Over the weekend, I was Rear-Ended on my Motorcycle. As far as Motorcycle Accidents are concerned, this was a best-case scenario. My 2022 Yamaha MT-09 is banged up, but I walked away virtually unscathed.
In the long-form video below, I discuss what happened and some minor insurance issues I’m currently dealing with.
Listen On The Motorcycle Adjacent Podcast
Rear-Ended By a Distracted Driver
On Sunday, June 18th, I was traveling Westbound on PA Rt. 422 and turned onto PA Rt. 345 (Center Ave). I rode to the traffic light and stopped behind a car in front of me. I checked my mirror and saw another car stopped behind me.
After a few seconds, the car in front of me moved a few feet closer to the intersection. I remained stationary and continued to wait for the light to change. With my bike in 1st Gear, Clutch Pulled In, Front, and Rear Brakes engaged, I felt a sudden jolt.
I was knocked backward and couldn’t hold onto the handlebars for a brief moment. As I reached for the bars to control the bike, it began to fall onto its right side. Unable to keep the bike upright, I stepped away and let it fall.
I immediately thought my clutch cable snapped, and the bike jolted under me. It wasn’t until I turned around that I realized I had been rear-ended by the car behind me.
A child (probably about ten years old) shouted out the window, asking if I was okay. I shook my head before walking to the shoulder to remove my gear. I tossed my gloves onto the ground and then removed my helmet, earplugs, and backpack.
By this time, the child was out of the car, saying, “Are you okay? I’m so sorry. Gammy was texting and didn’t see you!” He repeated this several times before a witness told him, “You should probably stop talking.”
As I stood on the side of the road with the child, the driver exited the car and apologized. She went on to say the accident was entirely her fault, and she wasn’t paying attention.
The driver asked me if I wanted her Insurance Information. More snarky than I needed to be (highly annoyed due to the cause of the accident), I told her that I wanted a police report. I proceeded to call 911 and waited for the police to arrive.
Calling 911
Once satisfied that I wasn’t seriously injured in the accident, I pulled out my phone and snapped a few quick photos before calling 911. The most challenging part of the call was trying to explain my location. I knew that I was at the intersection of PA Rt. 422 and PA Rt. 345
, but I didn’t know the road names.
I told the dispatcher I was on a connecting road between the PA Rt. 422 East and PA Rt. 422 West. In hindsight, I should have pulled up Google Maps on my phone and looked up a physical address for them to use.
Police Response
I called 911 at 9:57 am, and police were on the scene within 10 minutes. The first officer on the scene helped me stand up my bike and get it off the road so that traffic could pass. As I put the bike on the kickstand, a second officer arrived.
The first officer collected our information and created a Driver Notice and Information Report. This process took about 15 minutes and will be used to notify my Insurance Company about the accident. It contains the Name, Address, Phone Number, and Insurance Policy Information for me and the person that caused the accident.
The second Officer left the scene, while the first stayed with me until my Tow Truck arrived.
At 3:21 PM, I received a follow-up call from the Officer writing the report. He wanted to confirm that I was stationary at the time of the accident and that there were no injuries. I confirmed that I was at a complete stop when I was rear-ended. I explained that I was a little sore after the accident, but otherwise, I was fine.
The Damage
Most of the damage to my Yamaha MT-09 SP is on the right side, where it contacted the ground. It has scrapes on the Bar End, Footpeg, Frame Slider, Rear Footpeg, and Axle Nut. In addition, the tail section was mangled with a broken tail light and turn signals.
The main impact was on my rear tire. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the swingarm isn’t bent. There doesn’t appear to be any damage to my rear wheel.
I expect a call from my Insurance Adjuster in a few days. I’ll update this portion of the post with additional information about the damage sustained to my Yamaha MT-09 SP.
Injuries
As Motorcycle accidents are concerned, this was a best-case scenario. It was a low-speed impact that did not result in serious injuries. While coming off the bike, I must have caught my left leg on something because I have a scrape and bruise on my calf.
My lower back is sore several hours after the accident; otherwise, I am fine. I didn’t impact the ground, so my Motorcycle Gear is undamaged.
A Sincere Thank You
When the Police arrived, they asked if we could pick up my motorcycle and get it out of the roadway to allow traffic to pass. With the officer’s help, we picked up my bike, and I pushed it off the road. I parked it along the shoulder and piled my gear in someone’s driveway.
As I stood there waiting for the officer to create a report, a man came out of the house and asked if I was okay. I said yes, and he asked if I needed water. I told him no and thanked him. A few minutes later, he returned from the house and asked me if I had a ride home since my MT-09 wasn’t safe to ride.
I told him I had a tow truck en route and thanked him for his concern. He went on to tell me he had a trailer and we could load up my bike if necessary. I thanked him again for the generous offer but said it wouldn’t be necessary.
When the tow truck arrived, this generous man returned and helped load my motorcycle onto the flatbed. As we pushed it into place, he told me he rides a Harley Davidson Fatboy and was happy to help. As my Father-In-Law and I strapped down my bike, the man gathered up my gear and loaded it into the truck for me. We shook hands, I thanked him again, and we pulled away in the tow truck a few minutes later.
When you see people posting about Motorcycles online, often there is a mention of a brotherhood. Bikers Helping Bikers – regardless of the type of motorcycle you ride. I don’t think I ever really appreciated what that meant until today.
This man was a complete stranger to me and went out of his way to be kind and lend a helping hand. I hope never to have to, but I will absolutely pay it forward. Thank You!
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