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Just witnessed death.

cromofo

cromofo

Member
I was washing my car in my driveway near the road and a tourist(male) came down on his bike(bicycle) down a slope and misjudged his speed and ended up falling down over the road in a forest. Hit his head on a rock. I didn't see it exactly but I heard the screams of people who'd witnessed it. I assume some of his family/friends he vacationed with were there since they were very distraught and huddled around him. I couldn't do anything but stand there and watch. I knew he was gone. Surreal really. His head was mangled to hell.

The slope he rode down is very very steep and it connects on a T with another road, with a small forest and rocky beach underneath it.

The ambulance was there and pronounced him dead. The police are here now questioning the witnesses and waiting for the coroner or something to take him away. The police has to investigate first I think. He's still lying there covered by a sheet.

Wear a fucking helmet guys.

I feel sick.
 
N

nicanica

Member
Sorry you had to see that shit OP, but bike riders,

Wear your fucking helmets.

Cannot fucking stand my city spending tax dollars on building bike lanes, and riders are pissing around in traffic without proper protective gear.

Once more sorry OP, only sour lessons to be learned in this tragedy.
 
D

DieNgamers

Member
So you actually saw the aftermath? Life can be so frail. I can't imagine what it would be like to witness something like this but I think a part of me would die inside.

Get well, dude, that's terrible. R.I.P. bicycle guy. :(
 
cromofo

cromofo

Member
SlipperyFishes said:
If this thread makes one person about to leave for work without a helmet reconsider than thanks OP for the harsh reminder how cruel life can quickly end.
Click to expand...

That was my thinking too.

Regretfully, I've been around death before so it's not something that will shake me up majorly. It still sucks. They guy was like in his 30s 40s.
 
J

Jonnax

Member
Cyclists that don't wear helmets are idiots.

If any of you are considering not wearing one. Buy a watermelon and throw it on the ground. That's your head in an accident.
 
cromofo

cromofo

Member
Shit, family/friends he vacationed with were sunbathing and swimming just near where he died.

Fucking hell
 
W

wedca

Member
Sometimes people who have witnessed death gain a renewed appreciation for life, I think that is a good way to look at a bad situation.

If this haunts you please seek help.

Edit: I see that you have experienced this type of thing before, looks like you have a level head.
 
cromofo

cromofo

Member
Caramello said:
Where do you live and how is it not illegal to ride a bike without a helmet?
Click to expand...

Croatia, it's not legal I believe, but the police don't care really. There's not much police presence here since I'm on an island. He probably just went home from the beach to get something and while coming back he died.
 
C

Carn82

Member
oof, disturbing. Take care OP!

Caramello said:
Where do you live and how is it not illegal to ride a bike without a helmet?
Click to expand...

It's not mandatory in most of Europe; if it is, it usually only applies to children (age might differ per country), or on power-assisted bikes like e-bikes. And if I recall correctly, outside urban areas (in Spain).
 
R

RumblingRosco

Member
You know what's crazy? Illinois, Iowa, and New Hampshire have no laws requiring people in motorcycles to wear helmets.

Not bicycles, I mean motorcycles.
 
R

RMI

Banned
Sorry OP. It's not clear from the story but is this a mountain bike? Road bike? Paved road? Trail?

cromofo said:
Wear a fucking helmet guys.
Click to expand...

For real.

jwk94 said:
Speaking of protective gear, why don't cyclist typically wear knee and elbow pads?
Click to expand...

Knee pads would be pretty uncomfortable considering the wide range and constant movement of the knee joints while bicycling.

I can see wearing elbow pads while mountain biking.

Helmets are absolutely essential though.
 
S

slider

Member
somecrazymember said:
Are you talking about his comment saying 'wear a helmet guys'?

If so, worst 1st post in quite a while.
Click to expand...

No, sorry all. Should've said it's not nice, to state the obvious. Missing comma.

Edit: Thanks *Splinter.

Driving around where I live I don't think I've seen many people without protection. But I often see youngsters without lights on their bikes. That should be an offence. Not cos I'm pissy but cos I'd want people to be as safe as possible.
 
C

Carn82

Member
jwk94 said:
Speaking of protective gear, why don't cyclist typically wear knee and elbow pads?
Click to expand...

To be honest, I tripped/fell more often during regular walking than while riding my bicycle; have been riding one since I was 4 or 5 (I am 34 now). But cycling is ingrained in Dutch culture; and most of our roads and infrastructure is very bicycle-orientated. I would probably think about this differently about this if I had to travel on less safe roads; or in a country where automobile drivers arent used to cyclists.
 
T

Trojan X

Banned
cromofo said:
I was washing my car in my driveway near the road and a tourist(male) came down on his bike(bicycle) down a slope and misjudged his speed and ended up falling down over the road in a forest. Hit his head on a rock. I didn't see it exactly but I hear the screams of people who'd witnessed it. I assume some of his family/friends he vacationed with were there since they were very distraught and huddled around him. I couldn't do anything but stand there and watch. I knew he was gone. Surreal really. His head was mangled to hell.

The slope he rode down is very very steep and it connects on a T with another road, with a small forest and rocky beach underneath it.

The ambulance was there and pronounced him dead. The police are here now questioning the witnesses and waiting for the coroner or something to take him away. The police has to investigate first I think. He's still lying there covered by a sheet.

Wear a fucking helmet guys.

I feel sick.
Click to expand...

Sorry that you had to see that and RIP to the poor man who passed.

To help prevent any further disasters, can you inform your town hall/council/city hall about what happened and that steep slope T-Junction in an effort to push them to put up major potential accident hazard signs? What happens during winter and black ice forms? You gotta not want that to happen to anyone else. If there are more than sufficient signs there then nothing else further for you to do.
 
M

Mendrox

Member
Saw two fatalities on Koh Samui Thailand a few weeks ago. One german guy drove his scooter, didn't watch to his right, got hit by car and went flying without helmet onto the street. Head split open. I was just eating some chili con carne and watched the blood flow and people gathering. People are fucking stupid over there for not wearing helmets 24/7 on scooters/bikes (not only tourists)
 
P

Palette Swap

Member
Sorry for you, OP. I'm also sorry for the guy, obviously.

Carn82 said:
It's not mandatory in most of Europe; if it is, it usually only applies to children (age might differ per country), or on power-assisted bikes like e-bikes. And if I recall correctly, outside urban areas (in Spain).
Click to expand...
In France, it became mandatory for children under 12 like 3 months ago. It seems crazy to me that it isn't for everyone.
Their rationale for not making it mandatory for adults is that less people would bike by creating a barrier to entry. But still.

Soka said:
You know what's crazy? Illinois, Iowa, and New Hampshire have no laws requiring people in motorcycles to wear helmets.

Not bicycles, I mean motorcycles.
Click to expand...
Now that's another level of crazy.
 
cromofo

cromofo

Member
Trojan X said:
To help prevent any further disasters, can you inform your town hall/council/city hall about what happened and that steep slope T-Junction in an effort to push them to put up major potential accident hazard signs? What happens during winter and black ice forms? You gotta not want that to happen to anyone else. If there are more than sufficient signs there then nothing else further for you to do.
Click to expand...

There certainly will be a discussion on this.
 
S

somecrazymember

Banned
slider said:
No, sorry all. Should've said it's not nice, to state the obvious. Missing comma.

Edit: Thanks *Splinter.

Driving around where I live I don't think I've seen many people without protection. But I often see youngsters without lights on their bikes. That should be an offence. Not cos I'm pissy but cos I'd want people to be as safe as possible.
Click to expand...

Ok sorry
 
T

Triggerhappytel

Member
Sorry you had to see this OP. Feel bad for the family as well, but people who don't wear helmets when riding are fucking crazy. It's very easy to tumble from your bike, and even a relatively innocuous-seeming bump on the head can be extremely dangerous if you're going at 15-20mph.
 
cromofo

cromofo

Member
Hesemonni said:
Where does OP live? Renting out bikes without helmets to tourists...
Click to expand...

AFAIK he was staying at a small family hotel near me and he rented the bike from the owner. I doubt the owner has any license to do that.

The investigators came too, probably to inspect the bike and where he rented it from. It's being treated as a car crash would be.
 
Yoshi

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
slider said:
No, sorry all. Should've said it's not nice, to state the obvious. Missing comma.

Edit: Thanks *Splinter.

Driving around where I live I don't think I've seen many people without protection. But I often see youngsters without lights on their bikes. That should be an offence. Not cos I'm pissy but cos I'd want people to be as safe as possible.
Click to expand...

Outside some children, my wife and myself, I almost never saw anyone using a helmet on the bike. Interesting to hear that in other areas, people behave more rational.
 
DonMigs85

DonMigs85

Member
I've come across a few motorcycle riders lying flat on the road after accidents. Fortunately no mangled bodies and at least one of them was still moving.
 
A

Any Questions

Member
Jonnax said:
Cyclists that don't wear helmets are idiots.

If any of you are considering not wearing one. Buy a watermelon and throw it on the ground. That's your head in an accident.
Click to expand...

I see it every day in London. Been on the road 10 years and every day worn a helmet. The number of idiots ego cycle not that it's popular not wearing helmets staggers me. Idiot every one. I feel sad for the people who have lost a loved one.
 
S

Saiyu

Junior Member
I've seen a few, but that's because I work in healthcare. Even had to do chest compressions on a poor sod who died on Christmas day.

Seeing a traumatic death must be worse I'd imagine.
 
AlteredForms

AlteredForms

Banned
Must concentrate the mind immediately after witnessing that. The notion that existence is so fragile and short-term is very true.
 
R

RedSparrows

Member
Eesh, horrible. That will take time to sort in yer brain, be ready for that.

I had a really serious accident last year, got a severe brain injury, but I was very, very lucky and have had no lasting ill-effects. I wasn't cycling, but it was road-related, but now when I see cyclists without helmets I actually get angry. You are so fragile. It only takes a second and bam, agony and even disability and death.
 
cromofo

cromofo

Member
Just heard the door shut. He was probably loaded onto a vehicle.

I can hear people crying.

They probably waited entire year to come here and spend some time together and now this...

Fucking hell
 
C

CloudWolf

Member
Damn OP, that's terrible. I can't imagine seeing that.

Caramello said:
Where do you live and how is it not illegal to ride a bike without a helmet?
Click to expand...

Speaking as a Dutchman, unless you are a very small child, no one ever wears a bike helmet unless they're mountain biking or racing. Literally everyone cycles and it's considered pretty safe. In fact, I'm pretty sure that if you go to Amsterdam or Utrecht and tell people that they should be wearing a helmet, they will laugh in your face.
 
andythinkpad

andythinkpad

Member
Wow you can get killed on a bicycle (on your own). Good thing the bicycle I ordered yesterday has a disc brake. But I am going get a helmet thanks for reminding me.
 
R

Royce McCutcheon

Junior Member
Dude at my job had died in the locker room while everyone was joking and laughing, he was just slumped over in his seat. Tried to wake him up after break and he fell over.
 
D

DrunkShogun

Member
Safety measures are there for a reason. I've dodged the bullet so far in terms of witnessing death or losing anyone I knew personally.
 
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