BajaNomad

Thankgiving 2006 motoride!

Minnow - 1-8-2007 at 08:19 AM

This is a late report, as I wanted to make sure of the final outcome before posting. For those who helped during this awfull event, thank you.

Thanksgiving day 2006 at 12 noon. My wife, Yhomariz, was hit by a small truck, while riding her motorcycle across the La Bufadora highway, approx km 3. We were returning from a ride to aguas caliente on our way to our house in Cantu. Approx 40 miles round trip. The car that hit her was traveling, at my estimation, between 55 and 70 mph. He never slowed down until the impact, which was TREMENDOUS!

I had just crossed the road, a mistake, and was waiting for Yho to cross. I thought she saw the car, she thought I was waving her across. A combination of mistakes that can lead to someone being killed. Lucky for us that is not what happened.

The truck hit Yho's/My wifes bike 3/4 way up the gas tank ,and just behind the handle bars. She recounts, that after seeing the look on my face, and then glancing right to see the car,She veered left, thereby avoiding a direct impact that would have placed her directly in front of the pick up. Yho was thrown 10 ft in the air and approx 45 ft. down the road. It sounded as though a bomb had gone off. I was in a complete panic. Everything seemed as though it happened in slow motion. I feared the worst.

However, She was in full riding gear. She ended up in a sort of ball in the midle of the road, and kind of on one side. Running up to her, I expected the worst, but she looked remarkably intact. I did not move her, and many people started to emerge from nearby homes and business' to help with the situation. They directed traffic and such. I just held Yho's hand and told her everything looked to be ok. She couldn't move her legs, but her hands had feeling. Just before the ambulance came she realized she had feeling in her toes and wanted me to take her boots off, which I did. Then she wanted me to take pictures, I didn't want to, thinking everyone there would think i was crazy, but I ended up doing it anyway. Yho seemed to be OK. Her right boot was almost completely blown off. Her right glove was blown off, Her googles were ripped off and had a hole in the lense. All of her body parts seemed to be in the righ place though.

So off she goes in the ambulance.

I ended up riding back to my house to get a truck to drive to the hospital in Maneadero. The word of the accident had already reached some of our neighbors who were waiting at the emergency room. When I arrived Yho was in having x-rays taken. The doctors and staff were very friendly towards me and allowed me to wait in the room where she would be taken after the x-rays. The reassured me with what I already knew, considering what had happend she was in pretty good shape.

The really amazing thing was when she was hit she kind of slid up the hood of the car and hit the windshield. It popped her straight up into the air where she was horizontal to the ground. She was wearing a backpack that had two towels and a bottle one litter bottle of poweraide in it. The long skinny kind. When she landed, flat on the backpack, the bottle exploded acting like a air bag.

Yho and the doctors emerged from the x-rays with news that nothing was broken, though she was bruised pretty badly. They said she was free to go home, and basically walked out of the hospital.

The police did show up to the hospital and asked me to come down to the station, which I did. They said someone needed to pay for the towing for the bike, but since neither myself or the other driver filed a report there would be no fines. Towing was 400 pesos and they then gave me the mangled bike back.

The hospital bill including ambulance, x-rays, and prescription drugs, came to a whopping 350pesos. The doctor said I didn't have to pay anything, but I had that much in my pocket still so they wrote the bill up to reflect that.

All in all, and incredible experience. One that I never want to repeat, but will not soon forget.

TMW - 1-8-2007 at 08:28 AM

Thank goodness she is OK. Very lucky to not have something broke.

DianaT - 1-8-2007 at 08:30 AM

So glad you wife is OK----hard to believe after that impact, and sure happy she was wearing full riding gear. :yes:

Take care and be careful
Diane

Minnow - 1-8-2007 at 08:57 AM

Fifteen minutes before the accident.

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Minnow - 1-8-2007 at 09:00 AM

emergency crews.






[Edited on 8-1-2007 by Minnow]

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Minnow - 1-8-2007 at 09:01 AM

How close is too close?

[Edited on 8-1-2007 by Minnow]

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Minnow - 1-8-2007 at 09:15 AM

Here we are together a day or so before.

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Bob H - 1-8-2007 at 09:27 AM

Wow, what a story! I am sure happy with the end result though - nothing broken. It could have been a lot worse. And, it looks like she was well taken care of by the emergency crew and hospital staff.
Bob H

Minnow - 1-8-2007 at 09:29 AM

If you can imagine, half the clutch cover on the motor was sheared off too. Another inch to the left and she would have lost her leg at the knee. another four inches and she probably would have went under the car.

I can only thank god thats not what happened.

Yes, bob. They even gave us a CD of all the x-rays. Two full sets of everything that looked injured. The ortho in the states said they looked good too. His 10 minute evaluation cost alot more than what everything cost in MX.:lol:

[Edited on 8-1-2007 by Minnow]

lizard lips - 1-8-2007 at 06:55 PM

Im glad all is well with your wife.What an experience. Good thing Bruce did'nt hear about this. Im sure it would have been alot worse.....

Minnow - 1-10-2007 at 01:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by lizard lips
Im glad all is well with your wife.What an experience. Good thing Bruce did'nt hear about this. Im sure it would have been alot worse.....


What do you mean by that Dan?:P

Cypress - 1-10-2007 at 01:48 PM

Minnow, You and your wife are very lucky.:) Good story!:spingrin:

comitan - 1-10-2007 at 01:49 PM

What he meant is, Bruce being a such a concerned person and help everyone, he would have rushed up there to help you if he knew. (Fact)

[Edited on 1-10-2007 by comitan]

Minnow - 1-10-2007 at 01:56 PM

OK, I that is what I was thinking also. :lol::lol:

I would have called Hose A first though. He is quiet, but really a nice guy. His wife is an angel though. Sometimes it am amazed at how gringos get these beautiful mexican ladies.:lol::lol:

Angels?

Sharksbaja - 1-11-2007 at 01:34 PM

There is one looking after your wife, a very lucky woman considering the speed and impact angle. Will she still ride on the streets? Two people I knew were not so suerte.

Minnow - 1-11-2007 at 04:23 PM

Sharks, I have riden and owned motorcycles most of my life. Even so, my wife is a way bigger moto head than me.

To clarify, we were not riding on the pavement. We were only crossing it. We were on a dirt road, but our path took us across MX 1 and the La Bufadora highway.

Anyway, we learned many lessons that day. The most important of which is to look both ways before crossing the road.:lol:

We both recoginize this as what it was, an accident. She is down to eight lives though.

The bike she was on was not even ours. A friend had left it at our house and my wife decided to ride it as hers was in the shop. Boy is he going to be suprised when he comes to get it.:lol: Murry, I hope your not reading.

Sharksbaja - 1-11-2007 at 04:54 PM

:o Well that doesn't surpise me, considering 3/4 of the drivers are crosseyed down there. Myself, rode dirt bikes for many years. Got rid of my YZ back in 1980. Was hard to get (some) girls onboard for a dinner date. :lol: Good on you guys for learning to look both ways. TWICE!

Bajalover - 1-12-2007 at 03:53 PM

Minnow, scary story! Glad Yho is well. Good fortune on all future rides. Hope the driver of the truck was on his knees praying.
Guess I'll stick to 4x4 and kayaking.

Minnow - 1-12-2007 at 04:10 PM

Thanks, I appreciate it Brandy, or was it ie?:lol:

Minnow - 1-15-2007 at 01:41 PM

Sorry Baja lover, I think I have the wrong person. Beers are on me.:bounce: