Accident this morning - what would you have done?

tintin · Traffic Copper Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Karma :

I helped out at an accident this morning (Tuesday) in South London (near Clapham South tube). Motorbike going along the road and a van driver turned across the road in front of him, almost a head on collision - SMIDSY.

I arrived just after the accident had happened and the biker was basically OK, he was sitting in the road propped up on his arms, he had hurt his foot and pelvis/groin. The first thing he asked me to do was to take his helmet off. I said he should really keep it on until the ambulance arrived, but he said if I didn't help him he would take it off himself. I suggested again that he should keep it on and asked if he hit the ground with his head or back. His helmet had some very small scratches on the side but no big lumps out of it. I figured that as he was sitting up, talking normally, hadn't been knocked out and would take the helmet off himself if I didn't do anything then I should help him. I got him to hold his head as still as possible and undid the strap and gently eased the helmet off. He seemed pretty good but I was worried in case I'd made things worse.

The police arrived and I found a witness who said the van just turned across in front of him, got her details and took some pictures with my mobile. The ambulance arrived about 5-10 mins later and insisted he lay down again and got a copper to hold his head still, they then wanted to put him in a collar and strap him to a board. The biker was more worried about the fact that they were going to cut his jacket off him than his injuries. As everything was OK I gave him the witnesses and my details before I left as I really need to get to work (I was trying to get in early before this happened).

I shook me up a bit, the front of the van was completely destroyed, the bike looked like it had a bent frame but it could have been a lot, lot worse. I think he must have swerved into the bus lane just before the impact.

If anyone here knows the guy then tell him I hope he heals quickly. Everyone else - Ride carefully out there!
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Minky_monkey · Traffic Copper Joined: 01 Aug 2004 Karma :

It`s very difficult, and it`s hard to say how I would`ve dealt with it unless I was there. Obviously the best call is to leave it on but I don`t think he was leaving you a lot of choice in the matter.

Skunkcap Freddie · Brolly Dolly Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Karma :

you stopped to help him mate, he gave you permission to remove it helmet, you tried to get him to keep it on . there's not much else you could have done.

welldone on stopping and helping a fellow biker out Thumbs Up

Trini · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Karma :

That is a real toughy. I would hate to be in that position as you dont know what to do for the best.

Your first instinct is to get him to leave his helmet on.

Then again as said in the previous post he wasnt leaving you with much of an option.

Hope the guy is ok.
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DEN MONKEY · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 May 2005 Karma :

The decision was his and you simply helped him out.
Reckon you did the right thing.
Well done mate for stopping and lending a hand in the first place.
Been the first on a scene before and being faced with a bloody mess and be quite disturbing and put you in a funny place for a while.
A kind of shock if you will.
I remember getting home after offering assistance in an accident and having to take my shirt off as it was covered in the guys blood. Jumped in the shower to wash it out of my chest hair. Made me feel very unsettled.

Brings some realities home and the one thing that should make you happy about the whole thing is that you my friend are a champ for helping him out. Well done again. Thumbs Up

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MRX Steve · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 02 Mar 2006 Karma :

Its a difficult decision to make, but i guess as he was sitting up, talking fine and he was going to take it off any way i probably would take it off Confused

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veeeffarr · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Karma :

If he was sitting up he'd probably caused all the damage he was going to anyway.

GearboxGeezer · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Sep 2005 Karma :

We cant really say as we dont know what the accident looked like, from the description of the van and bike it sounded a bit nasty.

At the end of the day, if he was going to take his own helmet off no matter what you was saying ( and from what you said thats what he was going to do ) then I would of rather helped him and been able to do it steadily than him who is probably a bit shaken up and just wants that bit of kevlar ( or what ever the fuck its made out off ) off his head and would of probably just yanked it off.

We all know you shouldnt remove your helmet even if you feel perfectly fine after an accident like that, but this guy obviously didnt know. You did the right thing and if any more serious injuire did take place, then that would NOT of been your fault, infact you probably saved him from more injurie as he would of only done it himself.

Top lad for stopping even if you was late to work, what bike did he have? was he wearing leathers and shit?

Wooly R6 · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 May 2005 Karma :

it depends on how they are - i know if i was ok after an accident - and by ok i mean sitting up concious with maybe pain elsewhere the helmet would be coming off instantly!!!!

i dont think its really a hard call myself - if they are out, check they are breathing - if they are leave it on till help arrives!!!

if they are not breathing - its got to come off so you can breathe for them!!!!! regardless of knowing about injury!!!

if they are consious, complaining of back/neck pain then they should leave it on. otherwise it would be just plain annoying and get in the way!!! Smile

I WOULD HAVE DONE EXACTLY THE SAME, IF HE WANTS IT OFF HELP HIM WITH IT!!!
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tintin · Traffic Copper Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Karma :

This a picture of the scene - if anyone thinks this shouldn't be shown here then let me know and I'll edit the post.

I'm shocked that people are surprised I stopped - I would always stop for another biker (unless there was a load of police, ambulances etc there already). I just think it's good to see another semi-friendly biker face when you are lying on the road hurting. As for being late to work - well I'm the boss so if I want to be late then I can.
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Minky_monkey · Traffic Copper Joined: 01 Aug 2004 Karma :

Jesus, that's a lot of damage on a road like that! Shocked

Jack_Cheese · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Karma :

If i know i'm going to bin my bike, and there's a citroen berlingo near by, i'm aiming for it! The front of that van has disappeared!

Good one for stopping Thumbs Up

I'd stop if there were no police or medics around. Better for you to help him take his helmet off than to let him do it on his own.

Jack
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McGee · O RLY? Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Karma :

Is the van driver the guy to the far right Question

in the second pic.
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minesweeper · Whoah there! Joined: 03 Feb 2002 Karma :

Just checked and Motorbikes are allowed on that stretch of bus lane in clapham and most of the Londonroad/Brighton Road A23.

he would have taken it off if you'd helped him or not. Last wednesday i got taken out by a truck and got myself to my feet straight afterwards and found my gear lever have gone through my boot so i pulled it out.... may sound stupid but i looked down and i felt perfectly calm just thought that aint supposed to be there so pulled it out, got another 4 steps back to my bike before the foot collapsed.

Being in an accident makes peoples brain work differently to normal, they react before they give something higher brain thought.
if id thought for a min i wouldnt pull a peice of metal from my own foot.

matt

fred_notdead · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Karma :

tintin · Traffic Copper Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Karma :

biggerjohn · Spanner Monkey Joined: 11 Apr 2005 Karma :

I think you did just the right thing mate.

It’s not always easy to stop and offer assistance top job for doing so.

LUXY DJ · World Chat Champion Joined: 25 Sep 2005 Karma :

is that on clapham road? sw4?
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0ddball · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Karma :

I'd probably have made some story up about a mate who ended up paralysed because he took his helmet off after a crash hoping it would worry him enough to leave it on.

If he was insistant i'd have stood back while he took it off himself. You open yourself up to prosecution or compensation claims if you take it off and make things worse.

Kudos for stopping to help though. Thumbs Up

the grim reaper · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Karma :

I saw a similar if not quite so gruesome crash about two years ago. I couldn't get to the biker in time to stop him taking his lid off himself, which I was quite glad about as it saved me from making that decision.

I did manage to stop him trying to get up though, as his foot wasn't really going to support him very well. Sick

It does shake you up though, I happened to be in the car at the time and he landed next to my door as a neighbour of mine had pulled out and crossed the white line as the bike was riding the other way - result was a head on, fortunately the bike had enough time to scrub a fair bit of speed off.

She got 4 points and a £275 fine Evil or Very Mad

Cheers

Grim
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tintin · Traffic Copper Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Karma :

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Ichy · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Karma :

No problem with what you did, I just think that with the amount of personal injury claims flying around that you need to sometimes think of the consequences of your actions. I would of let him take the helmet off himself.
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Dark · World Chat Champion Joined: 02 Jun 2004 Karma :

I think you did the right thing mate, you actions are very commendable and i wish that all bikers was as conscientious as you!

If he insisted on having his lid removed and was likely to remove it himself you did the right thing in making sure it was removed in controlled manor.

Well done mate Thumbs Up

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LUXY DJ · World Chat Champion Joined: 25 Sep 2005 Karma :