cars suck
My friend Jack got smacked by a minivan last night at Commercial and Broadway. I spent the whole night with him in the hospital, until we got him home at 6am this morning.
We were on our way back from the naked swim at Templeton pool near Adanac and Victoria Drive. As we rode down Victoria towards the skytrain station, jack eventually got a couple blocks ahead of me. When i caught up at the skytrain station, i looked around and couldn’t see him anywhere, until i noticed a crowd gathering across the street near the CIBC. Then i saw his bike a little further down the road. I was about to rush across the road, but then i figured i’d better go to the crosswalk and do it safely so there weren’t 2 of us on the street.
When i reached him, the skytrain dudes had brought out some emergency blankets and covered him up. I wondered why the minivan that hit him was so far back….i thought for a moment that they had reversed it away from him. I later figured out that due to the position of jack and the fact that the entire front windshield of the minivan was totally smashed up, it must have hit him at a pretty good speed. it probably hit him when he was in the crosswalk, since it would have taken more distance for the minivan to screech to a halt in front of the CIBC. Jack was laying on the ground up near the first cement pillar that was holding up the skytrain station. I’ll go take a picture of the scene later, but suffice it to say that jack must have flown a long way through the air.
when i tried to talk to jack, he was pretty out of it. He had trouble paying attention to anything, and i was trying to ask him for his girlfriend Melissa’s phone number. When he finally understood what i was saying, he told me she didn’t have a phone (which was not the case ;). I decided that i’d have to go out to New Westminster to get Melissa, so i called up our friend Rhiannon to meet Jack at the hospital. I locked up jack’s bike, then found his missing shoe down the street a ways, and headed out after they put jack in the ambulance.
When Melissa and i arrived at the hospital an hour later, we found that jack had a broken ankle and a lot of bruising and various pains. They did a whole bunch of x-rays and CT scans and stuff, but determined he was gonna be ok. It was kinda freaky in the hospital there. there was a woman in the next bed over who was in for heart failure, and another guy who was having seizures from trying to sober up after years of hard drinking. The next one over was drunk out of his mind and had been punched and hit his head on the ground, and then told the doctor he had had 2 or 3 drinks maybe…but really he didn’t remember much of the night.
anyway, we helped jack hobble out of the hospital and took him home. his ankle is out of commission for the next 6 weeks or so, which gives us some time to find him a replacement bike. At the scene, his front wheel came off, but probably just needs some truing. his back wheel is a little more warped, but maybe we can true it back into shape. His frame, however, is probably done for. I don’t think it’s bent, but the top tube has a pretty big dent in it. I’d say it’s probably not fit to ride anymore, but maybe we can make a chopper out of it.
After all that happened, i’m pretty happy that Jack’s ok and that he didn’t get more injured…it could have been pretty bad, considering the speed the vehicle must have been going.
Ride hard, ride safe, ride free
February 26th, 2006 at 21:17 pm
Heal up man.
Good vibes, from a fellow Van rider.
February 26th, 2006 at 21:56 pm
Wow. I’m sorry to hear about Jack. I hope he isn’t in much pain. What are they going to do about the driver? Is Jack considering legal action. Also, be sure to stay in contact with the police about the incident.
I hit a pedestrian last summer while i was in Vancouver (his fault, he ran backwards into teh street during high traffic…that is another story) If i can give you any advice, it is to make sure the Police and his insurance company are constantly in contact with you and that they side with you, saying that it was the drivers’ fault.
Hope everything works out!
February 27th, 2006 at 10:03 am
Oh my god! Yes, that does sound freaky and scary! Even though I don’t know him, please give my wishes to your friend Jack! Ever since I found out you were a cyclist, I have been much more aware of other cyclists out there while I am driving, and giving them plenty of room. It is doubly scary that the accident happened at a crosswalk. I, too, hope the driver is charged. But really, cars don’t suck, it’s the stupid drivers (although, yes, the vehicle did hit Jack and not the actual driver). Too many distractions now inside cars: cell phones, CD players, laptops, DVD players, etc. People seem to get into their own little world behind the wheel & hardly pay attention to the road! I am definitely not saying I’m a perfect driver, but this has made me even more aware of how I could improve. I am still always somewhat nervous driving because I realize I am operating a powerful machine that could injure or even kill myself or someone else.
February 28th, 2006 at 11:55 am
Holy shit!
Jack is an amazing guy, I can’t imagine this happening to anyone less deserving of punishment. I’m so greatful to hear that it’s quite likely he hasn’t any permanent damage… Poor Jack! I had no idea…
March 3rd, 2006 at 08:55 am
poor Jack! please send lots of healing energy from toronto.
yes yes, what a relief just a few broken bones, could have been much worse.
March 29th, 2006 at 14:57 pm
in the scheme of things….
that is pretty okay
all that can happen in a bicycle to car accident
jack is lucky
I suffered worse without a car myself
but this is not a competition of show and tell
I am just trying to put in a little devil’s advocate perspective
hopefully he heals in six weeks
hopefully he does not need any surgery
glad there was no head injury
or any internal injuries
we forget how fragile we are as we race like vikings through the city streets
I always think that my icy cold stare or my wicked grin is going to block the bumpers behind me
when actually a 98 pound blue haired lady can unintentionally take my life from father of two to worm food
yes
jack was luck
he will be back on the bike and back in the pool in no time
consider it just a set back
and a set back that happened early enough in the season he may even get back to some high level activity
good luck to you
and
good luck to jack
we are all brothers (and sisters) on the bike
even triatheletes…
(I am guessing you guys are tri geeks)
March 29th, 2006 at 15:04 pm
oh….
the cars suck thing….
it is a lot like a bumper sticker here in the states
“guns don’t kill people… people kill people”
I am not a fan of guns…
I do not hunt
and well
I see no need to own one nor do I think my neighbors need guns either
back to the point
it is not cars that suck
it is car drivers
drivers here in the states have gotten out of control
the evolution into a wreckless autopilot has spiraled out of control
the cars have gotten faster and safter
well, more safe for driver and passanger
the devices or of everyday life have made things worse as well
blackberrys and cellphones
laptops and dvds
people can not work a toaster and talk on the phone
yet they drive their cars while text messaging a friend and catching the dvd of last season’s Sopranos
the next generation will be worse
if mommy slows and rolls through the stop sign
what will junior do?
May 17th, 2006 at 16:15 pm
Cars do suck! Case in point today. I go to park in front of my doctor’s office. Think I am lucky to get a parking space so close. Sort of “need” to park that close because I have a condition whereby my stupid nerves have made me so anxious at the doctor’s I have fainted or come close to fainting. So I want the car pretty close. I check the sign, all I read is that it is okay to park for 2 hours Monday to Saturday. I come back out after the appointment (went okay, but I did feel extremely anxious), and see a ticket on the windshield. Check the sign again, and this time I notice it states you can park there from 7 am until 3 pm. I did park at 2:30, but my appointment wasn’t until 3:30! I was in the car & leaving at 3:40. Expensive 40 minutes of parking! Then I try & pay the ticket, both on-line & by phone. Can’t because it is not registered on their system yet! Could have taken a bike but my nerves would have been frayed riding in Vancouver, and there is the tunnel to contend with! Arghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!