Author Topic: DWU - driving while unconscious  (Read 5215 times)

Offline julianop

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DWU - driving while unconscious
« on: November 15, 2012, 10:42:00 PM »
Riding home from Rockford IL to Elk River MN, Friday 29th June, late afternoon, looking forward to a week off for the 4th of July. Blazing hot day, full Olympia mesh gear. I'd worked late - all night, essentially - the day before, trying to "GSD" (get $hit done).

Felt very hot and increasingly tired running up 90/94/39 past Madison WI after having dinner at Milton WI, digestion and overwork kicking in very rapidly, knew I had to pull over for a nap. Slowed down, pulled in behind a truck, tried to make it to the wayside just south of the Portage turnoff.

Managed to turn in off the highway into the wayside, twenty feet from a parking space, and I blacked out.

Wandered to the left (unconscious by this time), got caught on the kerb (edge trap), rolled over onto the left side, slid on the rough grass. Bike did a kerb grind, took out the left highway peg, left foot rest, left-side Tupperware, bottom plate, left luggage box, left driving light. 850-plus dollars later the bike is in decent shape.

For me, nothing broken, but upper leg bruised from knee to beltline (Olympia gear did it's job perfectly). The muscular pain is finally over now (mid November), but I have fairly significant nerve damage - the skin on the left side of my upper leg is numb and sore.

Dunno how to embed images, otherwise I'd post an annotated map of my path.
Julian.
Elk River, MN.
Seasonal Temporal Navigational Disorder - that inexplicable but wholly satisfying affliction that causes one to lose the ability to drive a motorcycle straight home after work in the summer months, despite the apparent ability to make the reverse journey that same morning.

Offline Conrad

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Re: DWU - driving while unconscious
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2012, 05:19:35 AM »
Sorry to hear, I hope that you heal up.

Rockford eh? I'm just a bit south of you.
Northern Illinois   Silverdammit '08 C-14 ABS

"Don't bother me with facts, Son. I've already made up my mind." -Foghorn Leghorn

Offline ManWorkinghere

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Re: DWU - driving while unconscious
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2012, 06:08:52 AM »
... after having dinner at Milton WI, ... I blacked out.

 I'd post an annotated map of my path.

Hope you have recovered from your June mishap.

Please post name and location of killer restaurant in Milton, WI.  Need to avoid dangerous food places like this.
 :popcorn:
after 2012 Rallybefore 2012 RallyCOG#9292:-)

Offline Daves00

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Re: DWU - driving while unconscious
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2012, 09:07:22 AM »
Julianop,

  Glad your healing up slow but sure.

  I live just outside of Rockford [Cherryvale Mall area].

  I have to admit that's a hellava commute.

  Dave N.
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  Rockford Ill.

Offline Scaffolder

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Re: DWU - driving while unconscious
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2012, 09:40:27 AM »
Glad you are feeling better. Crashes take a while to get through. Seems pretty cheap to fix. Nice.
Joel from Maine.

Offline julianop

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Re: DWU - driving while unconscious
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2012, 03:44:08 PM »
Thanks for the good wishes, guys.
One nice aspect of this is that we have some free physical therapy sessions available here at work that I've signed up for, so I get my leg massaged by this really nice young lady...

Yes, it's sore here... and here...  :D


Conrad: great, then maybe we'll run into each other some day soon...

ManWorkinghere: actually it was the Culvers at Milton. It's a nice place, and slightly famous for being the world's largest Culvers. I don't hold them accountable for my bad judgment, though :-)   Actually, on the occasions I need to cage it home I stop in there for a chocolate concrete malt which, if I take it through a straw as it melts, I can make last up to the Portage exit north of Madison !

Dave N: same as Conrad, eh? Sounds like we have the makings of a spring ride coming together :-)

Yes, it is a helluva commute, but I've managed to put over 20,000 miles on my trusty machine in a little over a year. I've had a fun re-entry back into the world of motorcycling, and I've learn skills quickly, and become very familiar with my Concours; I can quickly sense when things aren't quite right. I've also learned my limits  :o  and learned to deal with weather, night driving, and fatigue.

Scaffolder: thanks. Yeah, I do feel I got off pretty lightly with only $850 to fix it back up. That has delayed spending on farkles, however: I'm trying to get around to SISF's cam kit, but other things keep getting in the way.
Julian.
Elk River, MN.
Seasonal Temporal Navigational Disorder - that inexplicable but wholly satisfying affliction that causes one to lose the ability to drive a motorcycle straight home after work in the summer months, despite the apparent ability to make the reverse journey that same morning.

Offline Conrad

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Re: DWU - driving while unconscious
« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2012, 04:28:08 AM »
Julianop,

  Glad your healing up slow but sure.

  I live just outside of Rockford [Cherryvale Mall area].

  I have to admit that's a hellava commute.

  Dave N.
  COG 4475
  Rockford Ill.


Conrad: great, then maybe we'll run into each other some day soon...

Dave N: same as Conrad, eh? Sounds like we have the makings of a spring ride coming together :-)


That sounds like a good idea! I get up to Rockford once in a while. My wife and I had a nice ride through Rock Cut and had a picnic a few weeks ago.
Northern Illinois   Silverdammit '08 C-14 ABS

"Don't bother me with facts, Son. I've already made up my mind." -Foghorn Leghorn

Offline julianop

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Re: DWU - driving while unconscious
« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2012, 07:34:32 AM »
That sounds like a good idea! I get up to Rockford once in a while. My wife and I had a nice ride through Rock Cut and had a picnic a few weeks ago.

I "live" (i.e. rent a room while I'm down here in Rockford) just east of Rock Cut in the Candlewick Lake subdivision by Caledonia/Poplar Grove. I ride past Rock Cut park (and often through it!) to and from work, which is in in Loves Park. It's a nice thirteen mile ride, and I do it down to the low 20's with no ill effects.

Well yup, let's think about it as the thaw comes around. As I spend almost all weekends with wife and sons back home in MN I rarely get weekends down here, but it certainly could happen for something as important as a ride with members of the "Connie Crowd" :-)
Julian.
Elk River, MN.
Seasonal Temporal Navigational Disorder - that inexplicable but wholly satisfying affliction that causes one to lose the ability to drive a motorcycle straight home after work in the summer months, despite the apparent ability to make the reverse journey that same morning.