My friend is hurt, real bad

[Jim]

A friend of mine, here in Floyd, was coming home Friday night from a ball game and, while riding his Harley, hit a cow in the road. He's in critical condition with life threatening injuries.

I had lunch with Doug Thursday and he told me he was going to ride the bike to the game. I remember telling him that it worried me for him to be riding the bike after dark.

This has really got me upset.

HERE IS A LINK (http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/316599) to the story on the accident.

[DCP]

Hope every thing works out for the best

Two kind of bike riders ones that have gone down. Then those that will.

[hiram1]

Man i hope he gets better.i will keep him close to my heart.let us know how it goes.

[brstevns]

Jim, I will keep your friend in my prayers. God Bless

[Circuit Rider]

Jim, He's covered in prayer at our home. CR

[starmac]

It sounds as if he has a decent chance, more than most can say after a mc and livestock collision.

[Bullet Caster]

Prayers also offer up for your friend from eastern TN, just over the mountain. Hope he gets out of critical condition soon. BC

[OneSkinnyMass]

Sorry to hear about your friends accident. Virginia has a helmet law right, I sure hope he was wearing one. Prayers going up.

Skinny

[firefly1957]

Prayers for Doug's recovery.

[x101airborne]

I too will raise a hand high for his recovery.

Unfortunately, that is why I will never own a street bike. And my kids WILL have their own insurance and homes before they get one. I know I will have to let go one day, but it aint TODAY.

[geargnasher]

Lost a very good friend who hit a deer on his bike, I don't envy your vigil.

Gear

[Maven]

Sorry to learn of this, Jim. (I read it only a minute ago, i.e., after replying to your PM.) He'll be in my thoughts as we hope for the best.

[linotype]

May the Lord heal your friend, and comfort you.
Our prayers are with you both.

[Boerrancher]

Thoughts and prayers for you and your friend.

Best wishes,

Joe

[Olevern]

Prayers ascending, Jim. May the doctors skill and wisdom be augmented by that of the Living God, Himself.

[Jim]

Doug has always been VERY diligent about wearing not only a helmet, but proper protective clothing as well. I've heard some folks tease him when they see him downtown, telling him he looks like Jerry Booth's cattle (head to toe in black leather).

Thank you all for your responses and concerns. Doug has come to be a good friend and I'm scared for his future.

[richhodg66]

Prayers out to your friend, Jim.

I love motorcycles and have a couple. Since the school year started, I've been commuting 75 miles each way, usually on a motorcycle which involves riding before dawn. I'm a real stickler for wearing good gear and am a very defensive rider, but riders are vulnerable. It's getting cold enough that I won't be doing the early morning rides much for a while, I can dress to take it, but the chance of frost or ice on the road is too much.

Dangerous, but I'm not going to give it up. I've read a lot of studies and statistics and when you strip out the stupid fatalities (no helmet, no license, drunk, insane speeds, no rider training, very young, etc.) the fatality playing field between cars and bikes narrows considerably. Since I meet none of those categories, I call it a calculated risk. He might have been in bad shape if he'd hit that cow in a car too.

Keep us posted on how he is doing.

[smoked turkey]

Jim so sorry to hear of this tragic accident. My thoughts and prayers are also with you and Doug, and his family as well.

[Crawdaddy]

Prayers said for Doug.


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[lead-1]

Prayers sent Jim, may God heal him. <><

[Adam10mm]

Doug has always been VERY diligent about wearing not only a helmet, but proper protective clothing as well. I've heard some folks tease him when they see him downtown, telling him he looks like Jerry Booth's cattle (head to toe in black leather).
ATGATT= All The Gear, All The Time.

Don't dress for the ride, dress for the crash. It may happen. When I rode (took a break until my kids grow up) I wore full helmet, gloves, riding jacket, pants, boots.

Thoughts are with your friend.

[WILCO]

Jim, I will keep your friend in my prayers. God Bless

Same here Jim. Sorry to hear of this.

[gray wolf]

My prayers also for your friend,
We hope he recovers completely.

[Boondocker]

Doug is in our prayers also as well as you Jim. That is my biggest fear here as to run across a deer and hope my wife is not aboard.

[Dean D.]

I'll keep your friend in my thoughts and prayers for a complete recovery Jim.

[rockrat]

Prayers sent for your friend and for a fellow rider.

[gnoahhh]

Keeping your buddy in my thoughts too, Jim.

I lost a pal once when he crested a rise going way too fast in an XKE Jaguar and hit a manure spreader crossing the road. Stuff happens quick.

[MT Gianni]

Prayers ent for your Friend Jim.
Three rules for motorcyclists:
Rule 1 never ride drunk
Rule 2 never ride @ night
Rule 3 never let rule 1 interfere with rule 2.
I have ridden at night on a very few occasions and short distances. It is tough to spot eyes with only one headlight.

[Crawdaddy]

updates on Doug?

[Houndog]

Prayers offered up for a full and speedy recovery from a fellow rider.
Please keep us posted on his condition Jim!

[smokeywolf]

Jim, thoughts and prayers to you and Doug.

smokeywolf

[Jim]

Just got off the phone with a mutual friend. Doug's pastor posted on FB that he's been to see him twice. Doug's in neuro-ICU with head trauma among other injuries. Doug was able to acknowledge his pastor's presence, but that's about all.

Our mutual friend said there was a follow-up article on the crash. Doug did NOT hit a cow, he hit an embankment trying to avoid the cow. I dodn't know which is worse. Kind of a mute point, really.

His injuries are no longer classified as life threatening, but he's still in a bad way. Nobody knows what the future holds, so we're all prayin' like we're in the last days an' sweatin' it out.

I'll let y'all know what I find out as I do. Thank you again, not only for your prayers for Doug and his wife, but also for supporting me through this. I didn't sleep worth a dang Monday night.

[Beau Cassidy]

I hope he pulls thru.

From what I have seen, the fancy suits don't stop rapid decelerating injuries when you crash. They just hold the parts in so you don't have to get scooped up. Seriously. A rapid decelerating injury will probably result in a torn aorta or head trauma.

[dragonrider]

Hoping for the best Jim, for you and your friend.

[Jim]

Jim,
I know its of little consolation, but it sounds like he is making progress. Its a long row to hoe, been there-done that....Go and visit with him and let him know that you're there. Positive thoughts will definitely help with the recovery.

I was the bug on the widshield of a minivan 6-1/2 years ago. It wasn't pleasant and both my wife and I still have issues.

His condition being what it is, only family is allowed right now. My mutual friend said the wife made a special request to allow the pastor to visit. I'm on a long list of people that are waiting to hear of open visitation.

[hicard]

I gave up MC riding after I fell asleep on the way home one night after working overtime. I went straight at about 65 mph and the road took a left turn. I ended up with the MC facing where I had come from in an irrigation ditch. Hope Doug recovers fully from his injuries and I will also pray for him.

[Jim]

I just received an email from a mutual friend. He saw Doug yesterday and says "The fact that he is in Neuro-intensive care going on two weeks is not a good thing, but he is still with us." This is disheartening.

[Wayne Smith]

Prayers going up from here, too. May God work His miracles in Doug's body as he heals.

[MtGun44]

Best wishes for your friend. Helmets are pretty good these days, I pray that the peak loads
were kept down enough for his brain to repair itself properly.

The comment that the gear does nothing for blunt trauma is way out of date. There is lots of armor
out there, and some at the high end is really amazing stuff - non-Newtonian behavior - which basically
means that the material behaves very differently at slow speeds vs high speeds. Some is fairly flexible foam
or rubber feeling stuff when you bend or push it, but at impact, acts like hard material and spread blunt
force a lot. There are also things like sorbothane liners that absorb a lot if impact energy.

Bill

[GT27]

Prayers sent his and your way Jim,he's lucky to have a friend like you, wishing for a speedy recovery there!

[MtGun44]

Any update on his condition, Jim?

I hope no news is good news.

Bill

[Circuit Rider]

Jim, Any news to report on your friend, Doug? CR

[Jim]

Yeah, I talked to another friend yesterday who got some news. Doug is conscious, but combative. There was a left side temporal hematoma and bruising as well as some damage to the left eye socket. His head hit a rock on the embankment.

Tomorrow is three weeks and he's a long way from coming out of the woods. The doctors still cannot say if he has suffered any brain damage and/or if he will ever be the same.

I appreciate all the prayers and concern.

[linotype]

God bless. Prayers for your friend, and all involved.
You are a good friend.