Cyclist vs Car

Sorry for the lame title!  It's been quite a weekend and my creative juices are dried up.

Over the past few years of riding I've heard story after story of cyclist being hit by cars. Each and every time it tugs at my heart.  Even if it is someone I don't know, it still hits close to home.  This weekend, that story hit a little closer than I would have liked.

Several of us headed down to Hill Country for a team cycling camp. On the second day we went out for a nice little 60 mile ride from our hotel.  A few miles from the end of the ride I was passed by a couple of emergency vehicles.  Knowing there were teammates a head of me, I did become a bit concerned.  Minutes later I rode up to the scene of the accident only  to find my worst nightmare playing out.  I saw bikes on the side of the road. I saw Lisa's bike intact, but it took a moment to recognize the other bike as KC's...it was pretty mangled.  As I jumped off my bike I saw Lisa standing next to KC who was being loaded onto a backboard.  Lisa threw her hand up for me to stay back and a woman came running toward me.  She grabbed me and held me as I screamed.  I finally made my way closer to my teammates and saw KCs blue eyes opened and even her hands moving. She was loaded into an ambulance and taken to local hospital where she would be flown to a military hospital in San Antonio.

A young woman, who I'm speculating was distracted by something (probably a phone), veered on to the shoulder and struck CK while traveling approximately 55 mph.  KC was riding right behind Lisa on the SHOULDER of the rode.  This isn't exactly a rode a cyclist would consider dangerous.  Like I said, there was a shoulder and more than enough room for cars to pass safely.  This wasn't a terribly busy road, nor was their anything to obstruct the view. KC was thrown a good distance from her bike.  Her wheels were knocked off , the frame was cracked, and her boot was about 20 feet from where she landed.  Fortunately, Lisa was not hurt. She's a nurse and I'm so glad she was there. I hate that she had to witness it, but she handled the situation perfectly.

The team rallied together and headed straight to San Antonio.  Fortunately, Lisa knew a neurosurgeon who was on call at the same hospital KC was being taken to.  He checked on our friend and called us while we were in route to let us know that the scans on her head and spine looked good.  During this time, Shawn was in contact with KC's parents to let them know what was going.  I'm not a parent, but I can't imagine what it was like to receive this call about your daughter.

Once we arrived at the hospital, the staff did an amazing job of talking with us and keeping us updated while KC was getting x-rays. We did finally get to see her. Her face was pretty banged up and she was in a lot of pain, but she was talking to us and even made a few jokes.  We learned that her trauma name was spinach because she had a little greenery in her teeth.  KC had angles with her on that ride.  There is no other way to explain that she escaped with no life threatening injuries. She says God must not be done with her, and I'm sure she is right. She does have a chip fracture in her elbow, 3 fractures on  her vertebrae, 22 sutures in her face, and plenty of road rash.  She'll be moving slow for a while, but I'm glad she is moving.

I get that cyclist can be an annoyance. I know first hand that we do some stupid and dangerous things on the road...as do motorist..., but for the most part we practice safety.  I wish people would remember that we are not out to annoy them  We are not trying to delay you a few seconds while you pass us. We are doing what we love.  We are doing something healthy that helps us deal with stress.  Cycling makes us better in all parts of our lives.  KC isn't just a cyclist.  She is a friend and teammate.  She is a vet who served our country.  She's also a vet who performs neurosurgery on people's pets. She is an Ironman and a child of God.  Most importantly, she is some one's daughter. We got to meet her parents this weekend...nice people!  Like any parent, they hopped the first plane to be with her when they heard the news.  I'm so glad they got to hug their daughter.  Not all parents get to do that after an accident like this.

People have asked about the driver.  At this point, we know nothing in regards to citations or charges. At the scenes of the accident our only concern was our friend.  All I know is that the driver is young....probably early 20s.  She said the sun was in her eyes, but the sun was in the opposite direction.  I can only speculate that she was distracted by something to cause her to veer on to the shoulder where cyclists were riding in clear daylight.  It's a hard lesson, but hopefully we will all be more careful when behind the wheel.

KC's Bike

Our hearts and prayers are with KC and her family. On behalf of our team, Bad Kitty Meow Phat Kat racing, I would like to thank the first responders in Kerriville, Tx and the staff at San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) for taking such great care of our friend. I would also like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support for teammate. The team has received so many messages from so many people. The cycling and triathlon community always come together to support one of our own weather we know them personally or not. We love you KC Wolfe!  We are honored to call you our friend and teammate.  You are truly one of the strongest people I know.