Roethlisberger Involved In Motorcycle Accident (Steelers)

yahoo.com ^ | 6/12/06

[beyond the sea]

Roethlisberger Involved In Motorcycle Accident

http://news.yahoo.com/s/wtae/20060612/lo_wtae/9356067

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was injured in a motorcycle accident on Monday morning.

The Steelers confirmed the accident for Channel 4 Action News.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review said the accident happened on Second Avenue near the 10th Street Bridge.

A witness told Channel 4 Action News that Roethlisberger went over the handlebars, hit the windshield of another vehicle and then hit the ground.

Roethlisberger was not wearing a helmet, according to the paper.

[NonValueAdded]

No harm was meant ... I was continuing the joke started by a poster saying the car driver probably asked for his autograph. There is the potential that this will be a career-ending injury. There are people who take the game waaaay too seriously and if it was a local person involved in the accident, death threats would not be out of the question. There was a Law & Order episode about a fan grudge. Also, didn't that fan that interfered with a Chicago baseball play get a ton of grief? Now that I explain it, perhaps I wasn't joking after all (even though that was my intent).

[Dane]

I think it's rather odd that there have been no further updates from the hospital. Anything?

Nope, monitoring the local channels and the same, serious but stable condition.

[Dane]

Well the Putz-Gazette has published the lady's name(see reply #256) and given the zealousness of some Steelers fans, they are probably out of town by now.

[Guenevere]

Thanks for the explanation.....it just seemed an odd statement.

You're on my side of the peninsula, aren't you?.....Hope we get more rain.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

ping

[Cyclopean Squid]

Is he still in surgery? I've heard reports that that was the case. If true, he's been in surgery for at least 6 hours, which would tend to disprove the "not serious" remarks.

[PghBaldy]

I felt sick when I heard this. I hope he recovers (all kinds of things can happen after serious head injuries), and soon. I live a few miles from accident site, and couldn't visulaize it until I watched local news (PCNC). I think it's a tricky intersection.

[Cyclopean Squid]

Never mind, it seems he was out of surgery as of 9:30 EST

[BraveMan]

I have no sympathy for any rider who rides without a helmet and gets injured - regardless of who is at fault.

So, it's Open Season on helmetless motorcyclists now?

Do I get bonus sympathy points for wearing leathers, gloves and a cup When I'm struck by the inattentive soccer mom?

[PghBaldy]

I couldn't visulaize it until I watched PCNC (WPXI's cable station). I consider it kind of a tricky intersection, but maybe I am remembering more. They interviewed an eyewitness (young woman) and they might have shown the intersection on that. I have dialup, so won't try to watch it on puter.

[rintense]

You could wear a bloody suit of armor, but without a helmet, it means nothing. You choose to not wear a helmet, you also choose to risk your life when an accident isn't your fault.

I feel the same way about seatbelts.

[rintense]

Correct. A guy at work had a major face plant skiing moguls and completely destroyed his face. It took him 3 months to get back to normal- and reconstructive surgery to his face. They waited for cosmetic surgery until the swelling went down. If Ben has been in surgery this long, it wasn't for cosmetic repair... it was probably to relieve swelling on the brain and to reset his jaw. Any trauma to the head is serious stuff, especially when it was unprotected. He will be monitored very closely for at least three days.

[sissyjane]

Any after surgery reports?

[Mr. Bird]

Well, someone's gotta do it...might as well be me.

It is not INSANE to drive without a helmet. It is not abnormal to ride without a helmet (drive Wisconsin roads anyday to see just how normal it is). It does not mean anyone has a death wish who rides without a helmet. Which is not to say it isn't SAFER to ride with a helmet. But it is our choice...

Helmet laws suck, but then again, I don't ride a bike, so I don't care. I do wear a seat belt, and those laws suck too. But just a quick question: do helmet wearers in PA pay a smaller premium for insurance than those who like to fly their melon proudly? I don't mind if the herd culls itself voluntarily, I just don't want to pay for it, know what I mean?

[BraveMan]

-snip-
The showdown took place in Bonita Springs, Florida. It was a seesaw battle, but in the end, the bikers won. To be truthful, Mensa played without the services of its president, Jeff Avery. On the other hand, the ABATE team played without Avery also. He disqualified himself, being president of both clubs. After their loss, the Mensans sat down with their opponents and listened to arguments for the bikers' favorite cause: the repeal of motorcycle helmet laws for bikers over the age of 21. Several Mensans, swayed by the logical arguments, joined ABATE, even some who were not bikers.

I cite the Mensa-ABATE showdown to demonstrate that not all anti-helmet-law activists are intellectually challenged, which is the prevailing media consensus. The TV reporter interviews a helmet-law advocate, a scientist (smart) in a white lab coat pointing to a hard, spiffy helmet. Then she interviews a drunken, tattooed biker (dumb) who screams "Helmet laws suck!" as he falls off his barstool.
-snip-

Excerpted from The Wild One by Dick Teresi:
http://www.forbes.com/fyi/1999/0503/041_print.html

[marajade]

Did you see the Terry Bradshaw interview?

[marajade]

I hope there were no injuries to his eyes.

[Cyclopean Squid]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_457685.html

Here's the pertinent excerpt:

"Doctors announced Roethlisberger underwent seven hours of surgery to repair fractures in his face at a press conference at 10 p.m. this evening. He remains in serious but stabile condition. Doctors reported his brain, chest and abdomen are OK."

[balrog666]

Who?

[Salamander]

Unless they're driving an ambulance, I can't understand how that "5 seconds" really benefits them in the long run.

Just jerks, I reckon.

For several years I drove "drag" on a group of 100+ bikes on the way back from the state ABATE party.
If the group had to stop along the road, it was my job to make sure they had clear highway behind them when they started out again.
I also had to stay on their backs when group lane shifts were necessary.

I took "my duty" dead seriously and many times risked my own life to ensure the safety of the group because of cars who would dart around me with only feet to spare and then weave in and out amongst the group.
If I didn't keep right behind them at ALL times, literally scores of cars would pull incredibly stupid and dangerous stunts over the span of the 80 or so miles home.

I have never figured out what was *so* important that you *had* to gain that extra car length or two.