WHEELIE OF MISFORTUNE - HANDLEBAR BREAKS OFF ATV, RIDER GETS DRAGGED

  • Published
  • By U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
USA --  When an Airman decided to do stunts on an all-terrain vehicle, his day got busted up by a crash ... and so did his body.

The Airman hadn't set out to do stunts. He borrowed a 2003 Yamaha Raptor 350cc ATV, which belonged to a friend, just to take it on a short ride. He had no training and limited experience on ATVs.

According to information from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the inexperienced ATV driver was off to a bad start almost from the get go. First of all, the CPSC says that ATV owners should never lend their ATVs to anyone who has not taken a safety training course or has not been driving an ATV long enough to operate it safely. The CPSC also says you should never attemp wheelies, jumps or other stunts, as they can have disastrous results.

Mix those factors with a little bad luck, and the Airman's day was doomed.

He made several passes in a flat grassy field. As he became more and more comfortable, he decided to up the ante. Several other riders were performing tricks on their machines, so he figured he'd give it a try. His stunt would be to pop a wheelie. He'd never done this before, so he was
a little nervous.

His first attempt failed miserably.

Maybe a tad bit embarrassed for not getting his front wheels off of the ground, he brought the ATV to a complete stop and decided to try again. Determined, he put his right foot in the foot brace that was located on the right rear of the ATV. He gave the ATV some gas, and then released the brake. At the same time, he attempted to lift the front of the ATV by pulling back hard on the handlebars.

But as he jerked back, the right handlebar broke off!

As the handlebar separated from the frame of the ATV, the throttle stayed in the open position, causing the vehicle to lunge forward. He fell backward onto the ground with his right foot stuck in the foot brace.

With its engine revving, the ATV continued to move forward, dragging the helpless young man behind it like a cowboy with his foot caught in the stirrup of a saddle.

After dragging him for almost 30 feet, the ATV tilted onto its two right wheels. When it tipped, it caused his upper torso to roll over while his right foot remained in the foot brace.

He heard a sickening loud snap.

The ATV then hit a large bush and came to a stop. Bystanders sought medical attention immediately. As there were no medical facilities close by that were equipped to handle an injury of this nature, an ambulance transported the Airman to a hospital 40 miles south of the mishap location.

After X-rays were taken, doctors diagnosed him with a broken right fibula and severe right ankle sprain. It could have been worse, though. The Airman had worn a helmet, gloves, goggles, jeans and boots that helped limit his injuries.

Even so, he still spent the next 14 days in the hospital watching Wheel of Fortune re-runs while thinking about his own "wheelie of misfortune."