Back on the 22nd of last month, I had spent the morning at work (machine shop for the Carnegie Observatory) and the afternoon at my engineering design class (solidworks) Shortly after hoping on my Harley to make the 15 minute drive home, apparently I was hit by an oncoming car, the driver was a woman who had a few to drink celebrating her birthday and misjudged the distance in making the left hand turn.
I woke up in bed at home the next morning, totally losing the evening prior, getting hit, taken to the hospital, and the refusal to spend the night there, apparently I told them I would crawl home if need be. Well my girlfriend had come and took me home and then looked after me for the next few days, bless her.
I later learned that I wasn't wearing my gloves, cue the swollen right hand middle finger base knuckle, and a few scrapes on the back of the hand and wrist. My helmet saved my life, I hit my head so hard the helmet was cracked and I still received a small gash to the back of my head, two staples. My Oakley M Frames perished but saved my eyes and left me with nothing but a small scratch above my right eye. my leather coat and shirt were cut off of me, and the laces for my Oakley boots were cut to get the boots off, however the boots themselves survived. On the lower extremities I suffered a bruised middle toe on the left foot, and some bone in my right foot/ankle/leg is fractured with a small amount of swelling, bruising and pain. My left lung is also bruised.
I have a lawyer taking care of everything for me, and I'm slowly healing. I just wanted to relate my story as a lesson to always wear your protective gear as it can and will save your life, I'd be dead if I hadn't worn a helmet but my injuries could have been less.
Unfortunately the Harley is dead (last silver softtail standard to leave the factory in '07) the frame is bent, front end sheared off, rear wheel ripped out I'm told. Also my internship at the observatory ended last week, so I lost out on the last two weeks of it, but my boss said I could come in to keep working on the two projects I have going on off the clock, who knows, he might even work it to get me paid. But I received a recognition at my college for my work and received an SPI 6" digital caliper, a 0-1" micrometer, s pretty decent C clamp and ton of Thai or Vietnamese instant coffee.
I woke up in bed at home the next morning, totally losing the evening prior, getting hit, taken to the hospital, and the refusal to spend the night there, apparently I told them I would crawl home if need be. Well my girlfriend had come and took me home and then looked after me for the next few days, bless her.
I later learned that I wasn't wearing my gloves, cue the swollen right hand middle finger base knuckle, and a few scrapes on the back of the hand and wrist. My helmet saved my life, I hit my head so hard the helmet was cracked and I still received a small gash to the back of my head, two staples. My Oakley M Frames perished but saved my eyes and left me with nothing but a small scratch above my right eye. my leather coat and shirt were cut off of me, and the laces for my Oakley boots were cut to get the boots off, however the boots themselves survived. On the lower extremities I suffered a bruised middle toe on the left foot, and some bone in my right foot/ankle/leg is fractured with a small amount of swelling, bruising and pain. My left lung is also bruised.
I have a lawyer taking care of everything for me, and I'm slowly healing. I just wanted to relate my story as a lesson to always wear your protective gear as it can and will save your life, I'd be dead if I hadn't worn a helmet but my injuries could have been less.
Unfortunately the Harley is dead (last silver softtail standard to leave the factory in '07) the frame is bent, front end sheared off, rear wheel ripped out I'm told. Also my internship at the observatory ended last week, so I lost out on the last two weeks of it, but my boss said I could come in to keep working on the two projects I have going on off the clock, who knows, he might even work it to get me paid. But I received a recognition at my college for my work and received an SPI 6" digital caliper, a 0-1" micrometer, s pretty decent C clamp and ton of Thai or Vietnamese instant coffee.
