The following was stolen from another site, I do not know who the author is.

"My friends and I are probably just like you. We are all in our late twenties to early thirties, and single white males. We have pretty good jobs; some own their house, others rent. We hunt and fish, watch football and NASCAR, go to bars and church festivals. We have problems with women, like fast cars and Schwartzeneggar movies. We think we can dance, but look like Frankenstein having a seizure when a girl drags us onto the floor. We could probably switch places with any of you and fit right into your group.

We have owned sleds from all manufacturers over the years. Our first sleds were junkpiles and we still make fun of them. We work on our own sleds and help each other with theirs. We watch the weather forecasts waiting for snow and read all the snowmobiling magazines drooling over the new sleds. We put 600 miles on the truck to put 200 on the sled. We have all entered corners too fast, and all missed turns at night at one time or another. We laughed at slow riders that putted along at 15 mph. We rode with the feeling of invincibility that only youth can bring.

Our youth ended February 14, 2003.

In a small town about 10 miles South of Crandon, at 11:00 PM my friend Jim Smolen lost his life. He was only 28. He died within a half mile of the cabin, within half an hour of unloading the sleds off of the trailer. The reconstruction showed that he hit a stump under the snow, was thrown off, and hit a tree. At least he didn't suffer. Excessive speed was believed to have been involved, even though the sled wasn't wrecked. It looked like he just stepped off of it. He did have ONE or TWO beers, but I must say that I have seen people drink much more - I'm not condoning it, but I know you have too. Jim was riding as long as I can remember, 5+ years at least, riding the same sled he had for three years. We have all seen the articles in the papers that give little detail; letting us assume it was an inexperienced rider, totally drunk, on a brand new, huge displacement sled.

What the newspaper articles do not show is how it affects everyone else. They don't show the undescribable horror of seeing a close friend lying in the snow bleeding from the eyes, ears, nose and mouth. They don't show the blank stare in his unblinking eyes as you try to remember the CPR you learned in high school. They don't show the panic felt during the longest half mile you will ever ride back to the cabin to call 911. They don't show the feeling of helplessness as you spend the longest HALF HOUR of your life waiting for an ambulance. They don't tell about men who haven't prayed in years dropping to their knees and saying a prayer. They don't show the feeling of uneasiness as you drive HIS truck to the hospital. They don't show the cold you feel as you wait until 4:30AM when the doctors give you the news you already knew but still can't bring yourself to hear. They don't tell the flood of emotions you feel as you have to call your friend's parents in the middle of the night to tell them that their son has died. They don't mention that none of his friends will get any sleep for days. They don't mention the nightmares when they do. They don't tell about the DNR showing up at 8:00AM the next day to fill out paperwork and make them relive it all again. They don't tell about grown men breaking down and crying. They don't tell about the longest, quietest drive home ever.

His roommate is the one who found him, called his parents, and drove his truck home. He has closed the kitchen window blinds so he doesn't have to see his truck. He had to close the kitchen cabinet to keep from seeing his box of corn flakes. He is now afraid of the dark. Our season is over.

The human body is so frail, so easily damaged. If you have an accident in a big city, help is only about five minutes away. If you have an accident in the north woods help could be forty miles away or more. Think about it: that's like having an accident in Milwaukee and having to wait for an ambulance from Illinois. And then having to go to a hospital back in Illinois.

I am not asking for speed limits, or other restrictions. Just please, PLEASE be careful. Slow down just a little. Skip that beer and have a soda instead. Ask yourself if it is worth the consequences to go flying through the woods. Your friends WILL wait for you. Death is forever. Think of all the good times you would miss. Take a little time and look at the beauty of nature. There are those that no longer can.

We laid Jim to rest today. If only one person is affected by this pointless loss, and a single life is saved, Jim's death would have meaning and all of us could have some closure.

I know you think that this only happens to "the other guy". So did we. Just like you."


Careful out there everyone.

 

thats reality right there

sad story

 

drinkin is not all it seems.. i lost 2 friends i used to ride with about 2 years ago. they smashed their car into a tree and were drunk.. just think twice about drinking and messing around. it's just not worth it at all

 

Man, thats heavy on the head and heart. I think most of us have thought about tradgedies like this happening but only in the back of our minds thinking it will never happen. Sad thing is I know this could happen to me and mine or almost everyone on this very board for that matter. What do you do? Sure, we say we'll ride slower but you know how long that last....................until a tradgedy like this happens. I hope this never happens to me, any of my friends, anyone I see riding, or any of you.................

 

That was a very sad story. Thanks for posting this Jeffoxsr, to remind everyone about the consequences of our actions.

 

Wow....I'm speachless.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

I lost a friend 7 years ago to an atv accident. He got behind and I guess he was trying to catch up hit a rock and threw him off and he hit a tree. He was by far the best rider in the group. There is a cross on the tree he hit with his name on it. He had a wife and a little newborn girl. I still think about the good times we had. Everyone PLEASE be carefully.

 

That is a sad story, I have similar experiences....

If you have read some of my posts, I'm not bragging and only use my experience when I feel it is needed. I don't own a road bike (motorcycle) right now, why?....I ride too hard. I won 3 United States Regional AMA Amateur Roadracing Championships and two National Championships. My friends that rode with me...I tell them, 'don't try to ride like me'....unfortunately, the male testosterone doesn't work that way. I've had 3 friends crash while riding with me. The last two ended up in the hospital with serious road rash. I mean serious, skin loss on the hands, arms, legs, butt, back, etc. that took a long time to heal and skin grafs. One lost part of the quadricep on his leg, broken ribs, collar bones, etc.

I mentioned two riders, but when I was 18 years old I stopped riding for years. I was riding with two of my friends. We were just about a block from one of my friends fathers florist and house. There was a railroad track a block away. The RR track had warning lights, but no guards/gates. We were riding staggered, my friend Mark first, then me and then my friend Rick. When I crossed the RR track, the oncoming train missed me by a matter of feet, but being towards the outside of the road, Rick was riding just behind me to the left. The train was coming from our right. The train hit Rick head-on and dragged him 170 feet under the train. The person behind us was a paramedic in his car. We ran to help Rick, but the experience haunts me still to this day. Rick lived for two days. They had amputated both legs and arms, but his body could not handle the swelling on his brain and he passed. He was a great friend, brother, and son. It took me years to be able to get on a motorcycle again. I sold my motorcycle at the time.

I don't ride here in Albuquerque, people don't seem to have respect for motorcycles. I've had too many close calls riding my Mountain Bike to work, and on the motorcycle to justify riding to work. One of these days maybe. For now its the ATV. I still ride fast on it, but I'm usually in pretty good control.

Everyone needs to pay attention when they ride. Think to yourself before you ride 'be careful and have fun'. Nothing I could have done when Rick was hit by the train. The lights were obstructed by tree branches and we couldn't hear the horn with our helmets on. Ever since that day a guard has been put up, the trees stay trimmed. I can't bring Rick back, but he is with me every day that I ride.

dave

 

Thanks for the refresher on how serious accidents can be. I also used to ride street bikes until a crash about 12 years ago, somthing about having CPR done on you and given a second chance. I also waited that longest 1/2 hour while a friend rode back to get cell phone servine to get help after an ATV rolled on a fellow rider knocking him out, breaking a collar bone, and collapsing a lung.

Yes please ride saflely and leave the beer for nights around the fire, not before or during a ride.

 

Hi Guys,
I started riding a little more than 31/2 years ago at age 47, after my 16 year old son , Drew was killed riding an atv in an abondoned quarry near our home. He was killed instantly hitting a large rock, which was near the top of a 40 foot blind cliff, his body was found at the bottom of the cliff , in the wee hours June 19th 2001. We (myself ,my older son , 150 of the NJ state police, 2 fire companies, & a rescue squad) had been searching for him all night until he was found. Drew was an expert rider & no excess speed , drugs or drinking were involved, just riding in a place he had never been before & encountering this blind cliff. Needless to say , My wife , 30 year old son , myself & the rest of our family & many friends were devistated. Drew was going to get a new Scrambler 500 that year as a Christmas present . I bought my 2001 Scrambler , exactly like the one he wanted about a year ago & I go to that quarry area to visit a cross I placed there . I also talk to all the guys I run into about safety & knowing the area you ride in & their own personal limits in riding ability & to push it is ok , but you should stay within your limits . I lost my right arm , so to speak when Drew had his accident & have spent the past three years trying to make that quarry a safer place to ride through state & local officials , but the owners "buck" the system & have done nothing . Drew's buddies all nick named him "Super" , so there is a Superman logo license plate on the back of the scrambler & sometimes I feel closer to him in the very place that took his life . I know that sounds wierd , but it is a great place to ride . I know how much fun he was having till the accident & if only he had know the trails, he would be here today . I love going fast & keep making that scrambler faster all the time . It's almost like he's there when I'm pushing the limits & I try to give him the ride of his life & stop & grin. I know to some this may sound like "preaching" , but I don't mean it that way , nor do I think people shouldn't push the limits, but do stop before you do & make sure you are taking a calculated risk , rather than being foolish , because there are no guarantees in life & all of us need to remember safey is better than dying .
my 2 cents,
Don