# Parker Ranch crash today.



## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

This afternoon, as the skies cleared up I got a chance for a little ride ride in Los Gatos. After the ride, I decided to take some photos of the cool Taurus X car I was reviewing. I went to the hills of Cupertino at Parker Ranch, near Fremont Older. 

On the drive back home before Parker Ranch and Prospect, I saw two road cyclists. There was a road rider on the asphalt and his wife flagging me down. The guy crashed on his road bike and the woman was hysterical. I jumped out of the car, dialed 911 and checked out the guy. He was in a contorted sideways position laying on his shoulder. He was unconscious with labored breathing and moaning every 5 seconds. I got the police on the phone and gave them the address of the house in front of the accident.

I didn't move the guy but he came too and tried to sit up. He seemed a little more comfortable upright so got behind him and had him lean on me. 911 had me take off his helmet and get him on his back but he was way too uncomfortable to lay back down.

His helmet was badly hit, his ear was cut, his shoulder was hit and his knees as well. He was knocked out for about 5 minutes and looks like he injured his shoulder. 

At that point, 5 sherriff cars, a firetruck and an ambulance arrived. I gave a statement and talked to his wife to calm her down. All the kind neighbors had come out and we talked. We got his wife in the ambulance and we put the bikes inside the garage of the nearest house.

I've ridden on that road many times before and I'm pretty sure the rider (who was 42 year old) relaxed on that slight descent and did not see the crappy asphalt job that left a big divot right before a manhole cover. He was probably going 20 mph, and got bucked off by the road bump. He hit his head and his shoulder very hard.

Anyway, scary experience but it was my first time to stop and assist on the road.

If you ride that way, be careful of that bump.

fc


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

Sponsored by Ford or something?


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## wipeout (Jun 6, 2005)

Wow, that divot must be new, I don't remember it and I've been on that road a few times. Hope the guy is going to be OK.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Leopold Porkstacker said:


> Sponsored by Ford or something?


I run another site carreview.com. I get to test bikes and cars.

fc


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

wipeout said:


> Wow, that divot must be new, I don't remember it and I've been on that road a few times. Hope the guy is going to be OK.


Yep, they've ripped out that road a couple times in the last nine months. Water was leaking from under the road I think. At least when the road was bad, you could be cautious. Problem now is it looks all good and the divot is hidden.

Idea! I'll get out there and spray some white or orange paint at the lip of the divot. It will help cyclists out if they know it's there.

fc


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

Anybody got a can of spray paint to mark that? It seems like the average road builder thinks that if a Hummer won't loose control 9 out of 10 times it's fine.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

Spray paint is a great idea. We do that on our crappy roads around here. I especially hate the divots you find under tree cover in deep shade. Ugh! 

Sounds like he'll be all right overall. I've had to help out a downed bicyclist once. She had rearended her friend in a paceline and I think she broke her elbow. Major roadrash and lots of tears. I think the adrenaline I got over coming up on the accident had me shaking more than her though.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Ridgetop said:


> Spray paint is a great idea. We do that on our crappy roads around here. I especially hate the divots you find under tree cover in deep shade. Ugh!
> 
> Sounds like he'll be all right overall. I've had to help out a downed bicyclist once. She had rearended her friend in a paceline and I think she broke her elbow. Major roadrash and lots of tears. I think the adrenaline I got over coming up on the accident had me shaking more than her though.


Yeah. Paint. Don't tell the pohlice. Watcha gonna do when they come for you.

In Foothill Expressway a lot of the hidden bumps in the bike lane (holes and tree root bumps) are marked with paint. I figured that that was the city marking the problems before road work. But come to think of it, it might just be a good samaritan biker.

fc


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## CrankyMonkey (Jul 8, 2007)

Anyone know how to mark the roads like the county would for repair? We could mark things and try and trick them into fix it... just a thought.

I seem to run into lots of crap like that, reminds me of mountain biking except I'm ussually seated and I get a crotch full of saddle (OWEEEE!). 

Good Job Francois! I think you deserve the good citizen award for the month! Positive healing vibes to the downed cyclist...


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## CoLiKe20 (Jan 30, 2006)

damn. that dip in the road is unfortunate.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

What somebody has done on the Iron Horse Trail in Contra Costa County is marked all the problems in a 'standard' way. There's a large squiggly line right in front of the problem, and a smaller one about 30 feet away. That way you know it's coming and can look for it. 

As for the city/county getting mad- that's their problem. My guess is nobody will question you- especially neighbors who watched the cyclist amublanced away. Besides, two squiggly lines will take 15 seconds to spray paint. If the cops happen to be there for those 15 seconds my bet is you don't get arrested when you explain what you're doing, probably just told to stop- until he turns away. But I'll post bail if you get arrested doing it. Will the city remove the paint? I'm sure that work order will go in with the one to fix the hole- should be done in about three to five years. 

For my good deed I've been stopping and kicking glass of the trails and bike lanes whenever I see it.


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## CrankyMonkey (Jul 8, 2007)

If you want to avoid looking suspicious get the following equipment:

http://tinyurl.com/383tet
http://tinyurl.com/3e586r
http://tinyurl.com/37hslj
http://tinyurl.com/2rnptl

If anyone ask what your doing say "I'm with Road Standards Quality Assurance Inc. We are contracted by Caltrans to identify defects in our roadways."


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

CrankyMonkey said:


> If you want to avoid looking suspicious get the following equipment:
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/383tet
> http://tinyurl.com/3e586r
> ...


And this my friends is why productivity is down in the workplace .

fc


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## CrankyMonkey (Jul 8, 2007)

But advertising impressions on RBR.com and MTBR.com are up... hum strange how that works.


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## thien (Feb 18, 2004)

"Hi, I'm Francois, I'm with Road Standards Quality Assurance Inc. We are contracted by Caltrans to identify defects in our roadways."


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## CrankyMonkey (Jul 8, 2007)

Probably should be a tad more inconspicuous and go with this costume...


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

CrankyMonkey said:


> Probably should be a tad more inconspicuous and go with this costume...


infidel bastahds all ye!!!

fc


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## Killroy (Feb 9, 2006)

Nice first responder work!


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