Reservist recalls 'lucky' motorcycle accident

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. John Griffin
  • 482nd Maintenance Squadron
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  "Lucky" ... That's what the doctor told me as I was being pushed through a set of double doors at the hospital. "Boy, you sure are lucky."

I was a little mad at him for saying that at the moment because I didn't understand what he meant at the time. I remember thinking to myself, I don't know what planet you're from, but here on earth, lucky people win the lottery; they don't have a head-on crash with a 2,000 pound car.

The accident

It was midnight when I left work and I was excited get on my bike and make that ride home. The weather was perfect and the roads were dry. I put my riding gear and safety equipment on and started up my motorcycle like I've done so many times in the past with not a care in the world.

I was coming up on an intersection, heading south, and I was in the left lane. The light just turned green, so without having to stop, I rolled on the throttle to speed back up. I looked across the intersection and noticed two north-bound cars pull into the left turn lane. The first car made a U-turn and proceeded south. The second car, however, started to creep out so I let off the throttle and started flashing my high beams so it would see me, and it worked, so I thought. The car stopped so I throttled back up, thinking I was good to go, and then the unexpected happened. The car quickly shot out in front of me like I wasn't even there. There was no reaction time to hit the brakes or even swerve to miss the unavoidable impact. The only logical thing I could do was let go of the handlebars just before the impact in hopes I would clear the wreckage, so that's what I did.

I don't remember the impact. I do, however, remember coming to as I was flying through the air, as calm as possible, with my back to the ground. I looked over my left shoulder, realizing I was in the air, and thought, Well, the ground is around here somewhere. I made my landing 50 feet away from the accident. The next thing I remembered was being put in an ambulance and then a helicopter and away we went to the hospital.

I was considered a trauma patient and was treated with urgency. I had a shattered left elbow, a fracture on my left shoulder blade, and two fractures on my lower back. I had reconstructive surgery on my elbow and was laid up in the hospital for three days. I now have more metal screws, pins, rods, and plates in my arm than an Erector Set.

A new lease on life

Before I was released from the hospital, my doctor came to my room to see how I was doing and to have me take a few laps up and down the hallway. While we're out walking, I ask him why he said I was lucky. He stopped, turned, looked me in the eyes, and said, "Son, you are lucky to be alive. If you didn't have your riding gear on, wearing a helmet, you would either be dead or paralyzed from the waist down. Your jacket, which had a back brace, and your backpack saved your back from being broken, and judging from the damage on your helmet, your head injuries would have killed you. So, yeah, you are lucky."

The good news is that I have a new lease on life. I get to go home to my beautiful wife and friends. The bad news is that I will never have full use of my left arm again. But that's a fair trade, knowing that I get to live. My recovery is well on its way but it will be a long time before I'm 100 percent, with months of physical therapy for my arm. I walked away with only a splash of road rash on my side and both knees thanks to my jacket and riding pants. Those who have had road rash know how painful that stuff can be.

Since the accident, I have had numerous non-riders ask the age old question of, "Why do you ride those things?" They then always follow that question with, "Those things will kill you!"

It makes me laugh a little even now but I respectfully reply with the classic line of, "You only live once." Then I wait for the look of confusion. I ride because it's my way of letting go, to decompress all the stressors that life can pile on. When I toss my leg over, hit the ignition, roll on the throttle, and listen to the rumble of one of my bikes, I instantly feel better about being me.

Family

For those of us who ride, our family has the most influential voice that will make or break our riding. As for my wife, she's no different. She has been asked the same question most spouses get: "Are you going to let him keep riding those things?" She looks those who brave the question in the eye and says without hesitation, "Sure I am. You have to live life to the fullest and enjoy the time you have. I just make sure his life insurance is up to date." Then she waits for the same look of confusion that I get. But if she wanted my riding days to be over, I would sell my bikes and add another muscle car to the garage to match hers. But she knows how important riding is to me.

Lucky?

I was lucky ... because I was wearing my gear -all my gear. Any rider with experience will tell you it's not a matter of if you go down, it's a matter of when. Your gear will save your life as it did mine. And for those who don't ride, please pay attention to riders. We need your help protecting us so that our gear doesn't have to.

[Editor's note: Tech. Sgt. John Griffin is a traditional reservist with the 482nd Maintenance Squadron at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla.]