Last week a guy that I have met was riding down I-45 around Conroe, Texas through a construcion zone with his wife on the back. Alongside the freeway they were doing some construction work and a tall dump truck snatched a utility line. The line fell on the bikers and knocked them off. The paper reported the bike went almost 1000 yards after they got knocked off. The rider is still in criticle condition and his wife only received minor injuries.

Just goes to show you that you can be the safest most defensive rider and something freaky like this can occur. I don't know if the guy was wearing a helmet or not. Maybe would have helped or not. I don't know. Keep your eyes open and pay attention. T.

 

Yup, goofy stuff and bad driving by cagers can get any one of us at any time, regardless of how careful we may be.&nbsp\\;All we can do is minimize the risk.

 

That's nuts. As defensive as you try to be and something like that happens and you're screwed.&nbsp\\;

 

A friend of mine was riding down the highway when a construction truck had some junk fall out\\; a piece of metal was ran over by the car infront of him, flew up and smacked him on his right shin. How he made it off the freeway and to a near by gas station I do not know. When he pulled up to a couple of cops that there where there and asked for an ambulance they freaked out. He had a very large gash on his leg that was splatterning blood everywhere. Luckly the leg was not broken just bruised requiring plenty of stitches\\; it took him several weeks before he could walk without pain. It's a tough world out there! Can only do what you can do!

 

That is why in that area I drive down old US 75 ( Frazier Street)&nbsp\\;or Loop 336 to stay away from that construction zone. I might have to stop at a few lights but I know how dangerous construction zones can be.
&nbsp\\;
Jerry

 

About 10 years ago I was riding down 183 in the Reading,Pa. area, there was a muffler laying in the middle of my lane. With nowhere to go I ran over it. Couldn't believe I didn't go down. Back then I had a '78 flh. All I felt was two loud thumps and the bike shake a little.
Point being, you can never be to careful.

 

I lived in the DFW area for awhile and was following to close, ran over an Armadilla, was 1 heck of a ride. The pucker spot stayed in that seat for weeks

 

Hope your buddy recovers quickly.&nbsp\\; Also, is he planning to name his new construction company after himself or his wife?

 

Geez yeah no kidding... No such thing as being too careful or too paranoid out there and even then you can get it&nbsp\\;taken out by some bizarre incident out of&nbsp\\;Left Field.

 

We can all be as careful as possible, but sometimes $hit happens that you never expect and can't plan for.&nbsp\\; Last year on I-55 south of Chicago, a "Fred Sanford" type&nbsp\\;scrap truck flew past me and just as he got in front of me, an old car hood blew out of the back of his pickup, flew over me, and slammed into the grill of the car behind me.&nbsp\\; Would have killed me for sure if it hadn't decided to sail over my head.