Brutal Helmet Reminder

[Chopper]

On my commute to work this morning on the San Diego Bike Trail, I was approaching the Harvard underpass in Irvine when I noticed a crumpled body next to a bike ahead. In the 20 or 30 seconds that it took me to reach the guy there was absolutely no movement so I knew it was bad. His wheels were still spinning so I guess I just missed a horrific crash. It was a young guy possibly in his late teens or early 20’s. As taught in CPR I tried to get a response from him by tapping his ribs and calling out. No response. Then as I was checking to see if he was breathing I noticed blood dripping out of his ear. I yelled at a lady with a stroller to call 911 but she didn’t have a phone. Mine was buried in my back pack so I dumped it out and called (from now on I’ll make sure it’s handy)

Before the medics arrived he woke up and was trying to get up. I tried to get him to stay put but he kept thrashing around trying to sit up and even hit his head on the cement a couple of times. A police officer got there first and when the medics arrived he said two words to them “no helmet”. I guess that’s all they needed to know.

This poor dude may be eating crayons for the rest of his life. How hard do you have to hit your head to bleed from the ears?

[coldbrews]

I would say pretty damn hard.

I once rolled up on a kid who was out cold on the sidewalk after crashing his bike, he had an extremely large softball sized lump on his head, frightening.

[Pain Freak]

Man, that story brings back some bad memories (and they had helmets on)

[evdog]

Good on you for helping.

Sometimes the worst crashes happen when you least expect it.

I was cruising through a local park a few years ago. The trails are perfectly flat with absolutely nothing technical. Next thing I know I'm on the ground with paramedics asking me questions. My next two memories are being wheeled out on a stretcher and then being in the hospital. Pretty much all of 3-4hours is missing from memory. I was told later that someone's dog appeared out of nowhere and ran in front of me, causing me to crash land on my head. Fortunately I was wearing a helmet otherwise the result could have been much worse.

[live_in_hilo@yahoo.com]

Yikes!

[atomrat]

I dented and cracked my helmet when I crashed at Vail Lake. I believe that I wouldn't be around or in really bad shape, if I hadn't been wearing it. I was able to walk back to the car with only a broken collarbone.

I grounded my Son a week later when he was riding his bike in front of the house for riding without a helmet.

[gest24]

I went down on my commute this morning. The one thing I remembered after hitting the ground was hearing my helmet scrape across the tarmac. But surprisingly enough my atmos held up freaking great!

[Rossage]

I cracked a helmet in 3 pieces during a Big Bear downhill race in the early 90's. Literally had my bell rung. As I sat up in the dust I saw two images of the people running to help me, and they vibrated and merged into one...very scary, but no lasting damage.I had a good excuse to skip the XC the next day.
Always wear a helmet, always, always......

[kdog4130]

I googled bleeding from the ears: Trauma... anything from the trivial (scratching your ear canal with the end of a paper clip) to the catastrophic (severe blunt head trauma with skull base fracture). Hope its no the latter

[reflux]

Originally Posted by kdog4130

I googled bleeding from the ears: Trauma... anything from the trivial (scratching your ear canal with the end of a paper clip) to the catastrophic (severe blunt head trauma with skull base fracture). Hope its no the latter

w3rd. I took anatomy and physiology in high school and learned (remembered too!) a few things from the class. In order to quickly assess the damage when bleeding from the ears, take a folded up sheet of white paper and touch it to the blood, allowing some to soak the sheet. If there appears to be some clear fluid with the bloood, it could be brain/spinal/? fluid and NO good. If there's just blood on the other hand, it's still no good.

[Chopper]

I am pretty sure he had scull fracture. He was completely disoriented and when asked by the cop if it was day or night could not tell. I don't recall seeing any paper clips.
He also had a pretty obvious broken shoulder but I am sure that is the least of his problems right now.

[dirtmistress]

If his first words were 'no helmet' then that makes me think he knew he should have had one on. What a damn shame. I hope he'll be ok.

[maxxisracing]

thats crazy good thing some one found him in time

[IMALLSLO]

About 13 years ago I was hit on the back of the head with a baseball bat at a party that got out of hand. I was taken out in an ambulance. Bled from the ears for about two hours with a week in the ICU. Subdural hematoma(SP)? with a fractured skull. Touch and go whether id make it through the night. Hope that gages how hard you have to be hit. Good thing you found him and got him off to the hospital when you did.

[Pho'dUp]

Terrible news. Hope he comes through okay.

[Edog]

I think it should be State Law that a helmet should be worn at all times when riding on all by ways & highways including public spaces like parks.

The biggest offenders seem to be parents, make their kids wear a helmet but they aren't!!! See it all the time in AW. I hope their kids now how to find a phone & call 911.

I hope that dudes OK and has an oppertunity to make a better choice in the future.

[drew12]

got chills just reading about it.


Hey chopper, 3 thanks given?? you need to get on that button, and share the love...

[TeamDEKEbmx]

He cam up short nd landed head first. The kid lived. We made him call his parents and watched him get in his dads car. Rob (Dustball and I saw the crash....) Randy of Team DEKE BMX

[EJ_92606]

wow, good thing you came along when you did. Any idea what he hit or what caused the crash?