I remember seeing sky (maybe twice) with my legs/feet against the blue. The impact on the road being my knees and thigh/hip, my head/helmet scraping something - a glancing blow. My right leg/knee and hands impacted the car - handlebar position meaning my ring fingers both hands taking the main impact. Fracturing the right one. Somehow my torso (other than right quad and shoulder) seemingly not hitting anything. I don't remember hitting the floor, only blue sky above and realising I was on the floor, then ambient noises of vehicles stopping.
Military Police at the junction saw it happen (witness) and took details - at least 1 other driver also giving her details to them. MP handed over to other Police who where there very quickly to take all details (another armed unit) who where there very quickly - I was only sat up at the time. First 2 faces I saw where a fully vested and armed officer, then my Club mate both quickly assessing me and telling me not to move until checked. Police officer checked leg, arm and neck mobility before letting me sit up when I felt OK to do so (I wanted to, he was reluctant). Once sat continued to assess, helmet off etc. Slight mark on my head (scuff/barely a dent on helmet), only pain being hands, knees and right thigh. I felt well enough to stand to get myself out of the road, with some assistance. Hobble... Hobble...
6 people around me as I stood - 4 being armed police was pretty surreal. After 10 mins of being hit I had been assessed by 3 different people - 1 of them a retired nurse (I think), had stood, hopped/hobbled and was then sat at the roadside. Police who witnessed said they where surprised by my lack of injuries - 1 had seen it happen, the other 'looked up and saw me & the bike in the air'. They'd called an ambulance and wanted to wait for it with the evidence of helmet damage meaning a head knock. I had 5-6 clubmates there, 3 of them helping 1 officer directing traffic. My other half arriving another 10 mins later (with my son) was pretty traumatic for them - but by then I'd stood waiting as wanted to show them I was mostly intact. Ambulance arrived another 5-10 after that and took over. I was fairly sure of being 'walking wounded' at that point - already having the discussion if the ambulance was going to be much longer to make my own way to A&E. My only interaction with the driver was at that point - a very shaken, seemingly unsteady on his feet 79 year old puffing on a vape. He looked more shaken than I was, not even saying a word. I looked him in the eye and told him I was 'mostly ok' and they're just checking me over.
Sat in the ambulance then, my 6 year old with me trying to make light of things so got him to come with me and 'see what it was like inside'. Both ring fingers very black, not much blood. Both swelling. Very numb with the right one feeling more 'odd' so was fairly sure that was damaged. No other fingers damaged?! Right thigh although painful was bearable - being able to put weight on it I was telling myself it wasn't broken. Knees very rashed/cut really showing what had mostly 'impacted' the road but not that much blood. Paramedic rolled the helmet around in his hands confirming he could only see 1 mark on it (it had lots of scratches and scrapes already - he was asking me for a new ones and matching them to my head then checking it - only one red bit, swelling slightly on the right side). Second concussion check, they really wanting to check I'd not had a knock - lots of questions testing my answers about things. How the hell do I know what's number 1 in the charts, took me a few seconds to recall who the Prime Minister was. Hooked up to a machine, testing blood pressure a couple of times. Notes my HR 'quite low' but after looking over me asked me if I knew what my resting was - I confirmed ' around 55-65 most of the time' - looking on the machine it was 70. Chill AF!
Down to A+E, my son (Harry) telling me how he'd even seem the Police mans 'guns' (I didn't realise until my other half said afterwards one of the MP's had shown him the actual rifles & rounds in the back of their car!). Get into A+E (after the ambulance driver shows Harry the driving seat and then gets him to operate the rear ramp!), Paramedic says we've timed it well - nobody else waiting. Less than 10 mins I'd been seen by a Nurse to look at my hands & knees. Bit of poke & prod of the leg, she didn't want to see my head. Doctor came to assess head, another concussion check. A glance at the helmet and she said "nothing to worry about". Into waiting room then for an x-ray on my hand. 2 other old guys there - one a keen runner & occasional cyclist very keen to chat to me about how dangerous he finds road riding! Yeah thanks mate, why are you here then... He'd done a 15 mile trail run earlier in the week, then randomly fainted in his kitchen overnight so was in for a scan. The other guy in for something routine. My other half arrives (had taken my bike home then came back - with my head unit still recording I later enjoyed winding her up about 'doing 100mph' (it was 100kph)). Nurse/x-ray lady leads me away and realises I can't walk... Hadn't really realised myself - still in my damn cleats! Even with them off not walking great. X-ray on right finger, back to x-ray waiting room briefly, then back to normal waiting room. 2 other guys back there too, along with a few other usual A+E 'suspects' you'd expect to see on a saturday mid-morning. Called back to x-ray dept to see results - fracture on fingertip (first bone I've 'broken' in 44 years!), fit a plastic finger cover thing with some tape, given the next size down for when the swelling goes down. Also hear they want to x-ray my leg to be sure... That was hard & painful - lay on it, on top of a elevated plastic hard board pressing against it. That hurt more far more than anything else, even hands & knees after the immediate impact, which did make me worried I had something more going on. Thankfully not and 'all looks good, just a lot of swelling and bruising'. Back to waiting room, via toilet, one less thing to worry about. Around 10 mins later, couple of paracetamol and I'm discharged with instructions to book a visit at the fracture clinic the following Wednesday.
Heading home realise the time is 11.20, after getting hit at 8.53. Fair play to the NHS and all the talk about waiting lists - just shows how well they work when things are 'quiet'. Although I didn't really need that much attention, having an ambulance within 40 mins, then through A+E in around 2 hours, including 2 x-rays and seeing 2-3 doctors for various checks and assessments.
Back home I'm swelling up a treat. My right knee on the inside had ballooned up so with a corresponding bruise on the lower right quad figure both sides took the brunt of it. Outside against the car, inside the bike & momentum. Hands (ring fingers) taking the initial impact & probably knee/quad on car wing, rotated over the bonnet - police speak "something 'bullseyed' the windscreen". But they didn't quite know what - my injuries none of them really pointing towards it. The helmet didn't crack so a glancing blow, top of right shoulder, or the mark on my shoulderblade - none of them 'big' enough. So our thinking is possibly the bike when it came over top with me!? Saddle had a massive smack somewhere (twisted and very bent).
I can recall rotating at least once , but it might have been twice to land on my lower torso facing the direction I'd come from. Looking at injuries knees hit the road first, possibly then rolled/hit shoulder (unless that was over the windscreen/bonnet). Main impact being my right leg, ring fingers both hands and my quad.
