Tonight on the way back from a photo shoot, I decided to stop by my friend Andres' house. I rode that direction, and on the way stopped for gas. While I was pumping it, I saw him ride by apparently on his way back from the gym, maybe for the last time.
I hopped on my bike and went after him, and a few seconds later saw pure horror. By pure coincidence I happened to be on the same road at the same time he was, just seconds behind the worst motorcycle accident I've ever seen. The moment I saw his clothes and the bike I knew who it was, Andres, my best friend next to my only brother.
He was lying down with people over him and there was blood coming out of his helmet. I don't want to describe how mangled his arms and legs were, so I won't.
I apologize for the shaky pictures but I was crying half the time. I thought he might die on the scene.
A lot of paramedics thought that too. SR 436 was closed for almost an hour while they stabilized him, prepared him for medivac, and then cleaned up. That helicopter airlifted him out of there.
Note in the picture his skidmark at bottom left, the white truck just past the cops at the right of the screen, and his bike at the far left. The end of the skid is the point of impact. The driver turned directly into his path, and he hit her broadside. She "didn't see him."
We were waiting what seemed forever at the hospital for updates on his condition. When he was airlifted, I thought he was going to die. Then doctors were hinting that he might be paralyzed, though he was conscious the whole time. His left leg was badly broken in several places. His left arm, elbow, and shoulder are broken in multiple places, as is his right arm.
His helmet had a slight crack and some gouging. It probably saved his life, because it hit the truck along with his body, stopping him instantly. He's coherent, and is going into surgery as I type this to get pins and plates put into his arms, leg, and foot.
Nonetheless, he managed a thumbs up:
He's moving everything, he's lucid, but he forgets things you tell him because of the concussion. He's gonna be ok, but it's gonna be a long recovery. Let's all wish him the best.
I hopped on my bike and went after him, and a few seconds later saw pure horror. By pure coincidence I happened to be on the same road at the same time he was, just seconds behind the worst motorcycle accident I've ever seen. The moment I saw his clothes and the bike I knew who it was, Andres, my best friend next to my only brother.
He was lying down with people over him and there was blood coming out of his helmet. I don't want to describe how mangled his arms and legs were, so I won't.
I apologize for the shaky pictures but I was crying half the time. I thought he might die on the scene.
A lot of paramedics thought that too. SR 436 was closed for almost an hour while they stabilized him, prepared him for medivac, and then cleaned up. That helicopter airlifted him out of there.
Note in the picture his skidmark at bottom left, the white truck just past the cops at the right of the screen, and his bike at the far left. The end of the skid is the point of impact. The driver turned directly into his path, and he hit her broadside. She "didn't see him."
We were waiting what seemed forever at the hospital for updates on his condition. When he was airlifted, I thought he was going to die. Then doctors were hinting that he might be paralyzed, though he was conscious the whole time. His left leg was badly broken in several places. His left arm, elbow, and shoulder are broken in multiple places, as is his right arm.
His helmet had a slight crack and some gouging. It probably saved his life, because it hit the truck along with his body, stopping him instantly. He's coherent, and is going into surgery as I type this to get pins and plates put into his arms, leg, and foot.
Nonetheless, he managed a thumbs up:
He's moving everything, he's lucid, but he forgets things you tell him because of the concussion. He's gonna be ok, but it's gonna be a long recovery. Let's all wish him the best.
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