My first -- crash -- on a scooter

It wasn’t long ago that I sent a note to friends who ride scooters and to my blog about my first long scooter ride -- a trip to Terre Haute and back on Memorial Day (http://frankphillips.blogspot.com). On Monday, I experienced another first -- and the scrapes are healing nicely.
I was traveling east on National Ave. (U.S. 40 in Brazil) and decided to change lanes. Normally, I travel on the inside lane of U.S. 40 to avoid the cars leaving the fast food restaurants as their drivers hurry back to work. I really thought I was clear to make the lane change, but as soon as I saw the front of the pickup truck in the lane I was attempting to enter, I knew I was in trouble. When I heard the thump and saw I was sliding down the highway, I knew I was in big trouble. One thing I had always feared had happened. I was in a wreck on a two-wheeled vehicle!
In 1974, I lived in the Quad-City area of Illinois/Iowa on the Mississippi River. I was working there in what today would be called an unsupervised summer internship. I was driving a 1965 Dodge Coronet 440 at the time. It had many miles on it and was beginning to act up. So, I started looking for alternative forms of transportation, essential in my summer -- and future -- jobs as a minister.
One of the avenues I explored was in a motorcycle shop. I fell in love with a red motorcycle, one of the relatively new Japanese imported motorcycles. I decided to return on Saturday and purchase my first cycle.
The only problem was -- all night Friday night I dreamed of crashing. And I just couldn’t do buy the motorcycle.
Fast forward to 2005. I found myself purchasing a 49 cc. motor scooter. I love riding it. But then the crash came.
Ironically, it happened a) the same day we published the story of a couple injured on a motorcycle when they were rear-ended during a rain storm, and b) it happened in front of the local hospital.
I managed to get up after sliding to a stop and pull my motor scooter off the highway. It seemed to not be damaged too badly, except for a broken rearview mirror. Later I learned there were a few scrapes and a reflector was broken.
I apologized profusely to the driver of the pickup truck and sat down on the grass to gather my wits. The pickup driver stood the scooter on its stand. Someone called 911 and -- here’s another irony -- Gerri Husband, the former Clay County Emergency Management Director, was eating when the crash occurred. She quickly came to my rescue.
When the ambulance arrived I refused the back board and neck brace. I thought I could get up and push the scooter home, but the police officer said the ambulance was required to take me into the hospital.
I also noticed the visor was loose on my helmet and I thought it was broken. It was not, but there was a large area of pant scraped away from the side of the helmet. Later, my wife heard an emergency medical technician say I would probably have died of head trauma if I did not wear my helmet. One of the wonderful nurses in the St. Vincent Clay E.R. Asked me to tell other riders how important my helmet had been.
The hospital personnel were all wonderful.
Our publisher, Randy List, came to the E.R. and even helped Norm Stearley, our newspaper’s circulation manager, retrieve my scooter and take it to our home.
Today is Thursday. I have been on prescription pain medication all week. I tried to survive on Tylenol and go to work this morning, but couldn’t make it through the pain.
I appreciate all the good wishes of friends and co-workers who have expressed sympathy (instead of calling me the fool I feel I was to get involved in the wreck.)
I just really thank Randy, Norm, all the hospital personnel including nurses Lori Mayle (who has been in our paper as a hospital representative at various functions) Fred and the many others whose names I did not remember, the city police officer who was so professional and helpful, the EMTs and most of all my wonderful wife and daughter who have put up with me this week in such a loving way, changing dressings twice a day. I also appreciate the work of our editorial staff at The Brazil Times (http://www.thebraziltimes.com).
Despite her friends’ encouragement, Linda has not told me to stay off the scooter. She knows how much it means to me. But we have agreed I will stay off U.S. 40.
I am just very thankful for God, family and friends.

Frank Phillips is the editor of The Brazil Times, Brazil, Ind. He may be contacted at frank.phillips@gmail.com.