Serious accident

**pfunk12** · 09-03-2009, 07:57 AM

Chris is the director for international programs at Washington State University. Very nice, cool guy. My co-workers and I have been collaborating with him for many years on our international development projects. Based on the newspaper article and the latest word we received from WSU, it sounds as if he is lucky to be alive. He has A LOT of broken bones.

http://media.spokesman.com/documents...Document1_.pdf

**Eden** · 09-03-2009, 11:21 AM

I wish him well and hope he has a complete and speedy recovery.

and grrrrrr to the news article that once again tries to pin driver error on the cyclist. I don't honestly care how fast the cyclist was traveling the *driver* pulled out in front of him. Please, please, please cite the driver. It's called failure to yield!

**pfunk12** · 09-03-2009, 11:47 AM

I completely agree, Eden. It definitely made it sound like it was Chris' fault just because he was cycling fast.

**7rider** · 09-03-2009, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by pfunk12

I completely agree, Eden. It definitely made it sound like it was Chris' fault just because he was cycling fast.

He might not have been cycling fast at all - but many people just have no concept of just how fast an adult on a bicycle can travel. Anything faster than toodling along at a walking pace, and "oh...he was riding his bike reeeally fast!"

No...maybe since he was on a public road, he was riding at an appropriate speed and some ding dong cut in front of him.

But, geez, P. Don't post anything labelled "serious accident." Cripe. I thought it was you, and I freaked out. It's horrible when someone gets hit - especially someone you know and work with. But, I have to admit...I breathed a sigh of relief when this was not a ride report for you!

**colby** · 09-03-2009, 12:08 PM

So you're driving along, minding your own business, you go to take a left turn, and OUT OF NOWHERE COMES A BICYCLE!!!!

Yeah, right.

I hope he recovers well and the driver gets cited.

**pfunk12** · 09-03-2009, 12:54 PM

Funny (or not!)...but after I sent it, I realized that given my track record for crashes, you may have thought it was about me. Every morning when I arrive at work, my secretary asks me if I had a crash. Not funny! I told her that my first one was June 2nd and my second one was August 2nd - which means I am due for another one on October 2nd. I may stay off the bike that day!

Originally Posted by 7rider

He might not have been cycling fast at all - but many people just have no concept of just how fast an adult on a bicycle can travel. Anything faster than toodling along at a walking pace, and "oh...he was riding his bike reeeally fast!"

No...maybe since he was on a public road, he was riding at an appropriate speed and some ding dong cut in front of him.

But, geez, P. Don't post anything labelled "serious accident." Cripe. I thought it was you, and I freaked out. It's horrible when someone gets hit - especially someone you know and work with. But, I have to admit...I breathed a sigh of relief when this was not a ride report for you!

**pfunk12** · 03-02-2010, 09:14 AM

Chris, the cyclist who was badly hurt after being hit by a car, visited with me and my colleagues this morning. Very cool and funny guy. We spent the first 15 minutes of the meeting getting the full story on the accident and his recovery. He looks great and his (long) recovery is going well. He broke his right shoulder in 2 places...broke the socket in the shoulder...broke his neck...broke his leg...head injuries, etc. He lost his sense of smell and taste. He lost 70% of hearing in one ear. Not pretty. He was in the hospital for 2 weeks, in a wheelchair for 2 months. He had to have walls in his house torn down because of the wheelchair. He's still doing physical therapy. But...he is back on the bike! And his wife even told him that he can buy a new bike

. He has no memory of the accident or what happened after the accident. The driver did not get cited

and according to the police report, "the victim hit the car" - even though the car made a left turn into Chris. He said that he was only going about 15 mph so he wasn't going that fast. Even though that shouldn't matter. And according to the police report, the first question he asked was, "What country am I in?"

Because of his position at the university, he does a lot of international travel so in his mind, he was thinking, "Please don't let me be in Afghanistan" because he had just been there. During our meeting, he forgot something and he burst out laughing and said, "It's from the crash! I blame the crash. I can use that excuse for years when I forget something."
Anyway, it was great to see him doing so well.

**Eden** · 03-02-2010, 10:03 AM

That's a real shame that the driver didn't get cited. My accident last June was the same thing - driver turned left in front of me. Technically yes, I hit her, but she was the one who failed to yield. I wasn't badly injured, was totally conscious and pretty mad.... so she didn't get to tell tales and did indeed get a ticket for failure to yield. (cop even said it was pretty clear cut).

Good to hear that Chris is doing better. It sounds like quite the harrowing crash! If he was only going about 15mph (it was about the same for me probably 15-20) makes me wonder how fast the car was going! Then again I think my biggest stroke of luck was that it was a *car* that I tangled with. Vans and SUV's are just so much worse.

**7rider** · 03-02-2010, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by pfunk12

The driver did not get cited

and according to the police report, "the victim hit the car" - even though the car made a left turn into Chris.

That's distressing. Isn't "Failure to yield the right of way" a citable offense??

Glad to hear Chris is doing better - and that he has the support of his wife to get riding again. That was quite a wreck. My friend, Terry, has no such support for riding from his wife and daughters. He'll talk my ear off about biking, tho, still!

Still....it's a conversation I'm happy to have, just knowing that he survived his accident (he also lost his sense of smell from it).

**Tri Girl** · 03-02-2010, 06:41 PM

I'm so glad he's alive, but I know he'll have a tough road to recovery ahead. Wishing him all the best in his recovery!!!

I've always said that the only legal form of murder in the US is killing a cyclist or pedestrian. It's sad, but true...

**pfunk12** · 03-02-2010, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Tri Girl

I'm so glad he's alive, but I know he'll have a tough road to recovery ahead. Wishing him all the best in his recovery!!!

I've always said that the only legal form of murder in the US is killing a cyclist or pedestrian. It's sad, but true...

Amazingly, he is doing really well. My co-workers and I didn't know what to expect but he looks great. Of course, while we were telling him how great he looked, he started telling us how difficult the recovery has been. He lost a ton of weight - all muscle. He talked about struggling in the wheelchair with his arm in the sling - completely relying on his wife and others around him.

When my co-worker asked him if he was back on the bike, he said, "Of course! I refuse to pay those ridiculous university parking fees!"

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