A rider crashes at a trackday and is left unconscious in the 100F sun for an hour..

[Merli]

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/s...?threadid=82995

A guy I know off a few other forums went to a trackday, and crashed at a high rate of knots (110mph+) and got flung up a hill. There was no corner marshall stationed at that corner.

He was noticed missing, and called for on the loudspeaker, but they kept running the trackday instead of finding him. It wasn't until about an hour later that another rider saw something up on the hill and they found him with two broken arms, 3 broken ribs, a snapped femur and broken shoulder, lying unconscious in the 100 degree F heat for about an hour.

WHAT............... THE................... FCUK?!?!?!

Kinda detracts a little from all of us preaching "save it for the track" doesn't it?

[PranK]

Jesus Christ!

[G0DF4Th3R]

heh careful not to break the first rule....

[Merli]

Posted by one of his friends:

I just got back from Thunderhill and read all 300 posts on his get well thread. It's still slapping me in the face that his happened, and the support from all the regulars, lurkers and flamers on barf is just as big a shock.  

I went up to the track with Sami, he's a natural talent out there, only getting better everytime. If someone has anything pointless to say, create a new thread and flame there please. I want to print this thread and his get well thread out and give it to him eventually. He'll love the support.  

Me and Sami went out with a friend of ours to tow us around in B group, Sami was right behind me as I hit Turn 1 coming in pretty hot, I ended up backing into the turn, obviously Sami straightened the bike out then. I didn't hear or see him crash, I just knew he was behind me up to that point. We pit at the end of the session and I didn't see Sami so I figured he fell behind and was probably talking to someone in the pits as usual. I got back onto my bike and began riding around the pits looking for him, our friend who towed us around went looking for him as well. At the end of the session I was pretty convinced he was nowhere in the pits because we'd been looking everywhere for his bike or gear or himself for 15 minutes. I went and notified Mike and Jer who run PTT and they made an announcement for him and sent out a call to all the turnworkers and starting tower to look for him. Mike and Cory immediately set out in A group and began riding on the track looking for him.  

(In regards to all the people posting about why his buddies weren't looking for him or why the track organizers weren't looking for him right away, it's because the last thing on anyone's mind is someone crashing that bad. The chances of it happening are so slim and grim you give the benefit of the doubt. I feel horrible thinking about him laying out there, and Mike and Jer feel just as bad so don't judge them or me or anyone else for not calling out a search immediately.)  

The turnworkers didn't spot him, nor did the tower, not until one of the ATVs went up the hill behind Turn 1. Sami was laying almost aligned with the entrance of Turn 2, a few hundred feet to the right about 5-10 feet from the fence. His bike was less than 10 feet away from him when they found him. I got out there to him a few minutes after the EMTs began working on him and he was conscious. He had a broken leg and arm and a bad concussion, and was pretty dehydrated from being out there in full gear so long. I felt like shit thinking about him laying there the whole time. Through all the shit he had just gone through he was still awake, and apologizing for crashing, asking if anyone got video or pictures because he wanted it, and was aware that he crashed. He didn't remember how, and he was having a memory relapse every few minutes from the concussion but he had his awareness. He was flown to Enloe Hospital in Chico, I didn't get up there until a few hours later, by the end of the night they had stabilized him and placed him in Trauma ICU.  

He's being transferred to Stanford today within a few hours most likely. I spoke with his parents just a few minutes ago, and they're relatively calm after the freak notice, they're up there in Chico with him still, I left this afternoon. They'll be trying to make it to the track to see Mike and Jer and go through what happened so they have a better picture of what their kid went through. All they have are questions right now.  

Sami blew Turn 1, he hit the dirt probably at 100 or so, and went up the hill towards the fire break that Austin crashed at. Knowing Sami, I'm sure he was probably thinking of Austin's crash being that he somehow managed to turn the bike in the dirt and run behind the 2nd Tower between turns 1 and 2. His bike caught too much dirt after a few hundred feet and dug in launching him off. The forks on the bike had so much pressure on them they're bent forward. His helmet has a lot of rubber on it, so we know he hit the tire coming off the bike or the bike hit him during the crash sometime. There were pieces of his bike scattered all over the place. He ran the bike in the dirt a long time.  

As for the organizers, there's nothing Mike and Jer missed or didn't do that could have prevented something like this. They were on it as soon as I approached them. It was a freak accident that was rare and hopefully will never happen again. The tower didn't see the crash because Sami most likely went through the dirt pretty fast, as for the questions about why dirt wasn't flying up, it doesn't scatter as much as you think it would going that fast. It's alot of brush, not necessarily dirt out there.  

As for PTT, Mike and Jer are the best if not one of the best organizers out there right now, the family they have going out there has gone beyond what any other track company has done in terms of accomodating all the riders needs. This accident has no blame towards anyone but the rider. He blew the turn, that was it.  

I gotta thank Michael Earnest, Jer, Mike Lisa Mark the EMTs and everyone who helped us out, helped me get to him and helped load everything up. These guys are the nicest people you'll ever meet, and were as concerned as his parents were as to his condition. I would've had 15+ people riding up with me to the hospital if I took their offers.  

Once I get an update on his status visiting information I'll let everyone know, and then PM me if you want the details on where he is and how to see him. Thanks for the 300+ get well responses, amazed me and I'm sure he'll love it.  

I hate the way it felt to see him out there, especially in that heat. I wanted to be mad, but if any fault is needed for why he was lying out there so long it's on me for not taking it to the organizers any sooner.  

In terms of the track, of course a lesson's learned, hopefully the tower between 1 and 2 will be manned or something will be done, it has nothing to do with PTT or any other trackday company, more than I thought was possible was done in the time before during and after finding Sami. I'll put up some pics of his bike later.  

While he was lying out there he laughed when someone said barf threads will go crazy about this. He still had his wit.  

Thanks again. ~John

[Laurence]

I have been to three ride days where a rider has come off the track.

In Australia the organisers/St Johns have attended the scene very quickly.

I have no doubt in my mind that the riders would have been in intesive

care or dead if the same incident had happened on the road.

This incident is a disgrace, but I stand by "keep it for the track"...

[predator]

maybe they thought he was a terrorist..

bit harsh though! poor dude

[GTRgeoff]

Merli, hope he recovers well and is back out there again.

Highlights the reason for ensuring a track day is well organised and has ambo's in attendance. I can't believe they don't count the bikes out and back in again.

[Duncan]

Merli, hope he recovers well and is back out there again.

Highlights the reason for ensuring a track day is well organised and has ambo's in attendance. I can't believe they don't count the bikes out and back in again.

interesting point, and I don't think any of them do that, not a bad idea tho.

They only started counting heads on barrier reef cruises when they lost that american couple....