RAAM 2013 - Close Call

Last week the Follow Vehicle in which I was riding (Crew Chief and Navigator) was hit from behind by another vehicle traveling at 65 mph.  We were traveling at less than 25 mph. The crew in the van was shaken up (cuts, bruises, head trauma, etc). 

 

The driver of the vehicle that hit us admitted that she was texting at the time.  There is suspicion that she may have been impaired while under the influence.

 

The accident occurred on Rte 160, ten miles east of Tuba City, AZ, on the Navajo Reservation. 

 

At the time of the accident we were in Close / Direct Follow (50+/- feet) mode behind our racer.  I had just finished handing off a water bottle to the racer, having extended my body out the passenger side window from the waist up.  

 

The impact propelled our vehicle (Dodge Caravan) up and out just short of the racer.  Two of the 3 bikes were totally destroyed.  All of the bike parts and equipment in the vehicle were destroyed.  The vehicle was totaled.

 

In the aftermath of the accident I concluded that the damages (human and material) were too severe to continue `racing' the Race.  I called the RAAM HQ and declared a DNF. 

 

The racer and crew spent the night in a local motel and met in the morning for a `post mortem.'  The racer wanted to finish riding the bike to the east coast (Annapolis).  My conclusion was and remains that the benefit of doing so was not worth the risk.  Three of the 12 crew withdrew from the race while the racer and remaining crew (mostly family and family friends) continued on (with rented crew vehicles, etc).