Crash

Yesterday was Punk Boy's first fathers day. We didn't have much planned, just brunch with my family at around noon. There was crazy construction on the normal route to my parents house, so we took the much slower number nine highway to Lockport, drove through Lockport, past the floodway and to my parents house.

Just before going over the Lockport locks and dam, a girl on a motorcycle turned in front of us. We both noted she seemed to be driving really slowly, then both noticed that she was actually just doing the speed limit of 50 KM per hour. We followed her as she drove out of Lockport, hitting highway 44 and increasing her speed to the posted 90 KM per hour.

We drove over the floodway bridge just outside of Lockport and quickly caught up with the girl on the bike. There was a big bend in the road after the floodway bridge and I noticed I was quickly coming up on the girl on the bike. I dropped my speed as Punk Boy and I both mentioned that she seemed to be slowing completely down. Before I even realized what was happening, her break lights flashed, her leg came down on the right side of the bike, as if to steady herself and suddenly, off she went directly to her left and into on coming traffic. She darted past the car that was coming directly for her and drove into the ditch where she disappeared beyond the grassy bank.

I was surprised I didn't scream. I did gasp and quickly pulled over the car. From our angle, it appeared that the girl on the bike just missed having a head on collision with the oncoming Kia. I was stunned and not really sure what I should do as I put on the flashers. Bruce grabbed his phone and jumped out of the car and ran across the highway to see if the girl was alright and if she needed help.

I sat alone in the car, my heart racing. I replayed the incident in my head, trying to figure out what went wrong. Maybe she hit some gravel? Maybe she just lost her concentration? When Punk Boy didn't coming back to the car right away, I really started to worry. The Kia had stopped as well, along with another car at this point. I could see Punk Boy and the other two men's head above the ditch, but no sight of the girl or the bike. I prayed she was alright, and talked myself into believing that she was. She was going rather slowly when she hit the grass off the shoulder and the ditch is rather a soft spot to land in compared to the hard pavement of the highway or the hood of a car speeding at 90 KM per hour directly at you.

I then saw Punk Boy running across the highway in my review-mirror. He didn't seem completely frantic or upset, so I believed she must have been fine. He got in the car and told me she was alright, a little shaken up, but okay. The bike, on the other hand, didn't fair to well. Punk Boy told me that in the fall into the ditch, she broke the break and throttle on her bike, pretty much cancelling the rest of her bike trip. I asked if we should stay and Punk Boy said no. He explained to the other two fellows who stopped that we had a baby in the car and all assured him that the situation was under control.

The rest of the ride to my parents house, my heart was in my throat. Punk Boy relayed what the biker girl told him - that she just got the bike that day (or was it the day before) and this was one of her first rides. Punk Boy, who used to drive a motorcycle, thinking that the girl didn't lean enough or properly into the turn and the bike wanted to go the wrong way and she was unable to adjust it. Rookie mistake, he commented, stating she is super lucky that the other car didn't hit her head on.

Scary.

Makes me almost glad my scooter isn't road ready yet. I now have 'the fear.'