[s-cars] NAC: motorcycle accident

[Lee Levitt]

Here's a sobering story.

My brother in law was in a motorcycle accident in New York 
yesterday morning. He was on the highway and was unable to avoid a 
previous 2 car accident, and slammed into the wreckage.

His leg was severed and he has some other injuries. He's lucky to 
be alive...a nurse and a doctor were in a car (or cars) behind him 
and witnessed the accident. They applied a tourniquet and called 
911.

If all goes well, he's going to be in the hospital for a month and 
in rehab for another 6 months.

My sister has a 2 year old and a 6 month old. It's going to be 
tough for all of them. He's self employed, so there will be no 
money coming in for a while.

I suspect the 3 week old Ducati was destroyed. It's not his first 
bike...he's got an old Harley stored at his parents' house. I 
don't know how much rider error or speed played into the 
situation.

Driving my sister to the hospital to see him was awful. I did not 
go in, it's too early for even extended family to see him.

The whole experience has concentrated my thoughts on what's 
important in life, and the risks I take. I'm going out for a 
bicycle ride shortly, biking is a huge part of my life and I won't 
give it up. But my driving has become noticeably slower.

And though I've always wanted a motorcycle, I still am never going 
to get one.

It's simply astonishing how in a split second your entire life can 
change. My brother in law loves flying and is (was) a commercial 
pilot. He has travelled between the US and Israel (a country that 
means a lot to him) repeatedly at no cost due to his pilot status. 
He has a 20 year old son living there. That free ride is over as 
he will never be able to pilot commercially again.

And since he's a self employed lawyer, his livelihood will be 
disrupted for the next six months...or more.

It sucks.

Be careful out there.

Lee