Warning: Unedited version. Profanity.

Those that have been lucky enough to cheat death lay claim to seeing their lives flash before their eyes.

Trauma survivors explain the phenomenon as happening in mere moments. Time slows as an entire lifetime is replayed in flash-second images while all sound is mute. It resembles sitting alone in a dark cinema with only pictures flashing on screen.

They say the "life flashing before my eyes" experience can happen to anyone at any age during a time of extreme stress. Medical experts think it may be the brain's reaction as a way of counteracting trauma.

No one can prove that this sensation actually occurs. It's usually placed in the same category as the out-of-body experience.

For me, on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009, it was a very, very ... real experience.

5:30 a.m. - Alarm... ugh. The same alarm that goes off every weekday. I worked out yesterday. I am exhausted. What's another 10 minutes? Snooze.

6:15 a.m. - My stomach pulls me out of bed. I'm usually on the road by this point. Lance Armstrong is doing a bicycle ride around Griffith Park for anyone who shows up at 7:30 a.m.. My bike's at work. Got to get moving.

7:00 a.m. - Just leaving the apartment. I am slow moving today. I can still make it. Don't feel like taking the car. The motorcycle is far more pleasing.

7:03 a.m. - Car honks while cutting me off as I merge into the right lane to get on the highway off Sunset Boulevard. Totally did not see anyone in my mirrors or when I turned my head. Eh, asshole LA drivers.

7:10 a.m. - Wow, traffic volume is higher than I expected. I really need to leave closer to 6 a.m. like I'm used to.

7:16 a.m. - 30 mph, 3rd gear. Not bad for LA highway traffic at rush hour. I'm about to change highways. Car is braking in front of me on the split. I have plenty of room to slow down comfortably. I smell rubber. I hear skidding. I see brake lights. That car is stopping in front of me. A complete, dead, stop. I have maybe 15-20 feet until my face and his tailgate collide.

Brake!!! Brake!!! Now! Need a way out! Quick look left! Car. Quick look right! Car. Fuck me! Brake harder! My rear wheel is locked! Fuck! My bike is wobbling and getting worse. Pump the front brake. It's not working!

I have two choices. Smack the back of the SUV or lay the bike down. My brain hits fight-or-flight mode and makes the decision on it's own.

Flashing images start.

7:17 a.m. - I don't remember it ever being this hard to stand up. Why is everything blurry?! I can't see beyond my face mask that's dangling from my helmet. My sunglasses are shattered. I rip both off and throw them on the road while yelling obscenities that my ears cannot hear.

In front of me, the road is empty. Behind me, cars are backed up. The only thing I can think about is that I need to get my bike off the road right now. Right now.

I stumble the most crooked walk toward my bike 10 feet or so behind me. I start to remember rolling... several times. I feel nothing. Zero. Not a single thing. Must get my bike off the road. Now.

The lady in the car behind me rolls down her window and asks if she can call someone. I respond, "I just need to get my bike off the road." She responds, "Yeah, you're holding up traffic!" Wow.

7:18 a.m. - 600 pounds of metal is a lot heavier than I imagined. As I'm struggling to pull my bike to the narrow shoulder on the left, the dude in the stopped car in the lane next to me gets out of his car, asks if I'm okay, and picks up pieces of my bike that were scattered on the road.

There is no sign of the SUV that caused this.

7:19 a.m. - It sets in that I was just in an accident and I'm walking. I must be okay. Tears start. I can't control them. Then anger. Then tears again. What the hell is wrong with me?! Pull it together Kemer. Now is the time to be strong.

7:20 a.m. - Cell phone in hand. Don't know what to do. Don't know who to call.

7:21 a.m. - After pacing, called E, told her I was in an accident. Told her not to panic. Needed someone to acknowledge I was still alive. I needed to touch base with someone familiar. Someone who wouldn't panic, freak out or chastise me. All I wanted was to feel alive ... after cheating death.

7:30 a.m. - Paramedics show up. Must get off phone with E. I keep insisting I'm okay.

They check to make sure I don't have a concussion or any broken bones. I keep insisting I'm okay. As I'm explaining what happened, fire engines roll to the scene. They aren't here long. Everything is under control. It's all relative I suppose.

7:40 a.m. - Police show up.

7:45 a.m. - I am standing on the shoulder where two main California highways split. It's myself, two California Highway Patrol officers, two paramedics, and one California Tow Patrol agent.

A middle age man driving a black Lexus slows almost to a stop, rolls down his window and shouts, "Clean up this mess! Get off the road! You're slowing traffic!" Wow ... just hit a new level.

7:50 a.m. - I give the CHP my statement. The officer in charge asks me stupid questions, "Were you on a cell phone at the time of the accident?" I quickly and rudely respond, "Is that a real question?!" I immediately apologize. He understands I'm not thinking clearly and explains that some of the questions may sound dumb.

Both officers are nice. They do not cite me, though they are extremely anxious to get me off the road before a rubbernecking accident occurs.

During the 45 minutes we're standing there, a halfdozen or more skidding incidents similar to mine occur. "See!" I exclaim. They acknowledge.

8:30 a.m. - Tow truck shows up. The CHP were nice enough to call AAA instead of their typical tow service. Saved me some pennies. I've never met nicer police officers.

8:50 a.m. - After making a few phone calls, I have a long conversation with the tow-truck driver. He picks up 2-3 motorcycle accidents each morning commute. I am now a statistic. In terms of bodily injury, mine was minor. Most don't ride home with the tow-truck, but instead go straight to the ER via ambulance.

9:30 a.m. - Finally arrive at home.

10:00 a.m. - I'm walking with a limp. My hip hurts like hell. An awful hell.

Time to cleanup. Time to assess damage. Time to lick wounds.

In my countless recapping, I've come to realize just how bad this could have gone. As bad as it was, this actually turned out to be the best-case-scenario.

Road-rash and sore muscles were the worst of my consequences. Thank God I made the decision to wear proper gear. Full helmet, padded-armor jacket, heavy jeans, reinforced gloves, and leather boots were adorned. Lack of any of these could have resulted in very different circumstances.

My life did indeed flash before my eyes.

Heaven decided I was too tough for entry. Hell doesn't want anything to do with me.

I cheated death. This time.

Until next time, don't do anything I wouldn't do.

Kemer

For those outside of my hometown, the full story will be published here in a few weeks after circulation. 

These are the photos I took at the scene, and after. 

Scene of the crash. All I had was my iPhone on me at the time.

It actually went down a few feet in front of the overhanging signs.
I had to push it to that center area to get it out of the way. 

My poor bike.

This is probably the worst of the damage to me. Visibly anyway.
My wrists were pretty cut up, as well as my knee. But neither
looked anywhere as cool as this. My hip was also about 8 different
colors, of which I've never seen before. Overall I'm  still hoping
for an awesome scar or two. 

Gas tank.

Lots of scars all over the left hand side.

The bars were all kinds of bent. How far or hard did that have to
slide in order to grind that down that far!? 

 Notice something missing? Like a clutch? That and my kickstand were
completely destroyed. 

I took probably a dozen pictures of my jacket trying to show how torn
up it was... but nothing seemed to work very well. So you get this.
The left hand side pretty much saved my arms. 

I will no longer put my half helmet on, ever. If I wasn't wearing this, 
I wouldn't have a face.  

I also took a voice recording at the scene to help recalling the incident later in dealing with the insurance. You can find that here.

Stay tuned for more soon.

Tuned.

If you've got questions... well, so do I. 

Feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you think. For good, bad, ugly, or otherwise. 

Episode 62: Puke and Rally!!!

I want to thank you all deeply for the calls, emails and concerns in checking on me. I truly appreciate this, and hope that I'll continue to hear from every single one of you. 

Please stay tuned. I will be making guest appearances in The Sun when fit. 

Also, I will also be using this web-space more often for random short writings and photography postings. I hope that you check back often and enjoy what you see. 

Don't do anything I wouldn't do. 

Kemer