I fell a lot when I started riding at 52. A lot of my falls were because I got scared and tried to stop in the middle of something. Had to learn to let the bike roll through it. Some falls were just sudden otb's. Broke my wrist when my bike slipped in the mud. I find the 29er to be much more stable and at 57 I ride better and take less risks, falls are rare. If I could ride as fast as the young guys around here do, I would be in bad shape after a fall. Slower speed crashes aren't so bad. Road bikes are higher speed and you fall on concrete, that scares me more.
Sad about the guy that went off the bridge. Actually I heard he totally missed the bridge and was no doubt flying at full speed, he landed wrong and broke his neck. I think when death wants to take you, it doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing, it will find a way. Better to die doing what you love than some of the other available options.