W&W London Bridge Pointless Prize Log

[ltierstein]

Unfortunately, I may be a contestant for the 2019 London Bridge Prize, but I need to get the rules clarified. Does going down count for the prize when your bicycle is hit by a car? It happened to me on Sunday afternoon, around 1:30, eastbound on the W&OD when crossing Lee Highway. A car turned right onto Lee Hwy, right into me.

I posit that the car smacked right into the left side of my body, and I then fell to the ground, because the damage to said body was: a bruised rib (CAT scan required to rule out break and damage to the pancreas); scrapes on the left leg, around the knee (x-ray required to rule out a break); broken orbital bone on top of left eye (confirmed by X-ray and/or MRI, I forget which), with a minor (as these things go) brain bleed underneath; a massive black eye; and a cut required 15 stitches at my left hair line, above the eye. I don’t have any pictures of the crash or the car, since I was unconscious at the time. I remember coming to as my neck was being strapped down, in the ambulance. I was taken to Fairfax Inova, not the closest hospital, but the one with a specialized Trauma ICU (TICU) room. I DO have a picture of my face, with the black eye, if documentation is needed.[ATTACH=CONFIG]18822[/ATTACH]

I was in the hospital for 24 hours — they needed to keep me overnight to ensure that my brain and eye were alright. The Arlington police officer who was at the scene stopped my room twice. The first time was a few hours after the crash, to ask me about it — I didn’t remember anything; the driver was given a citation. The second time was to deliver my house keys!! which I had told her during the first visit were in a pannier that was on the bicycle. I think I’ll send her a thank you note.

A friend came by to drive me home from the hospital and to pick up my bicycle at Arlington Fire House #6, right off the W&OD. Furthering my hypothesis that my injuries were caused by the car directly hitting me, and not by me bouncing off the pavement, was the fact that the bicycle seems to have almost no damage — the struts of the front fenders are detached from the fork attachment thingee, that’s all I can see. To be brought to the bike shop for a better check as soon as I’m able to ride again — so much for riding every day of Freezing Saddles.

[ltierstein]

Unfortunately, I may be a contestant for the 2019 London Bridge Prize, but I need to get the rules clarified. Does going down count for the prize when your bicycle is hit by a car? It happened to me on Sunday afternoon, around 1:30, eastbound on the W&OD when crossing Lee Highway. A car turned right, right into me.

I posit that the car smacked right into the left side of my body, and I then fell to the ground, because the damage to said body was: a bruised rib (CAT scan required to rule out break and damage to the pancreas); scrapes on the left leg, around the knee (x-ray required to rule out a break); broken orbital bone on top of left eye (confirmed by X-ray and/or MRI, I forget which), with a minor (as these things go) brain bleed underneath, and a massive black eye. I don’t have any pictures of the crash or the car, since I was unconscious at the time. I remember coming to as my neck was being strapped down, in the ambulance. I was taken to Fairfax Inova, not the closest hospital, but the one with a specialized Trauma ICU (TICU) room. I DO have a picture of my face, with the black eye and stitches, if documentation is needed.

I was in the hospital for 24 hours — they needed to keep me overnight to ensure that my brain and eye were alright. The Arlington police officer who was at the scene stopped my room twice. The first time was a few hours after the crash, to ask me about it — I didn’t remember anything; the driver was given a citation. The second time was to deliver my house keys!! which I had told her during the first visit were in a pannier that was on the bicycle. I think I’ll send her a thank you note.

A friend came by to drive me home from the hospital and to pick up my bicycle at Arlington Fire House #6, right off the W&OD. Furthering my hypothesis that my injuries were caused by the car directly hitting me, and not by me bouncing off the pavement, was the fact that the bicycle seems to have almost no damage — the struts of the front fenders are detached from the fork attachment thingee, that’s all I can see. To be brought to the bike shop for a better check as soon as I’m able to ride again — so much for riding every day of Freezing Saddles.

[streetsmarts]

@ltierstein 185121 wrote:

Unfortunately, I may be a contestant for the 2019 London Bridge Prize, but I need to get the rules clarified. Does going down count for the prize when your bicycle is hit by a car? It happened to me on Sunday afternoon, around 1:30, eastbound on the W&OD when crossing Lee Highway. A car turned right, right into me.

I posit that the car smacked right into the left side of my body, and I then fell to the ground, because the damage to said body was: a bruised rib (CAT scan required to rule out break and damage to the pancreas); scrapes on the left leg, around the knee (x-ray required to rule out a break); broken orbital bone on top of left eye (confirmed by X-ray and/or MRI, I forget which), with a minor (as these things go) brain bleed underneath, and a massive black eye. I don’t have any pictures of the crash or the car, since I was unconscious at the time. I remember coming to as my neck was being strapped down, in the ambulance. I was taken to Fairfax Inova, not the closest hospital, but the one with a specialized Trauma ICU (TICU) room. I DO have a picture of my face, with the black eye and stitches, if documentation is needed.

I was in the hospital for 24 hours — they needed to keep me overnight to ensure that my brain and eye were alright. The Arlington police officer who was at the scene stopped my room twice. The first time was a few hours after the crash, to ask me about it — I didn’t remember anything; the driver was given a citation. The second time was to deliver my house keys!! which I had told her during the first visit were in a pannier that was on the bicycle. I think I’ll send her a thank you note.

A friend came by to drive me home from the hospital and to pick up my bicycle at Arlington Fire House #6, right off the W&OD. Furthering my hypothesis that my injuries were caused by the car directly hitting me, and not by me bouncing off the pavement, was the fact that the bicycle seems to have almost no damage — the struts of the front fenders are detached from the fork attachment thingee, that’s all I can see. To be brought to the bike shop for a better check as soon as I’m able to ride again — so much for riding every day of Freezing Saddles.

I’m so sorry but glad you are mostly ok. Hope the driver or insurance compensates you. And hope your recovery is complete and you’re up riding when you feel able.

Really glad your injuries aren’t any worse!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[awitt]

Liking your post is not quite right. I’m sorry this happened to you and am very glad that you are alive and mobile. I hope your head injury doesn’t cause any lasting probles.

[komorebi]

That sounds terrifying, ltierstein, especially the brain injury. I’m so sorry this happened to you. I hope you’re able to take it easy and recover fully. Sending healing thoughts.

[wheelswings]

Oh hell, so sorry to hear this. That is a terrible intersection. I was heading east on the WOD at Lee just yesterday when a driver cut me off racing ‘round that same right turn. The proposed bridge can’t happen soon enough. https://wtop.com/arlington/2018/10/vdot-unveils-final-designs-for-wod-trail-bridge-over-lee-highway/slide/1/

Get well quick. Guess you’ll need to take it easy for a while given the head injury—you poor dear! Sending hugs. w&w

[ginacico]

Noooo! That sucks Leslie, so sorry. Be well and please let us know how we can help while you’re recovering.

[Sunyata]

@ltierstein 185121 wrote:

Unfortunately, I may be a contestant for the 2019 London Bridge Prize, but I need to get the rules clarified. Does going down count for the prize when your bicycle is hit by a car? It happened to me on Sunday afternoon, around 1:30, eastbound on the W&OD when crossing Lee Highway. A car turned right, right into me.

I posit that the car smacked right into the left side of my body, and I then fell to the ground, because the damage to said body was: a bruised rib (CAT scan required to rule out break and damage to the pancreas); scrapes on the left leg, around the knee (x-ray required to rule out a break); broken orbital bone on top of left eye (confirmed by X-ray and/or MRI, I forget which), with a minor (as these things go) brain bleed underneath, and a massive black eye. I don’t have any pictures of the crash or the car, since I was unconscious at the time. I remember coming to as my neck was being strapped down, in the ambulance. I was taken to Fairfax Inova, not the closest hospital, but the one with a specialized Trauma ICU (TICU) room. I DO have a picture of my face, with the black eye and stitches, if documentation is needed.

I was in the hospital for 24 hours — they needed to keep me overnight to ensure that my brain and eye were alright. The Arlington police officer who was at the scene stopped my room twice. The first time was a few hours after the crash, to ask me about it — I didn’t remember anything; the driver was given a citation. The second time was to deliver my house keys!! which I had told her during the first visit were in a pannier that was on the bicycle. I think I’ll send her a thank you note.

A friend came by to drive me home from the hospital and to pick up my bicycle at Arlington Fire House #6, right off the W&OD. Furthering my hypothesis that my injuries were caused by the car directly hitting me, and not by me bouncing off the pavement, was the fact that the bicycle seems to have almost no damage — the struts of the front fenders are detached from the fork attachment thingee, that’s all I can see. To be brought to the bike shop for a better check as soon as I’m able to ride again — so much for riding every day of Freezing Saddles.

Oh man! I am so SO sorry this happened to you. I wish I had known your bike was at Station 6. I would have grabbed it and dropped it off at Bikenetic to have them check it over for you.

Orbital fractures are not comfortable, so I hope you are doing as well as can be under the circumstances. Please PLEASE let me know if you need anything at all.

[chuxtr]

Leslie – Hope you are doing OK and will recover quickly. We’re all thinking about you and pulling for you. Do you know if the driver stuck around? Did the police cite him/her? My friend HF was riding home from our group ride on Sunday and emailed me that he saw the aftermath of a bicycle/car accident at the intersection. I’m guessing that was you.

[Steve O]

This is awful news, Leslie. Heal well and be good to yourself. Please let us know if you need anything.

I’m thinking your injuries were caused when you bounced off the car’s hood with your left side and your head (writing this makes me cringe). Any damage to the helmet that would confirm that? Or whiplash in your neck?

I suspect the citation was for Failure to Yield. I wish it was for Assault With a Deadly Weapon. Until we raise the expectation that drivers need to treat people riding bicycles (and people walking) as vulnerable human beings and their vehicles as 2-thousand+ pound missiles, this will continue.

[epilsk]

Oh No! This is NOT the kind of report I like reading. I hope you heal up soon and without complications. Here’s to a speedy recovery

[lordofthemark]

Leslie, I feel so sorry this happened to you. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Hope you recover soon and feel better.

[accordioneur]

Leslie, I’m horrified, saddened and enraged that this happened. Feel better soon – !רפואה שלמה

[ltierstein]

@chuxtr 185161 wrote:

Leslie – Hope you are doing OK and will recover quickly. We’re all thinking about you and pulling for you. Do you know if the driver stuck around? Did the police cite him/her? My friend HF was riding home from our group ride on Sunday and emailed me that he saw the aftermath of a bicycle/car accident at the intersection. I’m guessing that was you.

Yes, the driver stuck around and was given a police citation. Evidently, someone called 911 just about immediately. Don’t know if it was the driver or a bystander, since I was unconscious at the time.

[ltierstein]

I just checked the citation, a copy of which was handed to me a few hours later in the hospital by the police officer who wrote it. It doesn’t say what the citation is, just that the driver was “at fault”. The police officer explained that the driver could either pay a fine or contest the citation in court. At the time, I was too out-of-it to pursue and ask for details, but I do have the officer’s contact information. And the citation number.

The helmet doesn’t have any cracks in it, but there is an indentation on the left front, where my head evidently made contact with something, and the adjustable frame of the helmet was pressed into the styrofoam. The part of my forehead that sits just below that part of the helmet is where I have the gash that required the stitches. There is blood all over the inside of the helmet, and some smeared on the outside — it must have come out of the vents before someone got the helmet off. It was not fun trying to wash the dried blood out of my hair and eyebrow.

No whiplash, just overall soreness on the left side of my body, and what must be a bruised rib at the bottom of the rib cage. I was thinking that the car just slammed into me. I have no idea what object could have caused the cut on my forehead — it’s straight, not jagged. The edge of a sideview mirror? Anybody know the physics of car vs bike incidents?

I’m going to try to make it to the Freezing Saddles Happy Hour tomorrow night; unfortunately, not by bicycle, but by public transportation+walking or Uber/taxi.

Sorry for the gory details.

@Steve O 185173 wrote:

This is awful news, Leslie. Heal well and be good to yourself. Please let us know if you need anything.

I’m thinking your injuries were caused when you bounced off the car’s hood with your left side and your head (writing this makes me cringe). Any damage to the helmet that would confirm that? Or whiplash in your neck?

I suspect the citation was for Failure to Yield. I wish it was for Assault With a Deadly Weapon. Until we raise the expectation that drivers need to treat people riding bicycles (and people walking) as vulnerable human beings and their vehicles as 2-thousand+ pound missiles, this will continue.

[Author]

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