I Crashed My Bike Into a MiniVan
Yesterday morning, on my way to work a guy driving a minivan turned his car unexpectedly in front of me and caused me to crash my bike into his car. He signaled, but it was like as he started to turn. It’s kind of hard to describe, so I scanned in the little doodle I did of it in my sketchbook:
I was planning on turning right as well, but up ahead it looked like he was just going straight. Then at the last minute he decided to turn. At that point it would have probably been ok and I would have just taken the turn really tight on the inside right next to him, but then he suddenly turned again into the Starbucks right there.
My bike is fine, completely unharmed. I’m 98% fine. I’m just sore and stiff all along my left side, from my shoulder to my ankle. I pretty much crashed my whole left side into his car. I had tried to jam on my brakes, but it was as I was taking the turn and my back end just locked and I sort of fish-tailed and went in sideways. He heard a big crash so he stopped, I was in a pile on the street, still tangled up with my feet in the toe cages. Part of my bike and I were a bit under his car, and then he started to pull forward, so I had to knock on the side of his van so he wouldn’t run over me slowly.
He was really shaken up, nice and apologetic. I was fine and my bike was fine, so I just said it was ok and I rode to work. Five minutes later I was sitting at my desk working on the computer just thinking “geez, I just got hit by a car like 5 minutes ago.”
Hopefully my Dad is not reading this post. He tends to worry so I sometimes don’t tell him this type of stuff, but I don’t think he subscribes to my feed or anything, so I’m probably good.
June 18th, 2006 at 2:21 am
Shit Sally, glad you’re ok. While this post is traumatic, the line “I don’t think he subscribes to my feed or anything” made me crack a smile. Liking the redesign so far too, keep it up.
June 18th, 2006 at 1:11 pm
Thanks Jake! Yeah, I’m totally fine, just a little sore. It’s funny to think about his side of the story, I think it probably went something like this:
“Should I get coffee? No, I already had a cup. But should I? There’s a Starbucks right there. No. Oh screw it, I’ll get coffee!” - kaBOOM!
Haha, I can kind of relate, I those internal struggles over coffee too.
June 19th, 2006 at 10:36 pm
At Wooster, I crashed (well, bumped) into a car at an intersection. She was turning right on red, and I was heading across in front of her. We both started at the same time, and of course collided. No one was hurt in the slightest (not even the vehicles), but afterwards I was thinking, “Man! I just got hit by a car!”
I’m glad that’s the worst car-bike incident I’ve ever been involved in.
June 19th, 2006 at 10:37 pm
When you were messenging up in NYC, did you get into collisions a lot? (Doorings, swerves, etc.)
June 20th, 2006 at 12:01 pm
Tim, amazingly no. This crash in LA was the worst I’ve had with a car (the very worst crashes I’ve had were completely on my own, I hit my head on bricks once, that was the worst).
In New York, I rarely collided with cars, it was more like I just got used to touching them a lot, brushing by them, having them brush by me, knocking on windows to let them know I needed room, etc. Maybe a side-view mirror hitting me, but nothing too bad. It was so hectic up there, I was really lucky to get out unscathed. I almost got smooshed between two buses once, but I made it out ok.
Glad to hear your contact with a car was not bad, and you and your bike were ok!
June 25th, 2006 at 5:39 pm
[...] I Crashed My Bike Into a MiniVan [...]
June 28th, 2006 at 9:27 am
Woofah, I am glad you’re ok, I love your website!
Riding along the roads in my home town, I was unaware of a woman who was seemingly waiting patiently in front of the library for me ride along on my bike (I was on the correct side of the road, mind you!) so she could open her door and get out to return some books. There was no time to react and I just hit her door head on, trashed the front of my bike and some of my body (not too badly, though). To think that lectured me on my “unsafe” bike riding! It’s ok though, I take comfort in the fact that at least she reads (as I helped her pick up the books she dropped, I noticed a Gunter Grass book..)
June 28th, 2006 at 3:38 pm
Michael, that sucks. I hope you’re doing ok now. Sorry your bike got trashed. It’s funny whenever a cyclist is telling another cyclist about crashing it’s always “Are you ok?” and then second question “Is your bike ok?”
Anyway, I think getting doored is the most common way to get injured for an urban cyclist. Seems like the most common injury is either broken collarbone, or shoulder, usually a result of a dooring. Sorry about your crash!
July 10th, 2006 at 8:20 am
Hey Sally remember when that guy we know got hit by a driver on purpose and that girl we know tried to rip his license plate off? That was nuts. I’m glad you’re okay.
July 21st, 2006 at 3:50 pm
the little splooshes at the point of impact crack me up.
July 26th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
@Barf - Haha, somehow it made sense in my head to try and rip off his license plate, you know, so that in case he tried to make a quick get-away, I had his info. Pen, paper, what’s that? I was sure that in my enraged state, my super human strength would just rip the plate right off. Instead I was like -struggle struggle- then the driver was like “What is she trying to do? Hey, don’t do that.”
@smoovebert - If only it had felt like a little sploosh.
October 8th, 2006 at 2:24 pm
[...] Getting treatment for shoulder injury from my accident a few months back [...]
January 20th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
My daughter crashed into a car just yesterday!!!It was parked though…
April 29th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I’ve lived in South florida for seven years now and been hit three time.. The last time was just this Sunday and my bike was Totally trashed. I jump off just before the bike went under the car.. All the driver could say was sorry i didn’t see you. I kindly ask if he could back his car up so i could get my bike. The cop made a report and told me it was between us how we could handle it.. The drive of the car sorry it was and accident. and left me to drag my bike home.. Thanks for offering me a ride guy.. Maybe this is a sign i should give up riding my bike down here it’s just not safe..
Any How… safe riding out there. There not looking out for you so look out for them.
Sam
April 29th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Sorry to hear it Sam, glad you’re ok though. I hope these incidents don’t make you quit riding, hopefully there are some alternate, less dangerous, routes for you to ride. I’ve ridden through South Florida, and the drivers there are either inattentive and/or aggressive, so I feel your pain.
Be safe, and keep riding!