Horizons member struck by drunk? driver
 

September 15, 2005

On Monday September 12, 2005, at about 7:20pm, I was riding my Yamaha Seca II motorcycle southbound on Rt 67 through the town of Oxford CT. I was on my way to a Pathfinders Motorcycle Club meeting at the Brookside Inn in Oxford. Shortly before the intersection with Old State Rd, a pick-up truck hit me from behind. I was cruising at a steady 40-45mph, there was no traffic in front of me, and I was not stopping or slowing.

When the pick-up truck hit me, it kicked the back of the bike around so that the bike was pointed at 75-80 degrees from the direction of the road. That is to say, the bike was pointed nearly perpendicular to the road and pointed towards the shoulder of the northbound traffic lane. The impact pushed my butt to the back of the passenger saddle, over the rear axle of the bike, but my hands remained on the handlebars. Having ridden motorcycles on and off-road, and in competition for 37 years (since I was age ten), I have learned to not panic but to try to ride out a dynamically critical situation. As a result, and with some luck, I did not crash, and was able to straighten out the bike without going off the road, and return to the southbound lane, while avoiding oncoming traffic. Later, I calculated that I straightened out the bike (brought it back to my original southbound direction at the northbound shoulder) in twelve feet at 40-45mph, which I accomplished in .18 seconds (less than 2/10th of a second) from the time of impact.

As I was thus maneuvering the bike, the pick-up passed me on the right. The driver of the pick-up then made a right turn onto Old State Rd, and I followed. The driver drove fairly fast through a variety of twisty, hilly, narrow roads which are medium density residential. It was my perception that the driver was attempting to lose me, but I did not want to follow closely for fear that the driver might create another incident. After 2-3 miles, the driver made a 90 degree turn onto another road, and at that point I was able to read the license plate number. I stopped following the pick-up and rode to the Brookside Inn, where I called the police.

Trooper D'Archangelo took my statement and information, and later that evening arrested Robert Kluscinski, age 62, of Oxford CT, for Evading Responsibility and Following Too Closely. I understand, though it is not proved, that Robert Kluscinsky was under the influence of alcohol. The trooper told me that he was not charged with Driving Under the Influence because of the time lapse between the incident and the arrest, which would make successful prosecution of this charge difficult. I understand that there is more information in the Incident Report, which I have requested but not yet seen.

First, very glad you are okay. It sounds like you did some skillful riding.

Did they give him a breathalizer test? If so and he was over the limit they should have enough to at least file the charge. even if he was slightly under they can approximate what his level would have been at the time he hit you.

I HATE drunk drivers and that includes those guys who ride their bike to the pub.

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Brooklyn Dakar
http://motorcycleramblings.blogspot.com/

"This is the story of America. Everybody's doing what they think they're supposed to do." J Kerouac

[This message has been edited by JSherm (edited 15 September 2005).]

[This message has been edited by JSherm (edited 15 September 2005).]

Well done, Mike!

Great recovery, and the right response.

And I echo JSherm - I HATE drunk drivers!

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Good you´re okay,
there are many criminals on the road and no one wants to finish under their wheels.
Here, something similar with a cyclist, driver left her to die on road side, maybe it would have been better to call an ambulance.
It certainly scares the when you realise what you just escaped.


Matt



[This message has been edited by Matt595 (edited 15 September 2005).]

Wow, Good job Mike. Glad to hear your ok.

Good job! I always tell people that riding skills saves lives, not loud pipes etc.

Us old dirt bike riders rule!

Bill

Mike
Happy to hear your ok.
Last month i was invited with a groupe of bikers by an Israeli startup companey that is going to put a new instument into the mc market- it is going to warn the biker on a vhicle coming from behind-riding or standing in red light. it is going to give him a visual and vocal warning like the altmeter in paragliding, meaning-high voice when the back car is getting close fast, and a low voice when that car is backing off. we were asked about the ergonomics and riding habits while dealing with such a device.
next year its on the market.