22 August 2009

As The Fog Lifts

More recollections are coming back to me as the day goes on. Reading back on what I posted earlier, I skipped a few details that didn't make the conversion from brain to keyboard.

I'm not the first, and certainly won't be the last cyclist to get hit by a car. Luckily it was a fairly low speed collision (relatively speaking) - I was probably doing 30 ish and the car I'm guessing the same. Going back and looking at the scene of the crime afterwards, there is a power pole that I suspect was obscuring his vision when he checked right, maybe I was tucked in just behind it at that moment.

After I dragged myself off the road and he stopped, a friend of mine drove past - the only way I recognised her was because she has a fairly garishly painted car. Luckily she saw me and stopped, and took me to work. In hindsight the right thing to do would have been to call an ambulance, I was clearly quite shaken up, and couldn't even master a simple task like unlocking my phone to call Els. Calling an ambulance would have got the paper train rolling as well. I got quite a smack on the fingers at the Police Station because I hadn't properly exchanged details with the other party.

The drive from the scene to work is very foggy, I don't really remember it. I was the first one at the store, God knows how I remembered the alarm code and got in - it's not an easy place to get into and requires 3 padlocks, 3 seperate locks, all on different keys, plus a code!

Els picked me up from work and took me to Albury Base. Cannot say enough good things about them - a soon as I uttered the words 'hit by a car' I was straight into triage, and then straight into a bed and onto an ECG machine. Luckily no serious injuries - a bit of road rash on the hip, scratched up finger and ankle. I was out of there in about an hour, which was great as I am a bad patient at the best of times!

Rang the shop after I got home just to let them know I was OK. The sad news was that the bike is a write off (I thought I might be able to get away with a new wheel and rear derailleur) - apparently there is a fairly substantial bumper bar mark in the rear chainstay. As the day wears on, I am aware of a matching bumper bar mark just under my ribcage on my left.

Sore and sorry for myself, but it could have been oh so much worse.

I think I'll need to (excuse the pun) get back on the bike pretty quickly. I'm chalking this up to one of those things, and an occupational hazard of riding bikes. I would be pretty upset with myself if this rattles my confidence on the road.

3 comments:

Dee said...

Serious bummer, it seems to be open season. Hope you are able to spring back with confidence. I fear the day it happens to me, will I have the courage to get back on my bike?

Bluenoser said...

Glad you're OK. There seems to be enough of us hitting the floor lately.

-B

BoaB said...

Geez Ant- sorry to hear about this. Having just gone through it myself, I know how frustrating it can all be. Good luck with the insurance mob- I hope it all comes good for you.