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What's the closest you have ever been to actually dying?

How close was it?

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  • I hit a deer while riding my motorcycle. I saw it crossing the road from my left, tried to evade it, heard the bang of my fairing hit it, and next thing I knew I was lying on my back looking up at the sky. I ended up with a shattered collarbone, broken ribs, and some road rash on my left side. I have absolutely no memory of falling or sliding at all (and I'm okay with that).

    The most likely explanation for why I survived was that I was only going 30 mph (50 kph). That same day another rider wasn't so lucky. There was a husband and wife in one of the cars behind me that were both EMTs and I got experienced care right away. Plus, I was wearing boots, gloves, a leather jacket, and a full-face helmet. The road rash was from my jeans wearing through during the slide.

    • I was riding at night on an unlit rural road when I came right up to a black cow standing sideways across the road. I would have hit it except I was rolling very slowly through the area looking for my bookbag that had come out of the seat bungie.

      The bookbag was also black but I found it a few minutes later because a buckle reflected from the headlight.

    • Reason #5010285 why I won't ever ride a motorcycle.

      • I don't anymore. Besides an (unrelated) injury I no longer enjoyed it. Too many distracted drivers and it's only getting worse.

109 comments