View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2008 > August > 29 > Entry
Wearing a helmet can save a life - yours!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It has been 34 years since I was on a motorcycle. I was working for a bread company after getting out of the military and I bought the bike and used it for the three-mile ride to work each morning. Early one morning, and when I say early I mean 4:30 a.m., and if you deliver bread you’re feeling me.
I came around the corner over near Pleasantdale Road and lost control of the bike in the curve and down I went. I had a busted collarbone but that was all. I got the bike fixed and then sold it. I really liked the bike but I had a feeling that it wasn’t for me.
Back on August 7th, Sammy “The Worm” was responding to a help call put out by one of our detectives who had stumbled onto a bad guy. Sammy was on a Harley going north in the 6500 block of Roswell Road. He was running blue lights and siren but right as he passed the Sandy Springs Toyota, a car pulled out and Sammy hit it. He saw it coming and was in the process of trying to slow the bike. He said later that he knew he was going to hit but thought he could at least slow it down some before impact.
Sammy hit the car and then traveled the next 25 feet in the air, landing on the pavement.
From the very beginning, the radio traffic sounded bad. A passerby got on Sammy’s radio and told the 911 center that he was hurt bad.
This was not good.
When I got there, the scene was crowded, full of police cars, fire trucks, ambulances and now a crowd of people. Roswell Road was sealed off. As much as I hated to, I walked over and looked over the shoulder of the EMS personnel who were working on Sammy. He was so messed up I didn’t recognize him.
His arm was opened up, his leg was a mess, and his face was so contorted with pain that he looked like a completely different person.
Minutes later, the whole chaotic scene moved to Grady Hospital. When everyone arrived, I still didn’t know if Sammy was going to live or not. He looked that bad. After a few minutes my patience ran out and I pulled one of the paramedics aside and asked him if the Worm was going to die. He told me he was all messed up but he would live.
Sammy’s injuries included the following broken bones, in alphabetical order: Ankle, elbow, femur (compound-how bad? Read the next paragraph.) Hip, pelvis, shoulder, tibia, and all ten toes. He broke pretty much everything on his right side.
When Sammy hit the ground, he said his first thought was of how hot the pavement was. He then realized the bottom of his boot was resting under his chin. The boot had not come off his foot and leg. His leg had broken and completely folded up next to his shoulder.
Finally I’m coming to the point. The fact that Sammy could realize how bad he was hurt meant that his brain was still working. He had no head injury with the exception of a concussion. Luckily he had no soft-tissue internal injuries either. He was lucky and he was wearing a helmet.
The first thing Sammy did before his 25 foot dive onto the pavement was to bounce off of the car. His head hit the windshield and then hit the pavement. Later, I went to his sergeant’s office and looked at Sammy’s helmet. Motorcycle helmets are made of tough fiberglass stuff and then coated with some more tough stuff. The right side of Sammy’s helmet was scraped clean of any color or coating. The fiberglass strands were showing. Without the helmet, we would have buried him days later.
I know that some folks who ride don’t like helmets or want to wear them but your head can’t take a hard lick. In fact, you’d be surprised to see how little it takes to make a normal person either dead or sitting in a wheelchair, drooling on his feet for the rest of his life.
Folks, if you ride a bike, you need to wear a helmet. That is the beginning, middle, and end of it all. Severe head injuries or death don’t come with the do-over option.
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Comments
By Cassie
August 29, 2008 2:57 PM | Link to this
Lt. Steve, a warning well placed before the holiday weekend, but shame on you for bringing tears to my eyes!
By Al
August 29, 2008 3:17 PM | Link to this
Wearing helmets is for sissies! The day I wear a helmet is the day I quit driving my Harley while smashed on rye whiskey and mescaline.
By Joe
August 29, 2008 5:25 PM | Link to this
Hey Lt. Rose, I will be up on my Ninja on Ga 400 Saturday morning testing my speed limiter. Maybe we can meet up if you can catch me. I doubt we will be meeting.
Of course I will be wearing my helemt, its the LAW. Gesus Pete.
Joe
By Joe
August 29, 2008 5:26 PM | Link to this
Hey Lt. Rose, I will be up on my Ninja on Ga 400 Saturday morning testing my speed limiter. Maybe we can meet up if you can catch me. I doubt we will be meeting.
Of course I will be wearing my helemt, its the LAW. Gesus Pete.
Joe
By Andrew
August 29, 2008 5:37 PM | Link to this
Good point, Lt.Rose.
However, other gear is just as important. Wear full face helmet, leather or armored jacket, gloves, and motorcycle boots.
By Jennifer
August 29, 2008 6:31 PM | Link to this
I hope Sammy has an easy recovery…
By jabster
August 29, 2008 9:41 PM | Link to this
Dress for the slide, not for the ride. Don’t wear a helmet because it’s the law, wear it because you have some brains to protect.
By Lois
August 29, 2008 10:52 PM | Link to this
Well sir, I wear my helmet even tho I dislike it, but that’s me . I have a son whom was wearing his fullfaced helmet and it hasn’t saved his brain, according to police reports he would have been better off without one, so go figure.It all depends on the rider, not just because someone has had an idea that they pushed to have a helmet law.I spent 17 weeks @ Grady with him and even tho he HAD his helmet we still have TBI, so everyone is different. Thanks for listening, Sammy may God Bless you in your recovery, it’ll be long and all worth it. Lois
By Tim V.
August 30, 2008 10:01 AM | Link to this
Lois, those are incredibly ignorant remarks. Are you honestly trying to say that since your son was in an accident that was so severe that his helmet couldn’t protect him, that we should just give up on helmets altogether? What kind of ridiculous garbage is that? Also, I refuse to believe that a police report stated “the victim would have been better off without a helmet”. Further, it does not “all depend on the rider”, it depends on the accident. NO motorcyclists are immune to accidents, and saying that “it depends on the rider” says that if you are involved in a wreck on a motorcycle, then it’s your own fault for not knowing how to ride. Using your logic, then, why are you ranting about how helmets didn’t help your son- when you should be talking about how he got hurt because he wasn’t a good enough rider? So the huge spikes in rider injuries and deaths after helmet laws are because people just forget how to ride? See how silly that sounds? Further, for every case you claim “didn’t need a helmet”, I’d be willing to bet I could find several hundred whose lives were saved. You’re no different from the blind fools who don’t want to wear seatbelts and use the excuse that they knew someone who heard from some guy about some other dude that had his head cut off by his seatbelt when he ran into a utility pole at 150 mph. Yeah, those evil seatbelts-all they do is decapitate you in a fender bender. You know why we have helmet laws? How much of your son’s care did you or your insurance company pay for? Guess who picked up the tab for the rest of it? I bet you believe that loud pipes save lives, too- riders like you give the rest of us a bad name.
By Tim V.
August 30, 2008 10:03 AM | Link to this
Lois, those are incredibly ignorant remarks. Are you honestly trying to say that since your son was in an accident that was so severe that his helmet couldn’t protect him, that we should just give up on helmets altogether? What kind of ridiculous garbage is that? Also, I refuse to believe that a police report stated “the victim would have been better off without a helmet”. Further, it does not “all depend on the rider”, it depends on the accident. NO motorcyclists are immune to accidents, and saying that “it depends on the rider” says that if you are involved in a wreck on a motorcycle, then it’s your own fault for not knowing how to ride. Using your logic, then, why are you ranting about how helmets didn’t help your son- when you should be talking about how he got hurt because he wasn’t a good enough rider? So the huge spikes in rider injuries and deaths after helmet laws are repealed are because people just forget how to ride? See how silly that sounds? Further, for every case you claim “didn’t need a helmet”, I’d be willing to bet I could find several hundred whose lives were saved. You’re no different from the blind fools who don’t want to wear seatbelts and use the excuse that they knew someone who heard from some guy about some other dude that had his head cut off by his seatbelt when he ran into a utility pole at 150 mph. Yeah, those evil seatbelts-all they do is decapitate you in a fender bender. You know why we have helmet laws? How much of your son’s care did you or your insurance company pay for? Guess who picked up the tab for the rest of it? I bet you believe that loud pipes save lives, too- riders like you give the rest of us a bad name.
By Tim V.
August 30, 2008 10:16 AM | Link to this
Sorry about the duplicate post- I left a word out and had to fix it.
By Cletus Snow
August 30, 2008 1:14 PM | Link to this
Rosey, I’ll have to admit it’s the law that we wear a helmet, I still think it should be optional, the way the speed limit on 285 is. I think wearing helmets should be the riders option if he’s over 18 he should be able to make that decision himself.I always wear mine but it should be an optiom as it is in Florida.Tim V You’re as much a moron as Lois.Being a good rider isn’t going to eliminate accidents anymore than deing a good driver will keep you accident. Accidents are just that accidents. The best drivers and riders in the world have accidents,if you own a TV watch the news, obviously you have a computer look up the word accident, I believe you’ll find it does not mention skill or safety devices.
By jabster
August 30, 2008 1:18 PM | Link to this
I’m sure there are people who do get killed by wearing a helmet, by the crash energy getting transferred to another part of their skeleton.
They also say that for every 2000 lives saved by smoke detectors, one person dies of cancer from radiation from the americium-241 inside.
People also die from cancer caused by the chlorine in tap water, but your chances of dying from cholera, etc. are reduced many, many, MANY times over more than that.
Nobody gets out of this world alive. Do a risk-benefit analysis and land on the good side. Put your brain in a brain bucket before someone else has to do it with a broom.
And for those of you who like to not wear a seat belt “so you’ll be thrown clear of the car” in case of an accident, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk8N7YCbb7E
This was during a police chase coming down Ga. 400 southbound onto I-285 westbound (outer loop).
Needless to say, there were no arrests in this case.
By john
August 30, 2008 1:26 PM | Link to this
My wife when she was younger (teens/20s) worked at a nursing home taking care of quads. Almost all of them were young males and had been riding motorcycles.
For those of you that lived in MA and know the IRA dealerships (IRA Olds etc.) his young and only son died at his birthday party. Jumped on a small bike (while drunk-figures!) for a spin around the street (cul-d-sac?) and wiped out. He wasn’t going that fast, but, unfortunately you usually die when your brains exit your head on a curb.
By You got to be kidding me
August 30, 2008 4:39 PM | Link to this
Not only helmets but seatbelts too… If I had not been wearing one I would not be here today… I had to convince the paramedics that I was actually the driver of the car because they thought I should be dead! All of you, which is more cool being alive or being dead? People will go on with their own lives and soon forget you after you are gone… unless you are Elvis or Jim Morrisson, you are nothing more than a headstone that nobody comes to visit!
By catlady
August 30, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this
I guess people should be allowed to do any darned crazy thing they want as long as it impacts NO ONE else. So as long as you have no family and friends, and plan to die immediately (with plenty of life insurance to pay for your burial), and don’t plan to need any help from the police, EMA, hospital, and bystanders when you wreck, okay, then don’t wear protective gear.
If, however, you plan to survive the wreck, and thus need any type of medical care or rehabilitation or disability beyond what is paid by your insurance, or if you have friends or family, or if you have the accident where someone might see you and have to respond, then you MUST wear a helmet. No one should have to stomach washing off the road of your skin, teeth, blood, or brains because you wanted to be “Easy Rider.”
It IS your choice.
By Political Foreskin
August 30, 2008 6:14 PM | Link to this
I got hit from behind on a motorbike by a drunk. Witnesses say I looked like Evil Kneivel as I flew through the air sans bike. I landed on me bum in the oncoming traffic lane at rush hour. There was a break in the traffic and I was unhurt. The drunk said that I had pulled out in front of him. The cop rolled his eyes. I was stopped, waiting to make a left hand turn while traffic flowed by. The drunk was just another DUI. Motorcycles are not worth it. I would never risk it again. You can be very mature and cautious and a drunk will come out of nowhere.
The cop didn’t give the drunk a DUI, BTW. To this day I dont know why. He didnt’ have insurance either, so I had to use my insurance company, and they cancelled me, the dirty rats.
Life isn’t fair, so dont ride a motorbike. People will miller time you to death.
By Tony
August 30, 2008 8:08 PM | Link to this
Lt, First and foremost, I’m glad that he’s going to be ok. I know from experience how scary it is to see a friend and someone that you work with on the ground in pain. I’ve done a few different jobs in law enforcement (swat, detectives, street crimes unit). Riding a motorcycle is not one that I would do. There are too many crazy drivers out there and a motorcycle offers no protection at all.
By jlw
August 31, 2008 1:41 AM | Link to this
Lt. YOur point has been well received on this end. It was almost 6 years ago when my husband landed on his rump after hitting an oil spill on Pleasantdale. Fortunately a UPS driver blocked traffic and helped my than Fiancee (now husband) lift his bike off the ground. With out a helmet and that UPS driver it could’ve been much worse. We rarely ride now, but we always do it with a helmet and leather protection. Keep up the good work and be safe out there.
By Ghost
August 31, 2008 8:01 AM | Link to this
I’m all for personal choice. I ride and I wear my helmet because it’s the law here in GA.
When I’m in Indiana, it’s always weird to see riders on the highway with no helmets. But when I ride up there, I may not wear a helmet if I’m only going for a short ride around the corner, but definitely wear it if I’m going far or on the highway. I would do the same in GA if I could.
By Political Foreskin
August 31, 2008 9:28 AM | Link to this
Ghost, I want you and the other Hells Angels wannabe’s commenting here to consider signing organ donor cards. Giving of yourself to your fellow countrymen is the greatest act you can accomplish. We’ll all appreciate it.
Organ donation is Patriotic, and the terrorists cant possibly win.
Happy motoring. LOOK OUT LOOK OUT LOOK OUT!!!! (from “Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri Las)
I felt so helpless what could I do…..remembering all the things we been through…….People just stop and stare, I cant hide the tears, but I dont care….
By eddie
August 31, 2008 10:40 AM | Link to this
back in the day before the click or ticket law, I always wore my seat belt, its just a good habit and I am glad when it did become a law, after i had a friend that went threw the windshield before it was the law his face was cut up, if that was the law back then i am sure he would have been wearing it and would not have scars on his face now, I do see how these safety devices help to protect us both inside cars and motor bikes.
I imagine everyone should wear a helmet and everyone should also look out for emergency vehicles esp motor bikes, but accidents happen hopefully this officer will make a full recovery. god bless.
By Jennifer
August 31, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
22 years ago this weekend, my brother, Bucky, died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. The accident happened on a rural road and no one knows what happened. There may have been another vehicle involved, or he could have just lost control. His helment shattered into a million pieces and he had a severe head injury. He had no other injuries.
Helments can save lives - I agree with you. However, I tell everyone I know or meet that rides a motorcycle about my brother. He was 25 years old. When they tell me how careful they are, I explain to them that it is not just them, but the other drivers around them. It is difficult to always see a motorcyle.
With the gas prices the way they are, there are two men where I work that have purchased a motorcycle to save on gas. The cost of a life is not worth the difference.
I miss my brother every day.
By Robert
August 31, 2008 11:42 PM | Link to this
I agree catlady. When somone makes the CHOICE to not use a helment, they do not get to obligate others (insurance, taxpayers, etc). to take care of them.
By Tony
September 1, 2008 2:43 AM | Link to this
I’m sorry for your loss Jennifer.
By MB
September 1, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
ATGATT (All the Gear All the Time)
A Harley rider asked me, “Why do you BMW riders dress like astronauts?” I replied, “Why do you Harley riders dress like that guy from the Village People?”
That shut him up.
By DukeStank
September 1, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this
There are only 2 types of motorcycle riders on the roads. The ones that have crashed and been injured and those that will.
If you ride long enough you will eventually be injured.
I got my first bike in 1975 and did not crash until 2001 and I am glad I was wearing a helmet because your head is most likely to hit the ground hard.
I have lived in states that do not have helmet laws but I still always wear one. These states have much cheaper insurance for bike riders because the insurance companies know if involved in an accident while riding your bike without a helmet the odds of you surviving to collect your insurance is minimal.
Look Twice…Save a Life…Motorcyles are everywhere.
By richard
September 1, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this
I had an old bell helmet in 1981 that had a sticker on the back that said helmet laws suck. I lost it going into a curve on day and smashed my head into the curb. I was severely rashed up and suffered a few broken bones. I came to a stop when my head slid into a curb with enough force to flip me into a yard. By my own admission, I was the idiot that made a mistake of running too hard into a corner. One of the EMT’S that arrived on the scene brought me that helmet while I was in the hospital. It was split almost completely in half. I stopped the idiotic belief that helmet laws suck. WEAR YOUR HELMET. I still ride today and do wear gear. I wear helmet, gloves, jacket, boots and even the pants if I am going out for a hard ride. I hope that everyone feels the same as I do, I hate to see a bike down regardless of the reason. Helmets nowdays are light and get great airflow through them. They are not cumbersome and you won’t lose and masculinity or chest hair by wearing one. If you love anything in this world, wear one. I still ride like an idiot. When I put my visor down, I am a kid again. I feel young and free again. That is what riding a bike is all about. Life is short, enjoy the ride. Peace.
By budman
September 1, 2008 6:10 PM | Link to this
I am old school…started riding two wheelers before helmets were required in South Carolina but grew into wearing a helmet. Have had friend killed on motorcycles. Some would of been saved by helmets..some would not!! Always play the odds…If you fall on the expressway..getting run over by autos is the real danger . But the odds are you will get killed on a surface street in a business district or somebody’s neighborhood(maybe yours!!!!)..thats what you hear about when the media reports serious motorcycle accidents. I personally wear and use every safety device that will save my quality of life. I would not be still sucking air if I didn’t play the odds….oh by the way….so and so’s accident has nothing to do with the one you will have.
By Cary
September 1, 2008 9:48 PM | Link to this
Yesterday I recieved first hand knowledge of how important a helmet and protective motorcycle clothing are. Riding behind a friend near Juliette, a very large doe bolted in front of my friend who in turn laid down his bike which caught the pavement and flipped him over the bars. He ended up with a broke colarbone, bruised ribs and road rash. His helmet was very scratched on both sides and probablly saved his life. In MC school they teach you to dress for the crash, not for comfort or style. LIVE BY THIS MOTTO IF YOU WANT TO STAY ALIVE. I do not understand why some states do not have helmet laws, but people with commonsense wear them any ways. Just remember when a deer bolts in front of you or when a car pulls out in front of you, you do not have time to run home and put on your gear.
By Alive
September 2, 2008 8:22 AM | Link to this
To Ghost:
You said “I may not wear a helmet if I’m only going for a short ride around the corner…”
The first, and last, accident I was involved in on a bike was just around the corner from my house. I went to the end of my street, took a left hand turn and barely made it down the street a few hundred feet when a car took a left hand turn in front of me. I crashed into it going about 45MPH and hit his windshield head first, flipped over the car and landed on the pavement beside the car.
I ended up with a few compression fractures in my spine - definitely enough force to crack my skull and kill me, but fortunately I was wearing my helmet and I’m alive and fully recovered. This all happened less than a 1/4 mile from my house and literally “just around the corner.”
By Dirk
September 2, 2008 8:25 AM | Link to this
My wreck - quiet, semi-residential street. Very little traffic. 35mph speed limit. One traffic light. I had the green, and there were a few cars on the other side, waiting to turn left. Two went, and then I was almost to the intersection. Truck waiting to turn started, then stopped, as if he’d seen me. Then he came on out. I hit him nearly head-on, had no time to do anything. Flipped up and over him, landed on my face, skidded about 15 feet on the hot, rough pavement.
Yes, I was wearing a full-face helmet with visor. No, there wasn’t much left of the visor after the skid. The visor didn’t crack, but it got ground down pretty well. Made a nice complement to the crack down the middle of the rest of the helmet.
I still shudder when I think about how that could have been my face and head. Then again, I probably wouldn’t be around to shudder had I not been wearing that helmet.
By dianne
September 2, 2008 12:16 PM | Link to this
Steve - You are exactly right - it does not take much to crack the old coconut. Your article should also include bicycles. D
By K
September 8, 2008 2:12 PM | Link to this
I remember when the breaking news came across the wire about this officer’s accident. Was the driver of the other vehicle charged with anything?
By Harry
September 28, 2008 12:05 AM | Link to this
I have owned bikes since 1957. I have also owned scewdrivers since 1957. Whats the point? “People should take responsibility for their own actions”. The Govt. has no business trying to pass legislation to outlaw stupidity. I think most of the “Protective” laws we have are more for generating income from the tickets they pass out. Oh yea, if folks don’t use scewdivers for cold chisels & prybars they wouldn’t need a warning label to wear eye potection. Get my point ??