After 18 years, it finally happened. I ended up in the hospital after a bad cycling accident. Without warning, a car made a left turn in front of my riding partner and me. In our attempt to miss the car, I went down hard. My helmet received most of the impact and I lost consciousness.Even though I was riding with my friend, there was a lot of confusion. He was not able to give the EMT my medical history, nor did he know how to contact my wife. The only person he could call was his wife to get her to go to our home and look for my wife.
I was told later that the ambulance personnel wasted no time and rushed me to the hospital. It's hard to believe, but I wound up in the emergency room with an armband that identified me as "UNKNOWN."
I always felt prepared when I went on a ride. I kept my bike in excellent condition. I carried what I needed to repair flats. I always wore my helmet. I carried ID in my seat pack and always had a cell phone. However, I discovered the hard way, that I was not prepared for what happened.
Because of my head injury (brain hemorrhage), I did not remember anything about the accident for the first couple of days in the hospital. I was unable to provide any information about me or who to contact.
If I had been alone that day, my situation could have been much worse. I had an old Driver's License in my bike bag, but no one, including the paramedics, checked my bag. Since I was not wearing any visible ID, I arrived at the hospital with no medical history, as a John Doe.
Now that I can get back to riding again, a member of our group told me about Road ID and suggested I get one. (He got his after he heard about my accident.) I ordered one immediately for myself and my son who is a runner in New York City. I will show everyone my Road ID and will have it with me all the time.
- Rocky .R from Pittsburgh, PA
