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The
Makings of a Crash – Sept. 15, 2004
 Hi.
My name is Bobby Newman. I’m a rider of a red 2003 Gold Wing called “My
Obsession III”. I did consider myself a pretty good rider until Sept. 15th.
Since starting riding motorcycles in 1994, I had put on around 150,000 safe
riding miles. I had taken an MSF and several ERC courses and prided myself on
being a really good rider. Then I discovered how staying aware of yourself and
your attitude is as important, if not more, as staying aware of traffic and
everything else surrounding you and your bike.
On
that day, I had already put in a little better than 250 miles getting home
from southeastern Ohio. We, my ’01 Gold Wing riding buddy and bride,
Claudette, had been on a vacation trip that had taken us down to the Smokie
Mountains, Deal’s Gap, and Lexington, NC. I had it in my head and on
our itinerary to be back home on the morning of Sept. 15th, in
order to pack up the camper and head to Marshall, MI and the Region D Rally.
The plan was to meet up with some other GWRRA campers from chapters E and Q2
that Wednesday afternoon at the fairgrounds. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy
all the fun and camaraderie that comes from being around good people at the
rallies. I was looking forward to getting some more of that Safety Chrome and
a new set of tires. I had 16,000 miles on this set of tires. They looked
fairly good but would need changing real soon and why not at the rally. I
should find a good deal on a new set of Dunlop’s at one of the vendors
there.
Well,
that didn’t happen. We didn’t get home that morning, as I wanted to. We
didn’t get home until 4 in the afternoon. So there I was. Fuming. Feeling
frustrated getting home so late in the day. Wanting to get to the rally site
and get set up before dark. So I rushed around, getting the things done that I
felt needed done before heading out on the road. Got them done, loaded up the
camper. Hooked it up to the bike and was ready to go. Claudette gave me a kiss
and said she would meet up with me later on Friday, in Marshall. So I was off.
Just scurrying right along. Trying to make up for lost time and to get to the
rally site before dark. I looked at the time. 5 p.m. Darn it. I wanted to be
home this morning so I wouldn’t be so rushed. So hurried. Granted, we’ve
had a great time up to this point, since we headed out a week ago. Putting on
about 1700 miles on the odometer for this trip so far. Riding the Dragon. The
Smokie Mountains. West Virginia, southern Ohio. But I wanted to be home this
morning. It’s a 2-hour ride to the fairgrounds in Michigan. I should make it
just before dark. Find a good site. Get set up. Sit back. Relax.
Have fun.
From
my home in LaPorte, IN, I figured the fastest way to Marshall, would be to hit
US 31 in Indiana, to I-94, in Michigan, head east and a quick jaunt to
Marshall, located just before the junction of I-69. I have to hurry, but I
should just make it. I don’t want to set up in the dark. As I approach I-94,
the skies are black. The road has been showing signs of a recent downpour. The
further north I go, the wetter the highway is getting. Oh man, this is just
great. Now I’m going to have to stop. Put on the rain gear. This is just
something else to slow me down. Put
me further behind my schedule, as if I’m not running enough behind as it is.
Something more to frustrate me. But hey, it’s not raining hard now. Just
sprinkling, even though it had rained pretty hard just a little while ago. As
I get to the interchange at I-94, past a number of truck stops and gas
stations, looking north, the skies are dark and foreboding. I look to the east
where I want to go. The weather looks clear that way, so what the heck, I’ve
ridden in the damp before. It looks like its clearing up. No reason to stop
and take up more time putting on the rain gear. I can make it before dark if I
hurry. Let’s get going!
As
I head down the on ramp, gathering up speed to merge onto the interstate
highway, I notice an eastbound semi truck sending up a pretty big water spray.
The driver of the rig notices me and moves over to the left lane to give me
room to merge in traffic. Seeing the large amount of water spray coming off of
his tires, I wanted to get out ahead of him. So I speed it up a little faster
to try to get out in front of him.
Bad
choice. FRUSTRATION had blinded me to all the warning signs that had been
presented to me. Very wet roads. A number of fuel stations. Speed. Thin tread
on the tires. The added weight of a trailer on the rear of “My Obsession
III”. All these things now led to what would happen next. Lost traction. My
beloved Obsession is fishtailing. The trailer starts to fishtail and now I
realize I am in the Almighty’s hands. The bike heads to the right and
somewhere along the ride, I am thrown off. I don't have much recollection of coming
off the bike and what happened after that. I remember looking up and seeing my
bike laying on its left side, off to my right and ahead of me, and then
closing my eyes to the waves of pain I was beginning to feel and waiting for
help and thinking. Thinking of my wife, my bike and the fact that my friends
at the rally are going to wonder where the heck am I?
Help
came quickly, I guess. I have no concept of time then. Just the pain and agony
of a broken collarbone, five broken ribs, a punctured lung. It must have been
quick though. There was a lot of traffic and the good Samaritans of Michigan
are known to be quick and decisive. So, I guess, it wasn’t long before I was
put in an ambulance and sent to the hospital. I remember talking to the ER
personnel, letting them know whom I was and to call my wife and daughter. I
remember them cutting off my brand new, long sleeve denim shirt we had just
bought last Saturday at the store at Deal’s Gap, and my favorite pair of bib
overalls. They took my gloves off, then my boots, and left on my ¾ helmet for
a while longer while they got x-rays. I had a few staff people there ask me if
I was going to give up riding after going through this mishap. I remember
telling them that there was no way I was giving it up. It was too much fun, I
made too many friends and it felt too good to give up. After a while though,
one of the good doctors figured it was all right to take the helmet off. I
said OK and he started to take it off. He said, “ Man, that is a snug
fitting helmet.” I said, “Doc, you are going to have to undo the chin
strap before it will come off”.
I
don’t remember a lot after that for the first few days. The pain medication
really started kicking in then and I was pretty oblivious to the world.
I remember my family and some of my extended family in GWRRA coming in
and checking up on me and not a whole lot more. The following week, I was
placed in a step down care room and there I had a lot of time to do some
thinking about what had happened. There were a number of contributors to cause
this crash. I can’t call it an accident because there was nothing accidental
about t. The wear on the tires after 16,000 miles (a friend checked the tread
depth and tire pressure, 3/32 and 39 psi, respectfully), wet and slick road
conditions (a recent rain and all the oil, fuel, coolant, and contaminants
from the surrounding fuel stops on the roadway), excessive speed for the
existing conditions, and mostly what I feel is the biggest cause of this crash
was my FRUSTRATION at running behind a time schedule that I had engrained in
my mind. If you take out any one of those items, this crash probably would not
have happened. That’s what I think.
As
for my recovery, I am doing well. After a month of recovery, I was able to go
back to work on a light duty status and Dec. 1st, I was back to
full duty. The bike is back together. The entire left side plastic and crash
bars had to be replaced. I was able to take it out for 4 short rides before
the winter blast hit. I’m still squabbling with the insurance company about
the camper.
I
think I did so well in my recovery because of the prayers, well wishes, cards,
and flowers that were sent to me from all over Region D and the whole GWRRA
world. A special hospital visit from the “Treasure’s” of Michigan, Chet
& Helen Weage, MI chapter S, really gave me a big boost in spirit at a low
time in my stint in the hospital as well as chapter visitors from IN Q2 and
P2. Oh yea, before I forget, the loving care that my family and loving wife,
Claudette, gave me. Besides all those few, “I told you so’s,” that came
from her direction.
A
BIG, THANK YOU, to both my families at home and in GWRRA. I hope the
lesson that I have learned and have tried to put into words will help stop
somebody else from making the same mistakes that I did; and then having to go
through the pain, both physical and mental.
Riding
is managed risk. I love riding too much to give it up. I missed a lot of good
riding days in September and October. I will try to never let frustration keep
me from seeing the big picture, in both life and riding. I could have lost my
life as well. I never want to do that again.
Bobby
Newman GW#108737
Ride
for Kids Task Force Leader/Visitation
Former
Asst. District Director
Former
Sr. Chapter Director
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