David, regardless of what you intended when you wrote the post, it's pretty clear that based on what you did write, multiple people have formed the opinion that one of their riders is at fault and that they then left you to die on the side of the road. Based on the actual info, the former isn't able to be determined, and the latter has been shown to be false.

So while I wish you the best in your long road to recovery, his response seems perfectly fair to me. He isn't trying to harass you, he is just trying to get you to clarify what you posted to clam down some of this madness.

David

You have handled this situation with nothing but class....of course I would expect nothing else from a Tarheel....GO HEELS!!!

Take care and heal well brother!!


PS: Garrett...really man...there aren't words...

Hopefully everything works out in the end and most importantly you have a full recovery.

I wasn't going to post, but I have to ask......

If this guy hit you and went down and was there when the paramedics got there, he had to be there for at least several minutes before riding off and from the story there were several people around the scene of the accident at some point of all of this happening. Did no one else get a good glimpse of who this persom was whether it be the group of people he was riding with, or anyone that saw the accident, or anyone that was present at the scene of the accident before he rode off that could give you a better description of who this person is? Bike, clothing, height, weight, even going as far as someone being able to describe him to a sketch artist? Not that knowing who he is might help in recovery of damages or anything, just would be a nice thing to figure out or to try to get the other side of the story..if that is even possible or the fact that this person would give an accurate description of what he remembers.

Best wishes and a speedy and full recovery.

David, if you were clipped by people on an organized club ride, then you should consider seeking legal advise to recover medical and short/long term care costs. Even if not organized, you should still be able to recover costs from the individual even if it is an accident.

I once had a guy's attorney call me to recover costs for damage to his bike from a crash we had on a road bike race. He knew a friend of mine and was able to identify me that way. It was a bike race on a rainy day and we crashed in a pack on a slippery curb. It just happen to be my bike that went into his. I left because we were racing. I paid. True story.

People get hurt in races all the time. I was in a crash in a triathlon a few years ago and broke several ribs. It was in a pack of riders going around a curve and some fool crashed into me and several others. He left me on the ground without even checking on me. I should have sought legal advise on that one as I incurred medical costs.

Do this and the responsible person will be outed by their club pretty quickly.

You get the point.

It looks more and more like the club in question is trying to deflect blame and get Dave to feel he is at fault. Hey if I am in a car and overtake someone and clip them in the side or rear who is at fault? Anyone ? Answer the overtaking group or person who clipped or rubbed him on the side is at fault in any court of law 100% of the time at fault. Seems the club is really protecting one of their "good Ole boy's" and has put him into hiding and is telling him to say nothing. That is now my take on it. I say to the club please stop the bullshit this is why you have insurance. I can guess you already emailed Dan and have asked this thread to be removed. Dan do not cowtail to them if you can

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__________________________________________________
Official Polar Ambassador
http://www.google.com/...P7RiWyEVwpunlsc2JtQQ

   
"I was on Del Dios going south past Lake Hodges (N. San Diego county) approx 9:30AM

Doozy bike accident this morning. I was riding solo after 50 miles into my ride with friends (we parted ways for different routes home) A string of cyclists (Tri bike setups) in a drafting paceline flew by me on the left. I think some guy clipped me...I flew over the bars. Out for 5 min (so I'm told) and woke to being strapped to a back board in the ambulance. Nobody left any info. All my gear is shot (timex Global Trainer, Rudy Rydons (ImpactX probably saved my left eye). Rudy Sterling helmet shot but saved my life. Bike (Litespeed Saber) is toast.

Spending night or two in hospital. Severe concussion, occipital skull fracture (CT just came back) chipped teeth, back injury, but alive."

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Dave,

I really am sorry you had this experience. That said, with regard to what REALLY happened out there, I am inclined to go with what you wrote in your original post, and will take you at your word. You THINK some guy clipped you.

Heal completely and quickly so you can return to action.

Agreed. If this was a car that sideswipped the rider, about 95% would be all over the driver. Saying catch him. Because it is a cyclyst many of you have warped your sense of justice.

Dave, I know you may not have the energy to pursue this, but talking to the police and encouraging them to investigate may be your best bet if you want people to cooperate fully.

Get better!

I haven't followed this thread for a couple of days so I'm just catching up and I'm blown away. I never got the impression that UNC (OP) ever blamed the club directly or one of it's members for what happened. It became obvious throughout this thread that the pieces to the story were coming together for OP and he was getting what he originally asked for- a reconstruction of what happened to him.

I am in disbelief at Garrett's behavior. It is in no way the OP's job to quiet anyone that may email you regarding something that may or may not have happened in this story. I don't know what happened here, but it sure as hell sounds like your club may have some serious issues with rider safety and just general sportsmanship on the road. There are several stories of people having problems with your group and if I were you I would address the problems now before something very serious happens to someone, similar or worse than what happened to OP.

I never read where the OP asked for the WCTC or any of it's members to pay for his gear. Someone else may have emailed on his behalf without his knowledge and made this request, but it isn't OP's responsibility or fault that this has happened. Frik, I'd say leave the guy in the body cast alone and pick on some other people for a while. In fact, I might suggest holding an open forum meeting in your area and invite any/all triathletes to attend to help clear the air yourself, Garrett. Don't make the guy healing from serious injuries do your job!

By the way, make sure your club has plenty of GL/Participant Acc/AD&D and also some D&O for your club. At the rate of people complaining about your club member's behavior I would highly recommend this.

San Diego can become a frighteningly small place.

You should get on the right side of this real quick, if I were you.

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persequetur vestra metas furiose

Wow a threat veiled as advice!

We think the riders involved in the crash that possibly clipped him should get on the right side of this event.

Personally I think he should be contacting police and attorneys to seek legal action against triathlon clubs in SD. It will start to fix some of the issues quickly.

Wow, this needs to be preserved for posterity. Seriously? Um ... he is the victim, he is on the "right" side.

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Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)

You misunderstand.

My message was not directed at the the OP, it is directed at the group who participated in the crash.
And there is no threat, just my personal preference that those leaders and participants choose to step forward before that choice is made for them.

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persequetur vestra metas furiose

Why do you keep saying this is no one's fault? There is very little hard evidence either way. Since we can't be sure what happened, we also can't be sure it was no one's fault. Please stop asserting some thing that is not necessarily true (for clarity, I have no idea what happened - at this point it seems no one really does).

And this Garrett fellow really seems like a weasel. Who would have the gall to email an injured fellow in the hospital so as to protect one's club - especially when there is no certainty that a club member is not at fault and given that the injured party has been clear that he is not certain who, if anyone, clipped him?

I say that no one is at fault because from everything that everyone has put forth, it appears to be an accident. I really doubt that anyone clipped him and forced him to go down. IF anyone did, they would have been outed by now. There are a tons of people that ride that stretch of road on the weekends, and someone would have pieced it together by now.

I don't think your original post accused anyone. I think there were just a few that started making assumptions and making accusations. Thanks for making it clear to those few. I hope you heal fast and completely.

That may be your experience, but I can offer a counter.

I hit a cat at 50mph on a screaming descent (verified on later post-mortem of Garmin data). Was out for 15 minutes and came to in the middle of the road surrounded by vehicles.

I remember every millisecond before and during the crash like it was slow motion. Seeing the cat dart from the brush. Thinking, "oh man, please make it in front of me cat". Feeling the thud and thinking "uh oh, I got him". Flying through the air and thinking "oh crap, this is going to hurt." Don't really remember the landing or that I decided to put my arms out to brace the fall and obvious collar bone fracture.

But I certainly remember the very rapid events that caused the crash and even flying through the air.

uncguy could definitely recall being bumped. I have no doubt of that.

I am not gonna get into a medical debate with you. But, I call BS. 15 minutes out? And you remember all of it? I highly doubt that.

But accidents are accidents and I tend to believe that if someone did clip him, then it wasn't intentional and they probably honestly don't know they did anything.

___________________________________

If this stretch of road is as crazy as it sounds from all accounts than for a cyclist to "clip" someone else and have no recollection of it or didnt know they clipped someone, that cyclist has no cycling awareness at all, and are a danger to everyone on the road.

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

The guy riding behind me said it was about 15 minutes. Maybe it was 10, maybe 20. Don't know. I was out. And long enough to create a good traffic backup on a road that sees little traffic.

Remember seeing the cat, hitting the cat, flying through the air. Vividly. Not great memories. I love going downhill fast. Now I am unable to do it without scanning the side of the road and descending in fear. It sucks.

Here is what WCTC is posting on their facebook site. Shocking:

A woman came forward and cleared up the story
stating that the WCTC group had long passed David and David either struck a
rock or a road reflector and was pitched over the bars taking out a rider next
to him (the rider David thought clipped him) and also taking down 2 other riders
behind them. David was knocked out for alm...ost 10 minutes.

The person was not affiliated with WCTC. The David that crashed thought perhaps it was someone in the WCTC group that went by him. With the head trauma from his accident he had lost his memory. One of the last things he remembers was seeing a WCTC kit. The accident was not with any WCTC members nor did they have anything to do with it.

Now I'll admit that my reading comprehension is not that great, but this is not what the "woman who came forward" said. Now David is at fault according to WCTC. And how do we know that a WCTC member wasn't involved? This hasn't been established - only that WCTC is very interested in CYA. I'd really like to hear from the other riders who went down. Their silence and the actions of WCTC have done nothing but feed this fire - and suggest that they are hiding some kind of guilt/culpability.

Just from reading accounts of accidents and even my own accident, it seems it is usually normal for people to know exactly what happened up until actually hitting your head/face/brain/body. Lots of people have been able to piece exactly what happened to them, IE the accident/crash etc, but they cant piece together the "out" part. IE, they wake up 2 days later in a hospital bed or 10 mins later on teh side of the road and not even realize they were "out". They cant remember the "out" part of it (whether they flew 100 feet in the air, or did 2 backflips, etc), but countless people have been able to remember exactly the "accident", just not the affect from the accident.

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

Welcome to San Diego!!

wow, 7 pages full of ST-isms and nobody said the accident was due to the elevation of your seat?

impressive!

heal fast and continue to be a stand up person. i applaud your diplomacy during this whole event.

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Tim