A Utah motorcyclist says his protective gear likely saved his life after a deer suddenly jumped in front of his bike while he was going over 100 kilometres an hour down a Colorado freeway.
Rider Nick Knapik was out for a ride with a friend Sunday morning near Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
The friend was recording the ride with a camera on his motorcycle when in an instant, the ride took a horrifying turn.
That’s because a deer suddenly darted out directly into the path of Nick.
“My first thought was, ‘oh, a deer!'” Knapik told KOB news in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“Then my next thought was, ‘I hope I stop tumbling soon,’ because I tumbled for about 30 to 60 feet, just rolling on the concrete.”
The crash was visceral and sudden, and with no time to slow down or change course, Nick’s Yamaha cruiser hit the buck right in the flank.
Sadly, the deer was killed in the collision. Nick was sent tumbling from his bike, skidding along the highway asphalt at alarming speeds.
Yet incredibly, he walked away from the crash with only minor injuries, including a cut on his finger and some road rash on his sternum.
He says wearing the proper protective gear – including a helmet, padded jacket, riding pants and gloves – saved his life.
“I have a big divot taken out of my helmet where my head initially impacted,” Knapik said. “It was right along, like, the temple and my forehead, so if my head would have hit that hard, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”
“It’s even more amazing to see that video and know that I’m standing here, able to go back to work two days after the accident. It’s pretty amazing.”
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