Shaken - rider down

I posted this on my Facebook page earlier tonight but thought I should say something about it here as well.

An interesting experience happened to me while running around with Susan today. We were waiting to turn at a light and there was some sort of commotion at the intersection. I see two people get off of motorcycles and run into the intersection.  There was a girl there, laying face first in the pavement.

A brief talk with Susan and I'm up and out of the car fearing the worst. It ended up the rider had suffered a rather painful fall due to wet and questionable pavement. No other vehicles were involved.  It was a light rain and I think she may have caught a white line with her tire and down she went.  It could have happened to anyone. 

I have first aid training and talked to her. She was very responsive and was moving her legs, so no spinal injury was likely. Her neck hurt, her shoulders hurt. "OK," I told her. "I have training in first aid and am going to touch your arms and shoulders.  Let me know if your hurting."   Her pulse was a little fast but normal.  She cried out when I touched her neck and around a shoulder. 

"We are not moving you nor am I taking off your helmet. I don't know if you have a head or neck injury. I think you have a broken clavicle."  I told her after a quick exam. A woman was trying to get the 911 operator to understand the problem.  I made it clear to tell the dispatcher she may have a neck injury.

 It took some time for the police and firemen to get there but it was probably less than 10 minutes.   I gave the firemen a brief summary of what I knew. They removed her helmet and put her on the backboard with a C-collar on to stabilize her head. She joked with them. She'll be fine.

 I hope to never have to do that again.  I am glad that I took that first aid training all those years ago.  It does come in handy.  I decided right then and there to take a refresher the first chance I got.

One other thing that I think bares talking about.  Some asshole kept hitting his horn and then run through the intersection past the officers and paramedics.  No one said anything but I'm sure we all said the same thing under our breaths...and we each knew Karma was going to get him eventually.

Riding is a risk.  I try to migrate that risk...and indeed I was glad this girl was wearing a helmet.  Other than that she had no other safety gear on.   I was glad no one wanted to remove her helmet, if she did have a head or neck injury that just make it worse.  I didn't like letting her lie there in the middle of the street but again you don't mess about with neck or head injuries.  Let the professionals handle that.

It took me a bit to calm down after that, as I thought about how many times I've been in the rain.  Or have gone down....and I'm sure the next time or two I'm on Kimmie I'll be ultra careful, and more than a little scared because shit can and does happen in a blink of an eye.  I just hope someone will be there for me as her friends were for her.