08-26-2017, 10:19 PM
My wife and I always wear our gear, even if it means riding a little warm. I just had that reinforced last Saturday. My brother, wife and sons were having a great time riding their ATVs in northern Minnesota. They were [legally] riding down the side of a road to get to the next trail head. His wife was leading, then the 14 year old, then the 16 year old, and then my brother. My brother felt like even though they were moving along pretty well, there was traffic behind him and turned around to check. Meanwhile, every one stopped...but him. He nailed his son at about 35-40 mph. His son's ATV flipped over on top of him. My brother flew like superman over his son's ATV, apparently about 20 feet, and landed on his head. The first people at the scene, which included a nurse, couldn't find a pulse and he wasn't breathing. They called 911 and reported one injured and one DOA. After about 30 minutes someone pulled off his helmet and somehow that revived him. Anyway, it looks like he is going to be OK. At first there was brain bleeding, but it has stopped. His son was knocked out but was fortunate to only have a concussion. This was just another reminder to me that things can get ugly very quickly and that safety gear can mean the difference between living and dying. Of course wearing safety gear should be everyone's personal choice, but me, I don't feel that lucky.