Emotionally drained after witnessing motorcycle accident aftermath

gcvmom

Here we go again!
On our way to the psychiatrist's this morning, we were in the carpool lane and up ahead the traffic was stopping. Our lane slowed but continued forward, and as we drove up, there were two cars (#1 and #2 lanes) stopped. I saw two men running up from the other direction and quickly realized that there was a body in the road. I managed to blurt out to the kids to shut their eyes before we were within sight of the motorcyclist who'd been killed. There was some debris on the road, but no sign of the bike. No blood, and the guy still had his helmet and leather jacket on, but he looked like a twisted rag doll.

I cried the rest of the trip. :sad-very: Thank God the kids listened to me and averted their eyes.

An hour later on our way back home, the coroner was there and just getting started removing the body. Sheriff deputies were standing around and traffic was backed up for miles.

As we passed the accident scene, I heard on the radio that on the next freeway we take to get home, about 5 miles past our exit a tanker truck rolled over caught fire and exploded, shutting down the entire freeway in both directions. The black smoke was visible for miles. It's a major artery for out-of-county travel, especially on holiday weekends.

This was just not a good morning to be on the road. :sick:
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I saw the tanker fire on the news a bit ago and I wondered...

What I cannot get through to husband is that - even if he is wearing all of his gear and being safe - some other drivers just AREN'T. And every time he rides I go panicky inside.
 

Marcie Mac

Just Plain Ole Tired
SO was on the 91 and called me to go on line and find out what happened because traffic came to a halt - I saw the tanker overturned but it said nothing about a motorcycle.

How sad

Marcie
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Yes, we're in SoCal. Marcie, the motorcyclist went down on the SB 55fwy at the 5fwy overpass. I think these events happened within an hour of eachother. No doubt the tanker was a more dramatic story that affects more people for a longer period, so that's what made the news. The 55 was probably only shut down for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Last I heard, the 91 won't be open (at least eastbound) before later this evening.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
UPDATE: The mortocyclist was actually on the 5fwy overpass travelling at a high rate of speed, hit the connector wall and fell to his death 36 feet below. Still horrible to consider... can you imagine being the person whose car he landed in front of? It's possible he was run over afterwards, considering how much traffic was there at the time. :sick:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37402639
 

mstang67chic

Going Green
OMG....logically you have to know that if you were the one who ran over him, at that point it probably didn't make a bit of difference. But like you said....what an awful feeling. Of course, the entire thing sounds horrible. I'm sorry you had to see what you did but also glad the kids didn't.

Also glad you weren't anywhere near the tanker when it exploded. That couldn't have been good either.

Hugs.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
Even a careful, good biker is at much greater risk because of other drivers. People don't notice bikes when they should.

The son of one of my best friends used to ride a motor bike. He always was an accident-prone kid and when he bought the bike she really worried about him. With cause - he slipped on a wet road one day. He was probably nudged by a car, he couldn't remember much about it. But he got out of it with only a broken leg, although it needed to be pinned and plated.

His mother held his 21st birthday party in a downstairs nightclub. I was too ill to go (pregnant with difficult child 3) but I heard all about it. This club had a long staircase going down, I believe there were about 20 or 21 steps. At each stair, his mother had pinned up - not photos, but X-rays, each one showing an injury he'd had to that time. She saved the motorbike accident films for the bottom steps. But she had the broken arm when he fell from the play equipment; she had the fractured skull from swinging on a rope over the river (and letting go at the wrong time, to slam back into a tree); the worry is, she had enough broken bones images to have a separate set for each step down into the club.

The good news is - he's still alive and seemingly in one piece. Inside there is still a fair bit of metal holding him together though.

When I last spoke to him, he was talking about buying himself another motor bike...

Marg
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
OMG. How tragic ... for everyone.
My husband used to ride a motorcycle. Too dangerous. No more.
It's just taking your life in your own hands.
Take care of yourself. I would have cried all day, too.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Gvcmom,
This is so sad. I'm sorry you had to come across the aftermath. I would have been crying too. Strange coincidence,today one of my co-workers came in and broke down in tears with me because she said she came across the aftermath of a car/bicycle accident. She didn't think the biker was going to survive.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I am so sorry you had to see that. I would have cried for hours too.

Take something to help you get to sleep tonight. Even if it is just 2 benadryl or a zyrtec, you will not regret it.

Hugs.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
My prayers are with your family for having to have seen such a horrific thing. Our prayers also go out to all the fallen brothers and the family they leave behind.

Many Hugs GCV....Love Star
 
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