Some accidents should not happen

By Garth Tohms

Nov. 13, 2008

You know how in the movies, when something traumatic happens to someone and they show it in slow motion, then speed it up to real time and chaos?

It was kind of like that.

I remember hearing a crushing sound in the distance. I remember being in the air, feet above me, kind of floating, surrounded by darkness, the whole time thinking, “No way! Someone did not just hit us! “At a red light?”

It was true.

I then found myself standing in the middle of Main Street in front of the SUV that had just hit us. I looked behind me and saw the crumpled motorcycle on the road. My girlfriend was standing on the road saying something that I couldn’t really comprehend. She was walking and talking so I figured she must be OK.

I looked back at the SUV driver as my urge to throttle him rose. Can you blame me? He could have killed us, made us just another statistic.

What really made me angry was the fact that we were sitting at a red light when he hit us. I don’t think I would have been as angry had I been the one who made an error in judgment, turned in front of him, or ran a light. But we were just sitting there, at a red light.

Several people saw what had happened and helped out. One guy called the cops for us. Others hung around to make witness statements.

I’m grateful to those very nice people, unlike those folks who were in their cars honking at us to get the broken bike and us off the road so they could go. To them I apologize for being in the way and taking up their precious time. Oddly, at the time I had an urge to throttle them as well.

The next day I went to my chiropractor to see the damage. I was surprised by his response when I told him what had happened.

Dr. Alevizos told me: “It happens all the time. I see several people each year who are rear ended at a red light on a bike.”

We were lucky. We walked away, while many others aren’t so fortunate. And I wonder how the guy who hit us feels. I don’t imagine it’s a good feeling to hear a clunk sound followed by seeing two people flying into the air.

So please, pay extra attention while driving during motorcycle season. Now I’m off to buy a lottery ticket.