View Full Version : BANG! Biker down...
I was riding home last night up the A23... as I was coming through Croydon I was joined by a beautifully kept early 2003 Gixxer 6. Lovely condition, polished rims and a gorgeous Yoshi pipe. Wined a bit... but IL4's do that ;) It was obviously a loved bike.
So, Purley Way, we filter to the front of the red light, and it goes green, and off we both blast along the dual carriage way. The Gixxer pulls ahead, towards the next set of lights - which are green.
A car, coming from the opposite direction starts to turn right at these lights... see's the biker, but doesn't stop.. biker sees him, starts braking... car still doesn't stop... BANG!
Biker over the bonnet and somersalts down the road. I'm next on the scene... swerv around the crashed car, pull up on the pavement.... run to the biker who by this point is moving, and has taken his lid off. He's clearly alive! :shock: Not only is he alive, as we get him to the side of the road, but seemingly no broken bones, and nothing more than squashed plums. However, this guy's lid made Tim's look brand new! :shock: cracked, bashed, squashed, pushed... a right mess!
So, this all takes like 30 seconds, I turn around to see how the drive of the car is... and they've gone! Car's a write off in the road, keys still in the ignition... no driver in sight! *******!
The bike was a wreck. The impact was mostly on the right side of the bike, but the guy had managed to rip the left clip-on clean off! :shock: The car was in a similar condition, the engine bay was completely flattened, and doorseals popping out.
I just can't believe how lucky the biker was, it was just incredible. Before it even happened, and I could see what was going to happen, I was already getting flashbacks of what I imagined Tim's accident to be like.
I can't believe that the driver ran away... and none of the witnesses saw him! He was just gone! Drunk? Insurance? High? Knicked? No licence? Who knows!
Also... I had a loud pipe and was giving it some noise, so did the gixxer... both of us had full headlights on... and he was wearing a luminous bib thing. But still a crash! :x
Amanda M
14-01-05, 10:43 AM
:shock: That must have been horrible for you to see, Billy. Thank god he's OK. Fingers crossed they'll be able to trace the piece of pondlife that did it :evil:
Phew! Lucky!
Cars gonna be registered to someone, so I am sure someone is going to get a visit. It will be easy to match finger prints etc I am sure. Whoever it was is a complete **** though.
Cloggsy
14-01-05, 10:46 AM
Bet he was ****ed (or worse) - the coppers'll have him ;) (assuming its his car that is & not knicked) :roll:
:shock:
well I'm a bit lost for words.
Bloody hell! :shock:
I take it the police were called heard of one likt this a while back where the owner claimed the car had been nicked but they found his wallet, mobile etc in the car so could prove he'd been in it at the time of the accident.
Glad the guy's ok, but what a mess! :evil: :evil:
Carsick
14-01-05, 10:47 AM
Assuming it wasn't a stolen car, the driver is in deeeeeeep doo doo now.
We could make the list of what they're guilty of, but there wouldn't be any point. Would it be too hopeful to think this person might go to prison for that?
****e, well at least the rider was ok......
BaggaZee
14-01-05, 10:57 AM
Glad no-one's hurt, let's hope they find the driver & nail him to the wall. :evil:
I, for one, would like to know the outcome of this.
Cloggsy
14-01-05, 11:00 AM
Glad no-one's hurt
Bet the Gixxer rider will feel like 5h1t thismorning though...
So would I... I stayed for a while, helped move the car and showed them how to move the bike. Gave a short statement and my details to the copper, and got on my way.
Lots of cops showed up, and everyone was very helpful... witnesses were happy to come forward. I might give the fuzz a call later and see how the guy was, and at least ensure they pass my details on to him.
I took things very easy on the way home!
mysteryjimbo
14-01-05, 11:05 AM
Also... I had a loud pipe and was giving it some noise, so did the gixxer... both of us had full headlights on... and he was wearing a luminous bib thing. But still a crash! :x
These are proven to have no effect in preventing crashes. Hence i dont wear one.
If they arent going to see your headlights, they arent going to see your bib.
Also... I had a loud pipe and was giving it some noise, so did the gixxer... both of us had full headlights on... and he was wearing a luminous bib thing. But still a crash! :x
These are proven to have no effect in preventing crashes. Hence i dont wear one.
If they arent going to see your headlights, they arent going to see your bib.
Strong words! :shock:
I don't wear one, but they do make you far more visible... and that can only be a good thing![/b]
Also... I had a loud pipe and was giving it some noise, so did the gixxer... both of us had full headlights on... and he was wearing a luminous bib thing. But still a crash! :x
These are proven to have no effect in preventing crashes. Hence i dont wear one.
If they arent going to see your headlights, they arent going to see your bib.
Dunno about your current ride, but my Hornet doesn't have a headlight at the rear.......................... :roll:
Could be a number of reasons the driver ran away although my money would be on them having had a drink. :roll:
I really can't fathom some people, potentially they've killed or seriously injured someone and the first thought that springs into their tiny minds is to save their own skins! :evil:
Flamin_Squirrel
14-01-05, 11:33 AM
Well as long as the gixxer rider wasnt speeding. Because accidents (indicents rather) dont happen when everyones staring at the speedo.
Could be a number of reasons the driver ran away although my money would be on them having had a drink. :roll:
I really can't fathom some people, potentially they've killed or seriously injured someone and the first thought that springs into their tiny minds is to save their own skins! :evil:
If he's had enough drink to impair his driving then other judgement will be impaired, too.
He'd slowed down as he approached the lights, having seen the car in good time... I guess the impact was about 40mph, but I was too far behind to judge.
The biker had seen the car though, and was expecting him to stop... obviously he didn't!
On the good side, there's probably a Gixxer shock becoming available somewhere around South London! :lol:
... both of us had full headlights on...
There's a school of thought which says that the use of full beam makes a bike's speed more difficult to judge....................
Just a thought, and I'm not trying to offer an excuse for the driver.
mysteryjimbo
14-01-05, 11:46 AM
Also... I had a loud pipe and was giving it some noise, so did the gixxer... both of us had full headlights on... and he was wearing a luminous bib thing. But still a crash! :x
These are proven to have no effect in preventing crashes. Hence i dont wear one.
If they arent going to see your headlights, they arent going to see your bib.
Dunno about your current ride, but my Hornet doesn't have a headlight at the rear.......................... :roll:
There was a report posted on here stating that the luminous bib does has no bearing on the probability of being involved in an accident. Fact.
An impact from behind is usually at a slower speed due to the speed difference. It also the direction drivers concentrate on most and take in most information therefore reducing the risks anyway.
All night legal vehicles on the road have rear lights making them visable but not bright enought to dazzle.
Nick762
14-01-05, 11:55 AM
Even if a bib doesn't make you more visible when you're riding it's still good practice to wear a hi-vis jacket for when you get off, particularly at unplanned moments such as breakdowns or to render assistance to others. Since these are by definition unexpected you are already prepared.
Plus as someone once said, a driver has a harder time explaining that he didn't see you to the traffic cop who is wearing exactly the same day-glo gear as you are.
pegasus
14-01-05, 12:04 PM
jeez.....best regards...hope the dude isnt mentally scarred for too long
The biker had seen the car though, and was expecting him to stop...
Why? Presumption is the mother of serious sh*te. I'm really sorry the guy had a bad off (and extremely glad he's not hurt) but if he'd acted differently then this most likely could have been avoided. And yes I know it's easy to say and makes me appear a hard case, but this, at first sight, seems to be a classic case of poor judgement and observation, and a lack of a quickly planned escape route. Let's hope he had fully comp.
As for the driver? His mistake was commonplace (and do remember that at night judging the speed of an oncoming vehicle is far more difficult) and quite typical. But his actions after the event were obscene and they ought whip the b*stard.
.
coombest
14-01-05, 12:07 PM
Still quite shocked about this!
It made me and chutz stop talking in the Pub for a few minutes as we were so shocked!
I can't believe the audacity of some people, having caused a major accident where someone could have been killed and then just running away! :shock:
I makes me even more thankful that the driver stayed put after my accident! I barely even gave any thought to the possibility of him running off.
I hope the rider is OK - things have a habit of appearing after a nights sleep or two. Also, I hope that you are OK dude - I really dread seeing something like this & I don't know how I'd deal with it now. :?
makes me appear a hard case
HARD CASE!
Sounds like gixer boy slowed down to give the driver more time / greater opportunity to see him. How far do you go? At the end of the day you can't legislate for ars****es.
I remember seeing a 2 car smash at a T junction a few years ago. Bloke "A" was driving along main road, (60 zone), slowed right down before passing the junction to his left...probably doing about 30. Some mad old bugger in an Austin Alegro turns right out of the minor road just as Mr "A" reaches the junction! Mad old bugger then realises there's a car coming, and hits brakes just at a point that turns his car in to the perfect two lane road block! Not much anybody driving anything could have done to avoid the subsequent smash.
(passes soap box to next speaker)
If someone is seriously drunk they may not even remember running off.
My parents had an accident a few years ago, a drunk in an Escort hit their Omega. My dad got out the car as the stunned driver got out. The drunk dropped his keys and when he went to pick them up my mum stepped on them.
At this point the drunk legged it. Thankfully the police got to my dad just as he caught the drunk.
To cut a longer storey short when the guy woke up in the cell the next morning he had to ask what he was doing there... Idiot.
Glad to hear the other biker is okay, and I hope they get the driver and throw away the key.
Stu
makes me appear a hard case
HARD CASE!
I thought I'd get a few flames and to be honest I could have worded it a little more diplomatically. Neither of us were there so it's impossible to be judge and jury I was just going on what Billy wrote and I thought "oh God not another one" as more bike accidents seem to happen at junctions than anywhere else.
I don't think it's a question of legislation but a question of riding using as many survival skills as possible against cars, the common enemy. I do however agree that there are some situations that can't be escaped and, who knows, this could have been one of them.
.
Diplomatic? Jonboy? :lol: :wink:
howardr
14-01-05, 02:43 PM
I would guess the guy was almost certainly over the limit - it's a classic.
He'll no-doubt say he was 'in shock' and didn't realise what he was doing, or that he didn't have a mobile and legged-it to phone an ambulance.
Either way, the police are now virtually powerless to prosecute the son-of-a-camel.
They'll do him for some minor sh*t like not exchanging details etc. but they cannot get him for the drink-driving.
If he's not insured then the MIB should pay out.
H-Gerickemark
14-01-05, 03:48 PM
hope the bloke is caught and imprisoned, are two blazing full beam headlights that inconspicuous?
Mark
Yesterday sounds like madman's day.
I had a complete to**er try to kill 3-4 bikers last night crossing Blackfriars bridge. BMW car, swerving around other bikes, cars to get to the front of the queue.
Going south over BlackFriars bridge, gets you to a cross roads with 3/4 lanes, far left is a left turn only with its own filter light, 2 lanes straight on, and one righ turn with its own filter light etc.
BMW starts in 3rd lane after bridge, passing withing mm of a BMW bikes paniers, even looked like he swerved TOWARDS the bike. Then he swerves accross 2 lanes almost colliding with a courier bike, to get in the far LEFT lane.
He then ignores the filter traffic light (LEFT ONLY) to the frustration of people really wanting to go left. When the other lights go green for straight on, he Swerves across three lanes of traffic, almost killing 2 bikers to turn RIGHT !
I could not believe such dangerous driving and contempt for other road users
That's the sort of situation that you can do nothing about and best to simply pull over out of his way at the first opportunity so as not to become a statistic. There'll always be inconsiderate and dangerous b*stards and we sadly have to live with it.
.
I had a complete to**er try to kill 3-4 bikers last night crossing Blackfriars bridge. BMW car, swerving around other bikes, cars to get to the front of the queue.
sounds like the beamer I had a run in with yesterday... was it a sort of blue/green beamer?
I pulled away from lights looked ahead to see an old guy hobbling across the road so didnt pull away like I usually do... then got undertaken by the twit in a beamer... so when we got to the next set of reds I pulled up and asked him why he was driving so dangerously given there was a hazard ahead.... he replied I should get a real bike.... to which I said this would have his piece of crap any day and then proved the point...
As I was heading from old st to commercial st got caught at those lights and he pulled up to go left there and then drove straight in front of a car pulling away...
at least I can laugh... he went in the bus lane to undertake me where TFL got me... ticket on the way I think :lol:
Also... I had a loud pipe and was giving it some noise, so did the gixxer... both of us had full headlights on... and he was wearing a luminous bib thing. But still a crash! :x
These are proven to have no effect in preventing crashes. Hence i dont wear one.
If they arent going to see your headlights, they arent going to see your bib.
Strong words! :shock:
I don't wear one, but they do make you far more visible... and that can only be a good thing![/b] remember what a biker looks like fron the right hand side (as sometimes the right hand light is a fog light only)
none of the lights are pointing at you.
mysteryjimbo
14-01-05, 10:26 PM
Also... I had a loud pipe and was giving it some noise, so did the gixxer... both of us had full headlights on... and he was wearing a luminous bib thing. But still a crash! :x
These are proven to have no effect in preventing crashes. Hence i dont wear one.
If they arent going to see your headlights, they arent going to see your bib.
Strong words! :shock:
I don't wear one, but they do make you far more visible... and that can only be a good thing![/b] remember what a biker looks like fron the right hand side (as sometimes the right hand light is a fog light only)
none of the lights are pointing at you.
I dont know any cars with lights on the side either
creamerybutter
14-01-05, 11:23 PM
The car was probably stolen.
Hope the guy is ok and if it was stolen the person who owns the car's insurance company may have to pay out.
It's hard to believe people would run but recently there was an accident on the Bristol road in Birmingham where a car tried to overtake and hit the bollards(I think, could have been another car) in the centre of the road flipped onto it's roof, hit a few cars and then destroyed a (thanfully empty) bus stop. Once the car had stopprd moving the guy got out and tried to run away! He was quickly grabbed.
Hopefully there is CCTV of the junction?
If they ever do catch the guy he will get a lot more that not exchanging details. Leaving a scene of an accident is a very serious crime, someone else here had that happen and the police was just behind when the crash happened and went down the road to stop the guy and bring him back. The fact that the ambulance & police were called makes it even more serious.
Hope he is ok though.
Shooter
15-01-05, 05:00 AM
Assuming the lights were at an intersection...so did any of the bikes slow down a bit just in case there was a ****** at the intersection that might turn in front of them... ?
How fast is "blast..." ?
Intersections are the most dangerous place on the road statistically so I am just curious if anyone was proactively taking any measure of self preservation.
Running from the scene is also a bit suspect so I assume the driver was hiding something and had assumed some liability.
Also... I had a loud pipe and was giving it some noise, so did the gixxer... both of us had full headlights on... and he was wearing a luminous bib thing. But still a crash! :x
These are proven to have no effect in preventing crashes. Hence i dont wear one.
If they arent going to see your headlights, they arent going to see your bib.
Strong words! :shock:
I don't wear one, but they do make you far more visible... and that can only be a good thing![/b]
When I had an accident back in January 2003 I was wearing a full flourecent jacket and STILL the car pulled out on me. As has been said, if they don't see your lights they aint gonna see your bib/jacket. If they see you they see you if they don't they don't.
.............A car, coming from the opposite direction starts to turn right at these lights... see's the biker, but doesn't stop.. biker sees him, starts braking... car still doesn't stop... BANG!
........................
I witness the exact same thing on one of my commutes into work. I was right behind the biker that crashed. He flew, a lot, and ended up on the pavement on the other side of the junction. I stopped in the middle of the road and put my hazards on. As I ran over to the rider (who most definitely wasn't alright) I saw the driver of the car get out and go over to the injured rider. He just stood there looking. I started to administer first aid, I turned round to the car driver to tell him to phone for an ambulance and he was gone. Other witnesses said they saw him legging it down the road.
northwind
20-01-05, 07:57 PM
There was a report posted on here stating that the luminous bib does has no bearing on the probability of being involved in an accident. Fact.
But it does help out quite a bit if you fall off and land in the road...
Unfortunately most of the "hi-viz" gear sold over the counter to bikers is absolute crap, I've got a reasonable quality one but it's still rubbish compared to the stuff used by the emergency services... My bro's going to pick me up a pro one next time he's putting in an order for gear for his business.
Captain Nemo
21-01-05, 10:17 AM
hangings too good for em.
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