In a collision between a car and a semi-truck, the driver of the car is often seriously injured or killed. Bicyclists hit by 60-foot-long, 80,000 pound semi-trucks have an exceedingly small chance of survival, even while wearing a helmet. Yet a teenager cyclist in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota, survived.
Helmet and luck
Now on the mend, the high school freshman was struck July 9th by the semi. She broke her femur, clavicle, and pelvis. She suffered a concussion and a collapsed lung. She was covered by cuts and scratches.
But she happened to be wearing a good bike helmet. According to a local news story, the teen believes that helmet and a lot of good luck saved her life and prevented even more serious life-changing injuries. The student’s mother was a nurse and always encouraged her to wear a helmet, even showing her graphic pictures of injured cyclists who are now severely disabled. Fortunately, the daughter took the lesson to heart.
How it happened
The biker stopped at a stop sign before trying to cross a county road. Unfortunately, she did not see the truck until it was too late and it plowed into her. Despite seeing the cyclist trying to cross, the driver of the 21-year-old truck was unable to stop in time, literally skidded for 100 feet before jackknifing into a ditch.
Not everyone is so lucky
While the teen is in good spirits, she is still on an abbreviated school schedule and often takes two-hour naps in the afternoon. There are still physical therapy sessions to attend, and she has recently stopped using crutches for walking.
Victims in truck accidents are rarely so lucky. Semi-trucks are extremely dangerous and often cause life-changing injuries to others in a collision. Victims need to seek medical help immediately and the family is advised to consult with a personal injury attorney to investigate the cause of the collision and determine whether negligence played a part.
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