An awful day, mate badly hurt :-(

I'm just home from hospital, not for me this time, but one of my oldest
mates, Darren. I've known him for about as long as I've lived in the UK
and we've always got on pretty well, you could say we grew up together.
Today I bumped into him at a bike shop, and at about 5pm after a coffee
or three we decided to head back to my gaff so he could look over the
compressor I have spare, with a view to buying it.

Darren is a pretty competent rider - only passed his test 4 years ago,
but has probably done something like 35K miles since on 2 ZX6Rs. I went
ahead and once we were on a fairly fast and empty piece of road cranked
the pace up because I knew Daz wouldn't try to keep up, he'd ride at
his own pace and arrive in one bit. Unfortunately that didn't happen
today. Daz is currently in ICU at Bedford Hosp with a punctured lung,
broken wrist, shattered right shoulder and broken collar bone, as well
as multiple fractured ribs.

I haven't a clue what happened, and nor has he or anyone else. I was
ahead of him by some margin but regularly seeing his headlights in my
mirrors, I went through a set of S bends with 4 cars in front of me so
took the opportunity to slow down and let him catch up so we'd arrive
at mine together. When I came out of the final bend I checked my
mirrors and he wasn't there, so I slowed to a stop and waited, and
waited... and waited. When three cars came past I knew something was up
so I turned around and went back. I only had to go less than 400 yards
and round one bend when I saw the old ladies standing on the verge with
a mobile phone, then I saw the flash of Kawasaki green paint through
the bushes. Darren had left the road and gone straight into a ditch,
hitting and breaking a foot thick tree at the root, his bike was wedged
between the fallen tree and the bank of the ditch. Luckily Daz was kind
of beside and on the upper side of the bike, he wasn't trapped beneath
it. You couldn't easily see the bike from the road as it was buried
under the tree he'd brought down, it's no wonder three cars passed it
without stopping.

We called an ambulance and I made the decision to leave his lid on even
though he said his head was fine. I kept him talking about everything
and anything and assessing his injuries. There was nothing I could give
him first aid for, as he was complaining about being unable to breathe
easily and having pins and needles down his right side and arm. A
Firefighter with advanced first aid training came along and I handed
over care to him as he has more idea, as well as not being in the state
of shock I was in. Before too long a Paramedic car arrived and I filled
him in on all the details I knew about Daz. He was joined by another
Paramedic and then an ambulance shortly after. A few biggish lads
stayed in the vacinity to help with getting Daz out of the ditch,
because it was a long way down and Daz weighs something like 14 stone
at least.

Once they'd stabilised him enough to move him he was carefully put on a
back board and we half lifted half slid him out of the ditch and onto a
stretcher, which is where his upper leathers were cut off outside the
ambulance where there was more room to work. Daz hen went into the
ambulance and off to hospital. I'd already called his wife and told her
the news, she was already waiting at the hospital for him to arrive
when he got there.

He's not in a good way, he is stable and talking, very battered but the
punctured lung is giving them a lot of concern, which is why he's in
ICU. I'll be going to see him tomorrow after work if they'll allow me
into ICU. It goes without saying that I am more than a bit concerned
for him tonight and typing this out is my way of dealing with the shock
so I'm sorry if I've bored you with this.

I've got to give this story to mine and his boss tomorrow, Darren works
for the same firm that I do, in the offices.

[Stu]

Really sorry to hear that Loz. Hope he makes a full and speedy recovery, and hope you're coping OK try & get some sleep.

Thanks Stu, but right now I know I am in shock. I've been good mates with Daz for 35 years and this is really quite the most upsetting thing I've dealt with in a long time. Sleep won't come easily for me or his wife and 3 kids tonight

[ophic]

Hope he pulls through. It's one of those situations you hope will never happen.

Not much to say here, other than keep us posted of his condition.

That's awful news, Hopefully he will be ok and makes a speedy recovery!

[5hort5]

Lozzo, how can you bore use with this news, i don't know the guy but I really hope he's fine and going to be on the mend soon. Fingers crossed here.

[Mej]

Not good mate. Hope he gets better sharpish. Fingers crossed!

Sorry to hear about your mate Lozzo. I'm sure he is in good hands now, and take a positive from the fact that he is stable and talking.

Nice to hear there were quite a few helping hands on scene as well. Hope your mate gets well soon!

damn, get well soon

stay safe all

Ah bummer, Hope he gets well soon.

Phil