Rusty McNeil
Well-Known Member
I hesitated to post this due to the embarassment, but thought maybe others could learn from it.
I trailered the bike to Bandera last weekend, drove through Austin and picked up my 23 year old daughter Danielle, she was really looking forward to this ride. We have not ridden much together, maybe 100 miles total in the past.
Being nervous due to the ATV accident my 14 y. o. Ryan earleir this year, and also due to not riding much for the last year and a half, I stayed in the back with our "drag rider" out of 20+ bikes all day long and really took it slow and easy, trying to be extra careful with my daughter on board.
Leaving a stop sign in Leakey Texas I took off too vigorously without warning my daughter first, we'd gone all day and she seemed to be picking up on all the cues involved in the riding game and I didn't think she needed a heads up, and I wasn't thinking right to say the least.
25 mph in first gear she slid off the back of my Vmax, landed on her feet and then did a belly flop/face plant....I felt it happening and actually SAW it in my rear view mirror, and still see it every time I close my eyes as clear as day.
She was wearing a good jacket (two actually), boots and gloves, as well as a 3/4 helmet with face shield. She only had jeans on below the waist.
She took a good hit and deep abrasion on one knee, but internally the knee is fine. Her hands and the rest of her body are OK except her face.
Basically her face slammed into the face shield of her helmet, broke one tooth and took stitches in her lips and chin. Plus she got a knot on her head bad enough to get life flighted due to concern over brain trauma. She never lost consciousness. All the Cat scans, MRI's and x-rays passed and they kept her over night for observation. A plastic surgeon did the stitches.
She's going to need restorative dentistry, her face is black and blue and swollen, and she's sore as hell but is going to be OK.
Took all this week off to stay with her here in Austin and make sure she can handle all the things she does and get her to all the followup Dr visits, and maybe re-earn her trust.
I'm a lucky man she's ok, but I think two life flights for my girls in one year is a sign.
Don't know that I'll ever ride again at this point.....
Not looking for any words of sympathy, I don't deserve them, this accident was 100% my fault.
A trust was broken...............by me and my actions.......
I just would like to point out that the instinctive rider/passenger teamwork bond is not that instinctive, it's something that comes with time, and that someone on the back of your bike is placing thier life in YOUR hands. Don't forget it, and don't ever trust them to "KNOW" what to do, it's your responsibility; as it was mine....
In addition to that 1/2 helmet 3/4 helmets suck, 99% of her damage would not have happened had she been wearing a proper fitting full face helmet, and I too had the chance to put the kibosh on that and go buy a proper helmet
I trailered the bike to Bandera last weekend, drove through Austin and picked up my 23 year old daughter Danielle, she was really looking forward to this ride. We have not ridden much together, maybe 100 miles total in the past.
Being nervous due to the ATV accident my 14 y. o. Ryan earleir this year, and also due to not riding much for the last year and a half, I stayed in the back with our "drag rider" out of 20+ bikes all day long and really took it slow and easy, trying to be extra careful with my daughter on board.
Leaving a stop sign in Leakey Texas I took off too vigorously without warning my daughter first, we'd gone all day and she seemed to be picking up on all the cues involved in the riding game and I didn't think she needed a heads up, and I wasn't thinking right to say the least.
25 mph in first gear she slid off the back of my Vmax, landed on her feet and then did a belly flop/face plant....I felt it happening and actually SAW it in my rear view mirror, and still see it every time I close my eyes as clear as day.
She was wearing a good jacket (two actually), boots and gloves, as well as a 3/4 helmet with face shield. She only had jeans on below the waist.
She took a good hit and deep abrasion on one knee, but internally the knee is fine. Her hands and the rest of her body are OK except her face.
Basically her face slammed into the face shield of her helmet, broke one tooth and took stitches in her lips and chin. Plus she got a knot on her head bad enough to get life flighted due to concern over brain trauma. She never lost consciousness. All the Cat scans, MRI's and x-rays passed and they kept her over night for observation. A plastic surgeon did the stitches.
She's going to need restorative dentistry, her face is black and blue and swollen, and she's sore as hell but is going to be OK.
Took all this week off to stay with her here in Austin and make sure she can handle all the things she does and get her to all the followup Dr visits, and maybe re-earn her trust.
I'm a lucky man she's ok, but I think two life flights for my girls in one year is a sign.
Don't know that I'll ever ride again at this point.....
Not looking for any words of sympathy, I don't deserve them, this accident was 100% my fault.
A trust was broken...............by me and my actions.......
I just would like to point out that the instinctive rider/passenger teamwork bond is not that instinctive, it's something that comes with time, and that someone on the back of your bike is placing thier life in YOUR hands. Don't forget it, and don't ever trust them to "KNOW" what to do, it's your responsibility; as it was mine....
In addition to that 1/2 helmet 3/4 helmets suck, 99% of her damage would not have happened had she been wearing a proper fitting full face helmet, and I too had the chance to put the kibosh on that and go buy a proper helmet
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