 ffs!) on scene, drivers, coppers, paramedics - the lot (!) but I would like to think my calm tones, no shouting, just calm clear instructions helped the situation so yes, even if the world is ending around you and you're arse is on fire, keep calm, keep rational and you'll find people will respond to that.
And 4) - I've been thinking about this all afternoon, as soon as that guy saw a helmet and a friendly pair of eyes his hand instantly reached for mine, and I didn't even hesitate to take it - so don't ever be afraid to go and kneel in the dirt next to an injured biker, hold him / her by the hand and tell them its ok - it may not be ok but that 2 wheeled link, that may be the thing that stops them going into shock and making a bad situation worse.

He's now in hospital, he was alive and well when he left us, he may lose the bottom half of his right leg but he's still with us to tell the tale.

So yeah, just putting it down here because I live alone, not got many friends as I'm not really a people guy but just wanted to make sure that everyone on 2 wheels knows, when the skoda wipes you out, I'll be certain to stop to try and help any way I can - even if its just to hold your hand in the ditch. Hopefully someone will hold mine one day once V-Max has had enough of me riding it like a dick...

Shit Saturday afternoon but there we are.

Peace & Love

 

Fourbears the detective

Front left of the chopper - 100m - kneeling in the field.

 

And yes, bacon buttie at 3pm never tasted so good

 

Evening all - just a quick update on this one - spoke to the guy Thursday evening and had a good catch up, he's still with us but on some serious pain killers, anti-depressants etc and is not is a very good way at all.

The doctors discussed all week with him his options, keeping the leg would mean multiple operations, nerve transplants from his side to his leg etc and then 4 to 5 years recovery, probably pain filled as well. The other option of course was to remove the leg and this was their preferred way forward so that's the option he selected. He was due in surgery Friday and as I've been away I've not had a chance to catch up with him as to how it went but right from the off, given the state of the leg at the scene, I thought this might be the case.

Driver being prosecuted so there'll be court cases, insurance claims etc etc. and a few more lawyers getting rich from other people's misery as usual.

He's alive though and when all said and done, that's what really counts...