An Accident

Yes. I have been hit  by a motorcycle coming from opposite  direction   last week  and  have fractured my left leg  ankle.  My long experience on the road says it is  a  very freak accident  and something like one  that  can happen  in billion crossings.  One reason  the people  go for car  because they  consider it safer  being inside a  box. I still  feel   the  cycling  should be  encouraged  and  more  awareness  about  its advantages   so that it becomes more safer.     

I was taken to my  family Doc, Dr KGBhat  who summoned a  108 ambulance  and  sent to Yenapoya Hospital  Deralakatte. Dr Aravind  who  examined  me  decided  to put the  left   leg in cast for  45 days.  So I will   confined  to my room for next  one and  half months  with minimal walking around the room with help  of   a walker. 

Till  the  very  last moment the motorcyclist was  in his  side & suddenly  took a turn  for simply  unexplainable reason.  He had crossed almost entire width of road before hitting me and  in my absence, would have ended up in the ditch.  There was no traffic on wide  tarroad  about  2.5 km from my home.   

My left  leg   locked  in   and  pedals  took  major  impact.    The  pedals  have been split open and  trike  cross beam is broken.  One chainring also seem to have been bent.  I have  not examined  properly  and trike frame  will need  both  straitening and  welding. Hope I can get it repaired.

I have spent  considerable  part of my savings in getting  this trike  and  this is a  major loss to me.  Past four  months I was going everywhere  in trike or bus and have stopped driving totally.  It  was not insured  as insurance people  normally  play by books.  I hoped I can get  part of repairing expenses  from that guy  but  most  of  the  gathered  people  were  not  supporting me. I was  not in mood for long fight  and  decided  not to file  FIR  also.   

I was  confined  to bed for  four  months   after  crashing  hangglider  and just twenty days to go  for  20^th  (re)birthday. Then I used walker to learn walking again and now is using walker for  minimum walks within my  room.  

I am  sad  that it   happens  when    I  relieved of  farm and family  commitments  and   had decided to put more effort  for  cycling cause.  It is good  for health, saves  us  from  pollution  and spending  foreign exchange on  buying oil.   When it comes  to manufacturing it is still as if   India manufactures   only Ambassador and Fiat.    This  year  finance  minister imposes heavy taxation on cycles and if I get  my trike today  it will cost Rupees   80,000 extra as USD has become expensive and  taxes doubled.