I got hit by a truck...
The title is accurate, but don't worry, I'm fine.
More specifically, while riding my bicycle on a narrow road, a pickup truck brushed up against me, and its mirror slammed into my shoulder, knocking me off my bike. The driver was going a full 50 MPH (the speed limit), trying to pass me, and stayed too far to the right because she saw a driver coming the other direction. Thankfully, no broken bones, just a painful bruise on my left shoulder (most of the force hit the muscle on the left of my upper back) and some more minor bruises on my left hand and left hip. The accident also caused the left hand brake on my bike to be broken off. On the driver's side, her right-hand rear-view mirror was completely torn off by the collision.
This is why, when riding a bicycle on a narrow road, you should always do so in a way that takes up the lane. Drivers are idiots and will do stupid things when they think they can maybe squeeze by you and save a couple seconds. So you have to force them to slow down.
This is also why, if you're driving a car and see a cyclist, always always always slow down. Always. And wait a couple seconds until it is safe to pass. Not only is it the responsible thing to do, it's the law.
I did learn an important lesson today: it can be hard to stick to what's safe, i.e. blocking the road when it's too narrow, with so many asshole drivers yelling at cyclists for even being on the road at all (which is our legal right). But it doesn't matter. You have to ignore them and do what's safe anyway. I got away with just bruises and maybe some muscle straining, but if I wasn't wearing a winter coat and mittens, or if I had landed in something other than soft mud and grass, it could easily have been much worse.
Whoops. That strong tag wasn't supposed to continue indefinitely. It was only supposed to go on the one word.
Oh well...
Really glad you are ok ! do some exams though and file a complaint.
Coming home from work i was hit "frontal" by a car some 20 years ago, and saved my legs by lifting them in-extremis above the handle bar, but landed 5 metres away accross the road, it was a grim winter rainy dark grey end of the day, with very poor visibility, luckily no brain trauma but i lost proper use of one finger for many years (i was not wearing a helmet)..I then after used a maritime lead Flashing Light which is "super powerfull"[Blinking Distress Light].
http://www.nordnautic.fr/boutique/securite/644-flashlight-led.html
Oh, I did do exams. The driver who hit me called 911 and an ambulence took me to the hospital. That's how I know I'm fine. :)
You can never really tell how bad you got hurt in this sort of situation, so you should never just walk away from it. I know that much. xD
That sounds like a bad accident you had back then. Yeah... I always have blinking lights on when it's dark or foggy. What does it mean to be hit "frontal" by the way?
You are lucky, but shaken for sure,[ i was very lucky then ](Just my finger got stuck in the brake handle as i was sent flying in the air)if i had not lifted my legs, no idea what would of been the outcome..all the best to you Opon4 ;-)
(frontal explained below) :
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onpon4
I'm glad that you are OK, just bruise UP and not in another dimension.
I did witness ONCE , the same kind of accident but the sad part was that two victim of a motorcycle accident, while I was driving home from the shopping mall with my family , it was a hit and run and the driver of the car flee the scene of the accident.
I hated to witness this event. It did affect me for two weeks, this event did trigger my combat stress again, had to take prescribe medication again and see my Psychiatrist with meetings to calm myself again.
Cyclists should have a dashcam. All interactions should be recorded and reported if need be. In the UK, drivers lose points if caught abusing the road users.
Cyclingmikey's channel:
Yikes! Glad to hear you're OK.