MotoWolff

Sounds like a western movie, right? Well, we were in the west, and we were riding along pretty well and enjoying the day, until we weren’t! It turned into a sad tale but the premise was simple, four friends getting in a moto ride in the desert.

Some of my regular riding buddies (Craig, Lasse, and Joe) came down from Utah to ride in SoCal where the weather is better at this time of year. The plan was to head east into the desert where conditions were sure to be nicer. It was not particularly warm but it was going to be better weather than there anywhere else!

We were riding out from the North County, San Diego area to Borrego Springs for a couple of days of riding. Borrego is a winter escape location for many people since it is often quite mild at this time of year. It was still a little cool, in the upper 60’s but that would work for us just fine!

We hit all of the local highlights on day 1 of this brief tour, the taco stand in Borrego Springs, the rollers in Anza Borrego State Park, the edge of the Salton Sea and the quirky roadside attraction of the “Republic of Slowjamastan.” Then back over the mountain to Fallbrook.

On day 2 the weather was a little better so we went first to the coast at Oceanside before heading inland to the Julian Pie shop in Santa Isabel. While eating our pie we realized that we were only 30 or so miles from Borrego Springs again! There is some good riding around there that we did not get to do yesterday, so we made the call to get in a quick lap before heading home. It was going to be a simple 60 mile loop added to our day!

We headed north on Hwy 79 to San Felipe Rd which took us to the junction of Hwy 78. After a left turn on 78 we entered a section of twisties along San Felipe Creek. With myself in the lead, followed by Lasse, Craig and Joe, we started into this fun section at a sporting but not overly aggressive pace. After a the first few corners I checked my mirrors to make sure we were all together. Looking back, I only saw Lasse and so I backed off the throttle a bit to watch for the others. Nothing! Lasse and I pulled over at the next opportunity to wait for them to catch up. Very soon however another vehicle stopped and told us that a rider had gone down! We turned and went back to see what had happened.

There was Joe, laying in the middle of the road and his bike was on the shoulder on it’s side. The left side of the bike was pretty smashed and it was leaking it’s vital fluids, both water and oil. In the opposite lane there was a Jeep on the shoulder of the road with a front flat tire. Apparently Joe had gone wide in the corner and crossed the centerline, where he bounced off the Jeeps 35 inch tires. The impact shattered the left side of the bike and tossed Joe onto the pavement. It was pretty clear that the Ducati was a total loss! Bystanders helped control traffic until law enforcement arrived. The Jeep had a flat front tire but looked okay otherwise though the young woman driver was pretty upset by the situation.

Even though we were in the middle of nowhere an ambulance was there in less than 10 minutes from Shelter Valley. They transported Joe to a safe landing zone and he was then life flighted to a hospital in Escondido where he began his treatment!

The final assessment of Joe’s injuries was multiple Tib/Fib fractures in his left leg, fractured right wrist, bruised knee and additional unknown damage to his right shoulder. His helmet showed only minor scuffs and his other gear saved him from any road rash. Surgery and some rest took about a week before he could be transported home. Bones will mend and bruises will heal but the damage done to spirit and confidence may take a bit longer to restore.

Another observation is that the outcome might have been different for a solo rider. Our small group however had some ability to control the accident site and render minimal aid to our fallen rider. We could also secure personal effects, notify family members and assist with contact information. None of that would have been possible for a solo rider down on the pavement.

The moral of this story is to ride your own ride, and pay attention! We are not sure why Joe crossed the line and we may never know. It could be a moments hesitation or some other distraction, it doesn’t really matter. The result was crunching bones, bent metal and a lot of grief for family and friends. Be careful out there, ride with friends when possible and wear your gear! Your loved ones want you to come home.