Story #3 (Blog #5)

For many, bicycle riding is a safe and fun hobby, but a leisurely ride quickly became anything but safe, or fun, for one local woman.

            Marsha L. Taylor, a 37-year-old McDonald’s employee, was riding her bike down 72^nd Street, approaching Southland Boulevard, when a vehicle traveling in the same direction struck her from behind, and sent her flying to the pavement. “I was riding down 72^nd Street when a car hit me from behind and sent me flying off my bike. That’s all I remember until I woke up in the hospital”.

            Marsha sustained many serious injuries from her accident including a mild concussion, a broken neck, six broken ribs, a broken arm, and a broken pelvis. According to Marsha, doctors described her most-serious injury, the break in her neck, as being a “hangman’s fracture”. “They said I should have been paralyzed”.

            While at a rehabilitation facility, Marsha’s doctors discovered she had sustained some internal injuries during her accident. Marsha suffered from a perforated intestine, as well as blunt-force-trauma injuries to her liver and gall bladder. This caused her skin color to turn bright orange. “When my mother saw me she said I looked like a Halloween pumpkin”. Marsha’s recovery is going well although, it took her four months to recover, rather than the two months doctors had initially estimated because of her internal injuries.

            Marsha is an expert bicyclist even participating in the annual Governor’s Bicycle Tour, which goes across the entire state, and an event which goes across the entire United States. When asked if she plans to change her attitude about bicycling, Marsha replied “No. I still want to ride. If I could I’d be out there right now…”

            According to Marsha, her helmet is the reason why she was able to survive the accident.  “I never ride unless I have my helmet. It probably saved my life this time”. Marsha went on to say that bicycling is a pretty safe sport as long as the necessary precautions are taken. This includes wearing protective clothing, and above all else, a safety helmet. Marsha Brooks is on the path to a full recovery however, it is unknown whether or not the driver of the vehicle that struck her will face criminal charges.