Abercrombie FJR
Well-known member
It was a beautiful September Sunday morning for a nice Tenere ride to teach motorcycle school yesterday. The glorious morning was shattered when a whitetail doe appeared out of nowhere in front of my Tenere. Before I had a chance to roll off the throttle, or touch a brake, I hit and killed the doe at full highway speed.
The force of the impact bent the forks, smashing the oil filter flat, and locking up the front wheel temporarily. The deer was eviscerated on impact and thrown into the ditch. Things went black for me about this time and the bike went onto the right side sliding down the highway before getting back up on its wheels and rolling to a stop 199 yards from the initial impact site.
I regained consciousness unable to determine where I was at, although I was only 8 miles from home, and the landmarks looked familiar. I also was unable to remember where I was going and felt extremely intoxicated and confused. I was bleeding from two knuckles that had worn through my leather gloves and I had incredibly intense pain in my clavicle, scapula, and ribs area. I stood up and did a groggy self patient assessment and was amazed that all my extremities still worked. I walked to the Tenere that had rolled to a stop down the road finding it on its side in the ditch. I walked around the bike, shut off the key and started to walk the 200 yards to the deer. I think it was about this time I dug my phone out and called 911. I don't remember how I was able to tell the dispatcher where I was at but I knew him and was relieved to hear a familiar voice.
Shortly afterwards some of my fellow volunteer fire fighters, and first responders arrived from a neighboring small town and began caring for me and loaded me into an ambulance when it arrived. It was a bouncy painful 20 mile ride to Fargo strapped to the back board. The ER found no fractures, two scrapped knuckles that they put three stitches in, and a subdural hematoma, and a concussion. They held me till today for observation of the Subdural hematoma and more brain scans and I was released this afternoon.
Thanks to all the people who have encourage me to ride ATGATT.