TEENAGE TEXTER takes out me, my RC36, a Mustang Cobra and his Dad's BMW in a head-on crash

Well, it was a more exciting Sunday afternoon ride than I was expecting. After following an older couple in a Mustang Cobra convertible as they drove along at 35 MPH, I decided to see if a pass was possible. After spotting a fast-moving BWM approaching in the oncoming lane, I settled back behind the Mustang.
Then, out of the blue, he swerves directly into our lane and hits the Mustang head-on on the passenger side and there is plastic, bumpers and glass everywhere in the air. The Mustang does a 180 as I jam the front brakes... But not with enough space to swerve since the Mustang's rear-end came into my path on it's rotation. Rather than broadside (T-bone), my RC36 deflected off the passenger door and my front tire hit the rear passenger-side tire the car. Like a strange movie scene.
I went down onthe right side and landed on my Vanson leathers and Arai Vector (which I just voted 10 minutes ago as "my favorite helmet" in the VFRD poll).
After picking up the bike and visiting the older couple in the Mustang (not in very good shape) I went to the young guy who climbed out of the BWM. He was clutching his iPhone still (broken screen) and after asking him if he was alright, I asked him if he was texting... He was.
3 ambulances picked us all up. He is in bad shape and the old folks are too.
Thank God I'm ok. As a careful, 40-year-old rider with 22 years of
experience, this was a classic case of teenage distracted driving combined with speeding. Apparently he was late for football practice.
Guys- this is the most dangerous time in history to be riding because of texting and cell phone usage. Please join with me right now to never text and drive... Not even in your SUV in the middle of Nebraska on I-80.
So, we will see if another RC36 is retired due to this... I know a rider has NOT been retired, even after a dramatic series of events. I'll post a few photos when I'm back at the computer.

Holeeeee crap! Glad you're still alive mate.

Those pictures are going to be an eye-opener for sure.

Well, it was a more exciting Sunday afternoon ride than I was expecting. After following an older couple in a Mustang Cobra convertible as they drove along at 35 MPH, I decided to see if a pass was possible. After spotting a fast-moving BWM approaching in the oncoming lane, I settled back behind the Mustang.
Then, out of the blue, he swerves directly into our lane and hits the Mustang head-on on the passenger side and there is plastic, bumpers and glass everywhere in the air. The Mustang does a 180 as I jam the front brakes... But not with enough space to swerve since the Mustang's rear-end came into my path on it's rotation. Rather than broadside (T-bone), my RC36 deflected off the passenger door and my front tire hit the rear passenger-side tire the car. Like a strange movie scene.
I went down onthe right side and landed on my Vanson leathers and Arai Vector (which I just voted 10 minutes ago as "my favorite helmet" in the VFRD poll).
After picking up the bike and visiting the older couple in the Mustang (not in very good shape) I went to the young guy who climbed out of the BWM. He was clutching his iPhone still (broken screen) and after asking him if he was alright, I asked him if he was texting... He was.
3 ambulances picked us all up. He is in bad shape and the old folks are too.
Thank God I'm ok. As a careful, 40-year-old rider with 22 years of
experience, this was a classic case of teenage distracted driving combined with speeding. Apparently he was late for football practice.
Guys- this is the most dangerous time in history to be riding because of texting and cell phone usage. Please join with me right now to never text and drive... Not even in your SUV in the middle of Nebraska on I-80.
So, we will see if another RC36 is retired due to this... I know a rider has NOT been retired, even after a dramatic series of events. I'll post a few photos when I'm back at the computer.

Very glad your OK and still with us. As another 40year old with 20+ years riding experience I hear ya Stop texting people! I for one don't even know how to text as my cell phone is just that a PHONE! I do not need a camera,internet, expresso , and what ever else they do anymore.

Glad to hear you're okay after this terrible situation. We just layed to rest a good friend and fellow rider after hitting a semi head on in a nissan frontier while he was texting. If only he would have rode the bike that day he wouldn't have been texting. I've been guilty of doing it from time to time but after that incident i'm done with it. Texting is killing more people than drunk driving yet there are people texting constantly. Hope everyone comes through it okay and with the lesson on texting while driving is bad news.

Edit: For informational purposes, I'm not 40, not quite 30 and I only have about 10 years on two wheels.

Wow! How sobering!! Glad you came out ok. Keep us posted on how the others are doing if you happen to know. Did you have to give your version to the LEOs?
C

holy crap, looks like it was your lucky day and there was a mustang acting as a speed bump for the BMW, otherwise you might have been plastered across his bonnet. were the drivers wearing seatbelts? Thats something else i'll never understand, the not wearing a seatbelt thing, sort of like going riding without a back protector.

Sobering story indeed - and there's nothing ever urgent enough for me that I'll answer the phone in the car or text while driving.

glad you're ok.

I have a suspicion that the girl who hit me was texting also, we will see when the legal process unwinds if that is the case or not. She didn't admit to it.

But either way, texting or not, she's still 100% at fault as she did not "proceed safely from a traffic control device".

I would say its time the powers that be everywhere treat the use of a mobile phone while in the operation of a moving object the same as they treat drunk driving. The penalties are far to lax for the use of a mobile when the risk is so great.

Thanks for the responses. I did tell the law enforcement officers about everything that happened... Including the kid talking about the fact that he was texting. Poor kid was sobbing and apologizing to the older man in the other car, while he was laying in the ditch.
Everyone seemed to have seatbelts on except me - which was a good thing. The Mustang was an old body style before the new remake and had 2 airbags. The BMW's interior was totally engulfed in airbags and looked like an inflatable jumper for a kid's party inside. Kid had powder burns on his forearms from the deployment.
I think everyone will end up ok over time, but the older couple will have a tougher time in recovery, I would guess. Just took my 2 Advil and and am going to hit the rack.

Sorry to Hear, I agree on your thoughts its the most dangerous time to be on the roads in all of History.