Roethlisberger injured in accident - No helmet.

[trickblue]

Yeah, that's definitely what's being reported.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_457685.html

Fickle link - just warning.

Dan Patrick had a Pittsburgh sports write on a bit agao... pretty much what is being reported...

And a broken jaw... he will drop alot of weight if they wire his mouth shut...

 

[Doomsday101]

Well sometimes, pictures look worse than it is. Like when I flipped my car on Highway, the car looked like, it had dead people in it or seriously injured people in it. All I got was really, minor scratch on my forehead and a neck strain for couple of days. The cop who came asked me "How the heck did you not get any serious injuries?". Considering, my car was on opposite lane, sideway or shoulder, on a National Highway. Heck, I would have thought myself if I had seen the car passing by, that someone must have died or nearly died. I guess it all depends on how it happened and what position that the guy was in etc.

I have had my share of bad accidents, from a head on with a drunk driver to flipping an SUV however at least in a car you have some protection. On a bike even a helmet can only help so much

 

[BigDFan5]

By Jill King Greenwood and and Karen Roebuck
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, June 12, 2006


Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is in serious but stable condition and in surgery this afternoon following a serious head injury this morning after his motorcycle collided with a car on Second Avenue near the 10th Street Bridge, police said.
Roethlisberger lost most of his teeth, fractured his left sinus cavity bone, suffered a nine-inch laceration to the back of his head and a broken jaw, and severely injured both of his knees when he hit the ground, police said.
A plastic surgeon has been summoned.

"He is right now in the (operating room) undergoing some surgery from injuries he received in this accident today," said Dr. Larry Jones, chief of trauma and burns at Mercy Hospital, Uptown. ... He was talking to me before he left for the OR. He's coherent. He's making sense. He knows what happened."

Roethlisberger, 24, who was not wearing a helmet, collided with a Chrysler New Yorker shortly before 11:25 a.m. and was thrown off his motorcycle, flying head-first into the car's windshield "with a pretty good force," said a veteran city police officer.
Roethlisberger was talking and moving his arms and legs after the accident. He suffered injuries to his face and lost several teeth, according to city firefighters.

The injured quarterback was taken to Mercy Hospital, said a Steelers spokesman, who declined to provide other information.
The car, which has Maine license plates, was heading west on Second Avenue and was turning left onto the 10th Street Bridge. Roethlisberger was driving east on Second Avenue riding a Suzuki Hayabusa and collided with the car at the intersection of the bridge and the Armstrong Tunnels.

Roethlisberger, who led the Steelers to a Super Bowl championship this year, slammed into the windshield, rolled over the car and landed on the pavement, striking his head again, said a woman who witnessed the accident.
The witness, who declined to give her name, asked Roethlisberger several times if he was OK. He eventually replied, "My name is Ben."
He asked: "Where am I?"

"You're at the Armstrong Tunnel," the witness said.
"What city is that in?" he said.
"Pittsburgh," the woman replied.
Roethlisberger fell silent for about a minute and then tried to stand up.
"I'm OK," he said.

"No you're not," said the woman, who instructed him to stay still.
Pittsburgh homicide detectives are investigating the accident, which is standard procedure when critical injuries are involved, said city police Lt. Kevin Kraus.

Roethlisberger's 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa, which is named after a Japanese bird of prey, was totaled. The front wheel was broken in half. The handle bars were broken. The left pedal was shattered. The 170-horsepower bike, which weighs 500 pounds fully loaded, was targeted by law enforcement agencies worldwide after its 1998 debut because it could reach a top speed of 189 mph.
Suzuki Motorcycles of North America gave Roethlisberger the bike as part of a promotional deal in exchange for him appearing at several Suzuki dealerships in the area, including Andrews Cycle in Salem, Ohio where he picked up the motorcycle last summer. Andrews' sales staff declined comment.

The motorcycle is popular among first-time buyers, said Steve Stiller, a salesman at Northgate Motorcycles in Cranberry, Butler County.
Roethlisberger has said in the past that he prefers not to wear a helmet when riding his motorcycle. He has pointed out Pennsylvania's 35-year-old state law requiring helmets to be worn was amended to make helmets optional.

In May 2005, Steelers coach Bill Cowher lectured Roethlisberger on the dangers of riding without a helmet.
"He talked about being a risktaker and I'm not really a risktaker. I'm pretty conservative and laid back, but the big thing is to just be careful," Roethlisberger said at the time. "I'll just continue to be careful. I told him we don't ever ride alone, we always ride in a group of people, and I think it makes it even more safe."

In May 2005, Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. tore knee ligaments in a motorcycle accident and was lost for the season.
Roethlisberger continued to ride after Winslow's accident and that angered Terry Bradshaw, who quarterbacked the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories during the 1970s.

Visiting the Steelers' training camp last summer, Bradshaw remarked: "Ride it when you retire."
Earlier this year, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to the NFL title, giving the team the fifth Super Bowl win they had been chasing since 1980. The Associated Press contributed to this report

 

[RiggoForever]

I think his NFL career is about done. So sad.....So much Talent.

Not necessarily...I think it depends on how badly his knees were hurt. The rest of what was mentioned wouldn't keep him out more then a couple months.

 

[superpunk]

Oh, thanks BigD.

 

[rcaldw]

I'm not trying to be sanctimonious here, but why do we have to say "he's a moron"?

Do you ever stop to think how many times in a week we are ALL morons? If you think that you are safe and healthy today because you have only made wise life choices, you are the moron, respectfully speaking.

 

[DBoys]

He will never play again even if he does it will be 2+ years of recovery

 

[BigDFan5]

Oh, thanks BigD.

no prob

 

[RCowboyFan]

I have had my share of bad accidents, from a head on with a drunk driver to flipping an SUV however at least in a car you have some protection. On a bike even a helmet can only help so much

Exactly, like TrickBlue posted and I posted, sometimes it does harm too. Bike Riding is just dangerous period, than a car driving. But I guess sometimes, you can't help being at wrong time and wrong place all the time. Like a cop told me once, when a girl ran out into the street and hit my car basically. I was nervous as heck but cop calmed me down since there were several witnesses, saying "Don't worry man. You just happened to be in the wrong place at wrong time, thats all". Heck if that girl ran out few seconds early, she would have gone under a Semi.

 

[Vintage]

He will never play again even if he does it will be 2+ years of recovery

I bet he plays again.

From what it sounds like, broken jaw, missing teeth, lacerations, and road rash on his knees.

Hardly career-ending....

 

[superpunk]

I bet he plays again.

From what it sounds like, broken jaw, missing teeth, lacerations, and road rash on his knees.

Hardly career-ending....

agreed. The recovery might be lengthy, but he will recover.

 

[RCowboyFan]

I'm not trying to be sanctimonious here, but why do we have to say "he's a moron"?

Do you ever stop to think how many times in a week we are ALL morons? If you think that you are safe and healthy today because you have only made wise life choices, you are the moron, respectfully speaking.

True to certain degree, but when he was told so last year by several people, and even chastised by Bradshaw in media, you would be called a Moron for not taking head to warning. Its just putting yourself up for redicule when they prove right.

Same as Bledsoe would be, he if gets into an accident, if he rides without a helmet and gets into serious accident. Especially since he has family to take care of too, which would make it more idiotic. Although I don't know if Bledsoe rides his bike in the city or not.

 

[joseephuss]

I'm not trying to be sanctimonious here, but why do we have to say "he's a moron"?

Do you ever stop to think how many times in a week we are ALL morons? If you think that you are safe and healthy today because you have only made wise life choices, you are the moron, respectfully speaking.

I agree. Everything is a risk. Some are just bigger than others. That doesn't make him a moron. It just means he views things diferently than some and maybe not so diffently than others. Some may not take that risk of even riding a motorcyle because they want to get the most out of the NFL. Other may do it because they already have a few million in the bank because of the NFL. Were each different.

 

[dmq]

I had my share of close calls on a bike. One day I was out throwing a football around and saw two guys speed right into a ditch. We were the first ones on the scene. They were screaming in pain. The one kid was paralyzed. I put my bike up for sale the next day. Bought a classic car and have never felt safer.

 

[VACowboy]

I'm definitely not to be pitied. Sure, I wish I could do all the physical things I used to do, but my life is good. I have a degree in English from UVA and a certificate in computer science from VCU. I design online computer games. I have season tickets to UVA football and hoops. I travel extensively with my beautiful red-headed live-in girlfriend of seven years -- cruises, California, Florida, NYC, Vegas at least once a year, wherever we wanna go. I've been to a Cowboys training camp, in Austin, and am thinking about spending a month in San Antonio next year. And, hell, I lost my virginity to a French Canadien girl I met playing spades on Yahoo. My motto is, no matter how bad off you are, there's always someone worse. What am I gonna do, lie in bed and mope?

Anyway, I type on an on-screen keyboard. I wear a headset whose movement is tracked by a box sitting atop my monitor; It replaces the mouse. I click by puffing on a straw attached to the headset. Having used the thing for the past 20 years, I've gotten pretty good. I'd guess that I type near 30 words a minute.

So that's probably more than you wanted to know, but I'm proud of what I've overcome, what I've achieved, where my life is and where it's going. I know too many guys in my situation who give up on life, and if reading what I write or hearing that there can be life after catastrophe causes someone to ask questions or gives him/her hope, then my day is made.

 

[Doomsday101]

Exactly, like TrickBlue posted and I posted, sometimes it does harm too. Bike Riding is just dangerous period, than a car driving. But I guess sometimes, you can't help being at wrong time and wrong place all the time. Like a cop told me once, when a girl ran out into the street and hit my car basically. I was nervous as heck but cop calmed me down since there were several witnesses, saying "Don't worry man. You just happened to be in the wrong place at wrong time, thats all". Heck if that girl ran out few seconds early, she would have gone under a Semi.

That is why they call them accidents. :laugh1:

 

[RiggoForever]

I'm wondering if the NFL and Steelers pay for his medical and dental bills, are they obligated to do so under these circumstances?

It would be the classy and smart thing for the Steelers to do, but to what extent is the NFL financially responsible in terms of health insurance for decisions made by its players in the offseason and off the field.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

The article did say he severely injured both knees...

Does that mean road rash or blown ACL(s)?

The broken jaw and missing teeth alone will cost him at least
3 months.

If he were a Commander, I'm sure ES would only be debating whether
he'd be back in time for their 2006 training camp...

 

[Hostile]

By Jill King Greenwood and and Karen Roebuck
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, June 12, 2006


Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is in serious but stable condition and in surgery this afternoon following a serious head injury this morning after his motorcycle collided with a car on Second Avenue near the 10th Street Bridge, police said.
Roethlisberger lost most of his teeth, fractured his left sinus cavity bone, suffered a nine-inch laceration to the back of his head and a broken jaw, and severely injured both of his knees when he hit the ground, police said.
A plastic surgeon has been summoned.

"He is right now in the (operating room) undergoing some surgery from injuries he received in this accident today," said Dr. Larry Jones, chief of trauma and burns at Mercy Hospital, Uptown. ... He was talking to me before he left for the OR. He's coherent. He's making sense. He knows what happened."

Roethlisberger, 24, who was not wearing a helmet, collided with a Chrysler New Yorker shortly before 11:25 a.m. and was thrown off his motorcycle, flying head-first into the car's windshield "with a pretty good force," said a veteran city police officer.
Roethlisberger was talking and moving his arms and legs after the accident. He suffered injuries to his face and lost several teeth, according to city firefighters.

The injured quarterback was taken to Mercy Hospital, said a Steelers spokesman, who declined to provide other information.
The car, which has Maine license plates, was heading west on Second Avenue and was turning left onto the 10th Street Bridge. Roethlisberger was driving east on Second Avenue riding a Suzuki Hayabusa and collided with the car at the intersection of the bridge and the Armstrong Tunnels.

Roethlisberger, who led the Steelers to a Super Bowl championship this year, slammed into the windshield, rolled over the car and landed on the pavement, striking his head again, said a woman who witnessed the accident.
The witness, who declined to give her name, asked Roethlisberger several times if he was OK. He eventually replied, "My name is Ben."
He asked: "Where am I?"

"You're at the Armstrong Tunnel," the witness said.
"What city is that in?" he said.
"Pittsburgh," the woman replied.
Roethlisberger fell silent for about a minute and then tried to stand up.
"I'm OK," he said.

"No you're not," said the woman, who instructed him to stay still.
Pittsburgh homicide detectives are investigating the accident, which is standard procedure when critical injuries are involved, said city police Lt. Kevin Kraus.

Roethlisberger's 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa, which is named after a Japanese bird of prey, was totaled. The front wheel was broken in half. The handle bars were broken. The left pedal was shattered. The 170-horsepower bike, which weighs 500 pounds fully loaded, was targeted by law enforcement agencies worldwide after its 1998 debut because it could reach a top speed of 189 mph.
Suzuki Motorcycles of North America gave Roethlisberger the bike as part of a promotional deal in exchange for him appearing at several Suzuki dealerships in the area, including Andrews Cycle in Salem, Ohio where he picked up the motorcycle last summer. Andrews' sales staff declined comment.

The motorcycle is popular among first-time buyers, said Steve Stiller, a salesman at Northgate Motorcycles in Cranberry, Butler County.
Roethlisberger has said in the past that he prefers not to wear a helmet when riding his motorcycle. He has pointed out Pennsylvania's 35-year-old state law requiring helmets to be worn was amended to make helmets optional.

In May 2005, Steelers coach Bill Cowher lectured Roethlisberger on the dangers of riding without a helmet.
"He talked about being a risktaker and I'm not really a risktaker. I'm pretty conservative and laid back, but the big thing is to just be careful," Roethlisberger said at the time. "I'll just continue to be careful. I told him we don't ever ride alone, we always ride in a group of people, and I think it makes it even more safe."

In May 2005, Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. tore knee ligaments in a motorcycle accident and was lost for the season.
Roethlisberger continued to ride after Winslow's accident and that angered Terry Bradshaw, who quarterbacked the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories during the 1970s.

Visiting the Steelers' training camp last summer, Bradshaw remarked: "Ride it when you retire."
Earlier this year, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to the NFL title, giving the team the fifth Super Bowl win they had been chasing since 1980. The Associated Press contributed to this report

Yikes. That's an ominous article.

 

[RiggoForever]

The article did say he severely injured both knees...

Does that mean road rash or blown ACL(s)?

The broken jaw and missing teeth alone will cost him at least
3 months.

If he were a Commander, I'm sure ES would only be debating whether
he'd be back in time for their 2006 training camp...

Come on be fair, this is a bit different and more grave of a situation then fracturing the tip of your finger throwing during an OTA and hitting another players helmet.