Have you ever been hit by a car?

Jamezis

I was hit by a car yesterday!
I've been commuting for two years by bike. I bought a new Lemond cyclocross bike on Wednesday, and used it to commute to work on Thursday. ( I couldn't wait to ride it!). Ten miles from my house a car pulled up from behind me and made a right turn and hit me! (I never saw him comming.) I was able to lean on the car and stay on two wheels! When the driver got out of his car he was still on the cell phone!!! He said I wasn't supposed to be in the road! (I know he never saw me.) I have a bruised knuckle, but my bike was no marks at all!!
...and todays commute was perfect! (I have headlights and taillights also).
Thank you.

bcwildthing

You are so lucky! Well I shall count the number of times:

1. On my motorcycle, little old lady turned in front of me, I hit the engine block on her bumper, flew over the car (at 40 mph) oh man was my butt and reproductive glands sore (ouch). Bike totaled, replacement sucked. Does this count, it was 35 years ago?
2. Seven years ago, car turned right across the bike lane and I hit him going 25 mph downhill and flew for 35' and landed on the pavement. I thought he was slowing down for me, turned out he was going into a garage sale!!! Wrecked my shoulder and totaled the front wheel and bent the forks on my Bianchi. Had a few scapes and bruises. Parleyed the pain and suffering into part of a downpayment on a house. Replacement bike was a lovely blue Guercotti which I just retired after venerable service.
3. Replacement for the Guercotti, a Columbus SLX ultegra equipped Bertrand, was my trusty steed for less than a year when I had a car door opened in front of me. Bike stopped, I flew over the car door (is this sounding familiar?) and I knocked my helmut visor down over my glasses. Mildly stunned, I couldn't figure out how to get the helmut off. Insurance paid $1,500 towards a wonderful, blue LeMond Zurich which has a sweet ride, a forgiving disposition over the rough bike path, and fantastic brakes that I caress a lot in anticipation if ANY car comes within range. Now, I had to give up the pain and suffering on this one as I barely had a scratch from my little tumble. Wish I'd suffered more (just enought to pay off my MC! ).

By the way, I carry a whistle and have a flashing front light shoulder season, a regular red flasher for the back, and a helmut mount flasher for the fog and gloom. October to March, I usually run a 10+20 watt light setup that would make you think a car was coming with one light. All of my accidents have been in the broad daylight, including hitting the dog (major ouch) dog just yelped but I had some choice words for the sheepish leash-holding owner.

bentupright

Trek 1000, and a jerk threw a two litre bottle of soda at my wheel. Haluzak Horizon (recumbent), a jerk tried to make his OWN way by attempting to pass right of me (while I was turning left), and he tapped the rear of my bike. Scared him more than me! NEITHER time did I fall!

the barron

Once. Got pushed into the curb at about 25mph by a drunkdriver on my way to work. skinned my knee and elbow, wore out my new gloves and had some cosmetic damage to the bike. Before I assesed all that and after I got up and thanked god I didn't get pulled under the car I saw him stop about 100 feet up the road at a red light. I rode up as quick as I could, fired my bike into the back of his car as I jumped off then kicked in his door. He hit the gas, I kind of wished he would of got t-boned in the intersection but I was happy, after I hit his car I didn't bother with trying to get a plate.

closesupport

yip head on car doing 10mph me doing 20mph the car was on the wrong side of the road when going around a corner, 2 a car pulled out on me forcing me over the bonnet of the car, clipped by a van turning left at a cross roads, pulled out infront of me, clipping the back wheel and forcing the seat into my Buttock, one almighty bruise, 2 a speeding parked car, my fault i wasn't looking where i was going.

the other morning i nearly ran into theback of a milk float, he had no lights on, i swerved, then had to swerve again since the milkman decided he didn't need to look and just jumped out of his float, swerved back to the correct side of the road to avoid hitting an oncoming car, and ended up on the floor on the pavement, minor cuts and bruises...lol

but my most embarrassing accident was crashing into around about, 20ft by 20ft in circumfrance on my mtb, my fault i was rather intoxicated and i found that i needed both lanes to remain off the pavement.... 10 bottles of stella, great for nursing injuries and a better pain remedy. "i can happily say i didn't feel a thing"

keydates

Have hit two cars, one just last week. First one was my fault (wasn't looking), second was a "no fault."

Haven't been having good luck this past week. Last week I had to replace the tires, the day after I go try them out and hit a car within two minutes of riding. Bike is okay, just needs shifter straightened out and adjusted, I'm relatively fine.

On a semi-related note, today I went out riding, and was taking a right. Somehow, whether from the wind (as it is/was pretty windy now), or oversteering, (or both) I go down. It felt like the bike was swept under me. The odd thing is that I wasn't going very fast (20 mph at the most), I don't think I was cornering aggressively, the road was in decent shape ie no leaves or potholes, and I've successfully gone through that place many times before. Bike is relatively undamaged from what I see, it looks like the other (STI) shifter needs to be pushed back into its place, and, aside from some scratches on it, that's about it.

So yeah, this week has not been good to me. Oh, and what's odd is that in the 3000+ miles (and several years) I've put on my mountain bike (mostly on the road), I've had maybe 2 crashes. In the past 3 months/~1100 miles on my new road bike, I've had at least 3. I wonder what the bike mechanics are going to think when I bring it in for the second time in about a week.

ksb

Last Wednesday I got hit by a car (driven by a nurse on his way to work!) that turned into my lane and then stopped when he saw me. While I have no memory of the hit, the flying over the car, or the landing, witnesses say that it was pretty dramatic. (The bike landed about 6' farther down the road than me.)

I got scraped up a bit (chin, shoulder, knee, wrist), but almost all of the bruises are gone now. My right hand is still puffy and black and blue. New x-rays taken today show a broken scaphoid bone. My forearm and hand will be in a brace for 6-12 weeks. Ibuprofin and I are becoming fast friends...

The bike, bought back in April, is dead. I will get its replacement (likely a Giant '05 OCR C2 all-carbon or a Specialized Roubaix) in mid-December. Thankfully, my older bike is in a trainer at home so I can still "ride" a bit until then.

chispa60

it has got to be one of those, the more you ride the greater the chance. just as I thought I was safe, I got hit this past week. Compared to other crashes, it I got off well. Only a large scrape on the right knee and a sore right ankle that was gone after a day and a half. the bike was fine except for a misaligned front wheel which the bike techs at work fixed up for me.

the circumstances leading up to the crash was interesting though. I was on the American Tobacco Trail crossing a street (which the intersection cleared me for) when a car clipped my front wheel and sent me flying. the interesting thing is that the crosswalk light only turns green when all other lights are red. thus, the lady not only hit me but also ran a light. fun times!

got back on and proceeded to keep riding.

LightCycles

Ok....actually I hit the car but it backed out in front of me! Check my pictures out on my website! http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/robert.light Pixs of me in the hospital and pixs of the "other" guy! That other guy being a Red Jeep Liberty. You thought that it was Patrick Henry that said "Give me Liberty of give me death" Well...I definately got Liberty! A red one! lol Let me know what you think of the pics. Oh...the whole story is there too!

Pedal On,

Bob Light

SpinninDave

holy crap! I am sorry to hear about your accident. Thanks for sharing the pictures. I am recovering and just cringed seeing your hospital pics. I have a bunch of those too. I didnt get any of the truck I slammed into. How in the world did you get the pics of the jeep? dont tell me you had a camera and snapped them after the accident.
Here is pic I found from my accident (weak stomach beware)
Surgery site

LightCycles

Well....actually I got copies from the State Police that investigated the crash! The Accident Reconstruction was done by BCI, the guy was a graduate from my Police Bicycle School a few years prior. He was shocked to learn that it was me that was involved. Needless to say I was able to get a copy of the prints! Keep safe!

Pedal On,

Bob Light

SpinninDave

Best of luck in your soon to be looming insurance case. I racked up 23K in hospital bills and still have to have surgery again to remove all the hardware from my hip. Hired a lawyer and I have a feeling its going to be a long road! Hope you don't run into these same problems. So glad you are recovering. Still sends chills down my back just looking at those pictures. I do recall my wreck and it was much like yours and it scared the crap out of me! still have flash backs!

LightCycles

Dave,

Email me and tell me more about your acc... crash! lightrj@plattsburgh.edu

Pedal On,

Bob Light

Azulene

Just came in today 11/10/04
PORTLAND -- Rescuers extricated a bicyclist's arm from a car engine Wednesday morning after the two collided in southeast Portland.
Police say 29-year-old was southbound on 27th Avenue about 7 a.m. when a northbound car turned left onto Powell Boulevard without yielding.

The bicyclist, bike and car became tangled, and Rayon was pinned underneath.

"His arm was up and stuck up in the axel and struts and stuff, so they had to lift it up even higher just to get arm out," Portland Fire Lt. Allen Oswalt said.

The driver, 69-year-old , was cited for making a dangerous left turn. She said there was no time to stop.

"There was a car right in front of me, and I was right behind the car. And then all of a sudden there was this guy on a bicycle in front of my car," she told KOIN News 6.

Rayon suffered minor injuries.