Roethlisberger Crash

Today Steeler Nation to a huge hit when Ben Roethlisberger wrecked his motorcycle in downtown Pittsburgh. Details are still sketchy whether it was Big Ben's fault or not but what is known is that he was not wearing a helmet. Sounds like his head got pretty messed up cuz he went over the handlebars and then head first into the car's windshield.

Here are the stories:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06163/697655-100.stm'

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2480830

What was he riding? it wasn't a busa was it?

It looks like a busa from the pictures.

Looks like a Busa to me too.

Now for an important question: Why would he not wear a helmet? I mean, we've all got something to lose by not wearing a lid... but why would someone like him, with his job and fame and fortune, risk it?

And now that we know he survived, I can say this: What a dumbass.

It's all good. He wasn't wearing a helmet because he was just cruising. Now I don't know because I live in a state with a helmet law but from what I hear from all you guys is that it's impossible to crash when you're not wearing a helmet.

So what I want to hear from all you dumbasses that ride without helmets, did graity not get the memo that he was on the road or what?

i am going to leave the helmet preaching alone. i am already f---ing sick of all the negative media attention. every sports commentator or public figure has an opinion on this subject, and they are all the same. ben shouldn't have been on a motorcycle because it is "wreckless and unresponsible". i'm absolutely fed up with negative media attention for motorcycle riding.

sorry for the rant, i've had the tv on espn all day and here this shit atleast every 5 minutes.

I'm sure charges are going to come, but when Ben is going straight (on his 2005 Hayabusa), and the Chrysler New Yorker turns left in front of him, how can the driver not get charged? It sounds to me like another case where the driver didn't see the motorcylist coming and turns right in front of him. Nothing Ben could have done but hit the brakes.

Either way, it looks possible that the Steelers will be without their Super Bowl quarterback for some time. He says that he rides without a helmet because "he's a risk taker". Like getting hit by guys that weigh over 300 lbs and are looking to decapitate you isn't enough of a risk. I love football and I love motorcycles. But, above all else, I love my family and want to come home to them after every ride. The articles that I have read don't say how fast or slow he was going, but what condition would he be in right now if he had been wearing a helmet?? Does anyone think that this will cause him to start wearing one? If he ever gets back on a bike!

We are all responsible for our own decisions. He made a decision, and now he has to face the consequences......and lots of pain. I hope that he will be back playing football and riding again soon. Maybe this will get some of the other riders out there that think they are invincible to strap on the brain bucket and save a couple of brain cells.

Ok, stepping off the soap box now. Thank you for your time. You've been a great audience.

Let this be a lesson to all that feel that helmets aren't required when you are "just out cruising".

I bet you he learned his lesson, cause when you go down it's either 1 of 2 options...
1) Thank god i had my helmet on.
or
2)I am such a **cking idiot and i wish i would have thrown my lid on.

For the most part I think it is wreckless and irresponsible for a person like that to ride a motorcycle on public roads. He has too many people that depend on him to be out on the road with all the mainics. I am single without kids, so maybe I feel more expendable than the rest of you but, I heard a statistic that you are 17 to 20 times more likely to die on a bike than a car. I didn't hear if that was helmetted or not, but whatever it is it sound bad.

Does anyone know how long he has had a bike? How many miles under his belt?

In Florida (no manditory helmets law) we have giant flying roaches (up to 2 inches long) called palmetto bugs. If you've ever run into one of these bad boys (or dragonflies, hummingbirds, palm fronds, rocks) at 75 mph, you'd really realize how stupid it is not to wear a helmet.

Hopefully the guy will come through it without permanent problems and that he can get back to business.

This is a hard way to learn to wear your helmet. You know that now after this that Pittsburg is going to have a helmet law, That is how california got one but it was a washed up actor freaking coked out Gary Busey got into a wreck on pch and we got a law shortly after. In Pittsburg i imagine big ben is treated like a god so you know a helmet law is coming there. See everyone even if there is not a helmet law but your bucket on you never know when you going to need it. Hope he recovers soon not just as a football player but a fellow rider who made a mistake

We can debate the helmet law, but I'm just glad that a fellow rider lived to share his experience with others. He is very lucky. I won't dog him for not wearing a helmet, although I choose to always were one myself, and we don't have to here in AZ. But another important thing that just came out was that he did not have a motorcycle license....this is a whole other issue....I know that most of us have probably ridden at one time or another before we had our endorsements, but i think most responsible riders have gotten their's eventually. If you don't have your license, you really should be getting asap. There's just no excuse, and by completing a motorcycle safety course or even your basic dmv test, you have to be able to demostrate the basic skills to ride...unfortunatley no license required for buying a bike, just money. I wish Ben and his family well and hope he has a speedy and full recovery. No amount of crap from others can be worse that how he feels himself, that is to be sure.

quote:

ORIGINAL: AZ1000rr

But another important thing that just came out was that he did not have a motorcycle license....

Note sure where you got that information AZ. This following article (or BR's agent at least) claims he DOES have his license. Unlike Winslow...

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_330694.html

And if anyone wants to know the definition of irony - look at the date this article was written and recall it was published BEFORE the wreck. And it was written by a Pitt paper. Kinda freaky if you ask me.

It was a CNN Breaking News email that said no license; guess it could be wrong

Well either of them could be wrong. Like I said, that "fact" was according to his agent. When was the last time one of those guys told the truth!?!?!?

Like I said, I think it's really strange that a Pittsburgh paper published that article yesterday morning, before Ben got into his wreck. Can you say "CONSPIRACY"???? I mean, Ben doesn't wear a helmet so everyone knew who was on that bike. Maybe it was an attempted "hit"?

Interesting.

man i sure hope you are wrong

Wow, that's nuts. If only he was wearing a helmet things would be so different for him and myself. My wife has been all over me since seeing it all over the news last night. She hates my bike as it is although she supports me in whatever my interests are. I'm lucky for that but man it's tough when SHE sees things like that happening. He had 3 strikes already against him before he got into the accident: Not wearing a lid ESPECIALLY on something like a busa, then riding on a Monday morning downtown. Geez...

Well I love the Steelers (been a fan since forever) but I'll bet money that if given the chance to play pro football without a helmet -- ole Ben would still wear one. Lot of difference between a 300# lineman coming after you on GRASS and a 5000# car coming at you on PAVEMENT. Gee, wonder which hurts more or is more likely to kill you. Personally, I believe anyone who rides a motorcycle is in some way a risk taker. You'd have to be ignorant not to know that a car is safer. Of course if no one ever took a risk we wouldn't have cars or planes or bikes and other fun stuff.

The truth is you should never have an accident without a helmet because according to ABATE you can see better, hear better and are more aware of your surroundings when you don't wear a helmet. No excuse not dodging that car Ben

First off a middle aged house mom hit him so if that was delibret, I would think thats the most die hard seattle fan ever and it happens to be a woman.. so just forget it..


second off, I would like to point out this question... Ben Said he didnt like wearing a helmet and he would just "Be more careful" about 3 months ago.. Now ask me this. Would he ever consider playing a down of football without a helmet? ... No? why not? becuase it protects your head from the mean linebackers? *gasp* well guess what!? the steel of a moving car at 45 mph is a bit harder then any linebacker in the league.. but I guess know one told him that and he's big ben! 10 foot tall and bullet.... car proof!

it serves him right, now I know thats an a$$ hole thing to say, but now everyone will blame the sportbike.. not the rider on it who didnt have the sence to wear the proper gear at the time of the crash..

btw. here's what happend to him that we know so far...

quote:

Physicians would not describe most of the injuries at the request of Roethlisberger's family, but city police said he lost most of his teeth, fractured his left sinus cavity bone, suffered a nine-inch cut on the back of his head and a broken jaw, and injured both knees.

"He was bleeding really bad. There was blood everywhere. It was really, really bad," said bystander Lauren Mizak, 19, of Mt. Washington. "He was so banged up, I didn't even recognize him."

Maybe once his football life is over he will learn somthing from this and tour other cities telling people how he had it all.. and lost it because he was a squid.

Kinda harsh there dude -- I agree it appears to make sportbike riders look dumb but that's only to ignorant peeps. I mean to me it makes Ben look dumb ... not the guy that's wearing $500 of gear.

I don't think just because he wasn't wearing a helmet that it "serves him right" to be in a crash. I literally cringe when I see peeps riding around in tank top, shorts and sneakers. Never have I wished a crash on them -- maybe a big bug at 85mph would push the point home a bit but I doubt it In the end we all have to decide for ourselves what is appropriate to wear while riding a bike ... and in the event that you do crash you will ALWAYS be happier with more protection than less.

well said chain....i wish all riders accident free rides....even the squids out there.....evey time someone wrecks, 10,000 more boyfriends/husbands have to have that same tired conversation with their significant other; and every one like this that gets the cooler talk and air time as this did, causes the general public to view us differently...and i for one don't want any extra trouble with our 4 wheeled roadmates...its already challenging enough out there; if he'd of had a lid on, maybe it wouldn't have become such a big deal, but since he didn't and he was riding a sport bike, people are saying that he was engaging in hazardous behavior....that's not the kind of press the sport bike community needs; i wish ben and any one else unlucky enough to have been in a recent accident a full and speedy recovery; if you had some fault in the accident, i hope you lived and learned, and if you were just unlucky, then I still hope it changes your perspective on how dangerous it can be, even if you are the best of riders.

Ben is a big guy and is in great shape. He had to be cruizing at least 35 to 45 mph. Who knows how much brake he was able to grab before impact. There is a lot of factors that are in affect in this incident that allowed him to live. Out here in AZ people that are wearing their helmets in the same wreck are not here any more. Big Ben should really be thanking GOD that he is alive and with such minimal injuries. I just can't believe that they are saying that he might be ready for opening day!?

I like Big Ben and I'm glad he is alright. If he gets back on the bikes I hope he wears his helmet and maybe even talks with communities about riders wearing their helmets.

One thing is for sure, Big Ben can take a hit!

Luckily for me all the bike accidents I had were before the sportbike came into my life...but...all of them I had, including a face first road dive over the handle bars, wouldn't have been any different wearing a helmet. Now I know he was riding a big bad busa and most sportbike riders wear full face lids, but what if he had been on his harley or chopper? Then the brain bucket style helmet would've done virutally nothing in this aspect. Just like for me on earlier falls. Now I wear my helmet 99.9% of the time these days and will tell anyone else to as well, but just because you're not doesn't mean you are stupid or careless (IMO). Some helmets, although completely legal and DOT approved will save nothing in his type of accident. The real bad thing about this incident is he was a Steeler hero and it caught a lot of media attention making sport bikers and all cyclists look bad.

ya that really sucks he crashed. the fact of the matter is theres alot of haters out there, and even if he was wearing a helmet they would still call him wreckless and irresponsible. not much you can do about that. it sucks he had to crash tho, cuz it DOES attract alot of negetive feedback. i can care less about which states require helmets and which states dont. here in cali you have to, but i dont see why you wouldnt want to? its like drying in a car and turning your air bag off... you CAN do it... but why would you?