I was riding my motorcycle north on Rt 1 just south of Stafford Virginia, Feb 14th. I was doing 55mph in the left lane and a 10 wheel flatbed truck was slowing down to make a right turn into a DOT lot which is back in the woods a little. A small Ranger sized truck was waiting to make a left turn from the DOT lot to go south and decided to make room for the 10 wheeler and pulled out and stopped crossways in the left lane, right in my path.
I could see he was looking to the right as I tried to stop. I immediately crossed off going in front as he wasn’t looking and I might hit him anyway. I crossed off sliding the bike and going straight imagining the damage. I decided to try and thread the needle by going behind and between the two trucks hoping the guy would pull forward.
Unfortunately he didn’t and I failed to thread the needle running into the wheel well and flying over to land in the road.
I had a Vetter windscreen on the bike which is mounted on the frame using a square metal support. My left knee hit that as I was propelled forward and ripped a 3″ x 3″ ‘L’ shaped flap just above the knee and also lifted the skin below the ‘L’ off the kneecap. I also fractured the cartilage between two toes. I also tore my left rotator cuff. There were various cuts and scrapes as well.
Weirdly while the knee looked the worst with a hanging flap of skin and all, the small cut below the knee was the worst based on the doctors as it cut a nerve trunk. As a result my left shin is partially numb. Other issues is a hyperextended ligament on the outside left knee causes pain now as I get older combined with the cracked cartilage in the foot causes limping.
But I did get to use a great line. I was in the emergency room on a gurney and allowed to call my now ex-wife.
“Hi, I have good news and bad news. The good news is I won’t be riding the bike anymore. The bad news is I’m in the emergency room.” 🙂
I spent a week in the hospital with the knee left open and packed with sterile gauze which was interesting. I used to have a picture but I don’t know where it is any more.