Full open fracture of leg at 4mph -- trying to discover cause. Could use some help thinking through possibilities.

[UnbalancedMathematician]

EUC is the thing that got me up every morning, and what I looked forward to when going to sleep: it changed my life. So needless to say the lack of clarity is really hard and would be greatful for any thoughts. 
 

ME: I've been riding for almost a year: I'm comfortable going 30ish on decent roads and can go slower than my more advanced buddies. Also ride easy trails 3ft wide (graded but not steep). In my late 30s, no history of epilepsy or any conciseness affecting condition
 

WHEEL: Nikola 100v Molicel 
 

EVENT:

1. one month ago I was riding where I always do. I was waiting for a crosswalk sign as I was temporarily on the sidewalk. I've taken the entry to this crosswalk over 100 times. (Note traffic is from left) 

2.  I recall waiting about 10 ft back from street.

3. Then I woke up face down in the street  with my lower right leg bent at a 45 degree angle with middle of the leg back as though struck from  front. I recall nothing. 

Estimated speed when entering street would be about 5mph

4 I was perpendicular to my direction of travel (ie in line with crossing street direction), then displaced slightly left of expected (head even with crosswalk-sidewalk entrance), 

5. The wheel was found behind and to the right of my direction of travel if entering street at crosswalk (by about 15 ft)

WHEEL AND GEAR CONDITION:

- wheel: zero damage except handle slightly harder to get in place, 

- only gear damage was chest guard plastic was mashed in a bit in a small area, possibly new marks on wrist guards, no marks on shin guards, small helmet mark

GEAR: I take safely seriously

Helmet, chest and spine guard  C2 , jacket with armored back elbows shoulders (C2), C1 armored shorts to protect lower spine and hips, knee and shin guards (fleet), wrist and palm guard, armored gloves. 

 MEDICAL:

- open displaced tibia, displaced splintered fibula.

- 5 hr surgery for IM rod in tibia and nails. 
- 5 days in hospital
- currently in cam boot and walker, numb foot and most of leg 

- Dr estimated walking unassisted in 6 months and normal activity in 12-24 months

 

QUESTION: For those of you with  knowledge of 

- euc injuries

- euc physics 

- euc diagnostics 

I'd be greatful for any help in thinking through what happened. 
 

I'm happy to share 
- intersection photos
- wheel data if it can be recovered
- x-rays etc

Thanks so much. 
 

PS: no cameras in area 

[DXKI]

Is it possible to see a picture of the cross walk?

[Cerbera]

1 hour ago, UnbalancedMathematician said:

Then I woke up face down in the street  with my lower right leg bent at a 45 degree angle with middle of the leg back as though struck from  front. I recall nothing. 

Well that's mad, and might suggest something struck you on the head ?! Very unusual to not know how you were injured... anyway, sorry you were, and speedy recovery !

[Punxatawneyjoe]

Hate to say it but the more i think about it from your description/injury , i tend to think you started through the intersection and were struck by a hit and run driver. to have shattered your lower leg the way you describe and not able to remember anything about it. I'm guessing because you were so geared up you didn't sustain any other injuries. Did the doctor say you had suffered any sort of concussion? The shattered leg seems much for just falling at 4 or 5 mph. You said the wheel was "behind you and to the right of your direction of travel". Was it your left leg that was injured?

[Funky]

Yeah at those speeds if wheel suddenly stops working - most would simply "run out of the fall". Have done it many times while riding in winter, because sliding on ice.

Not remembering how you fall.. That alone is kinda fishy. My guess would be also hit & run. Also that kind of damage on leg would be right from car bumper.

Also if i understand/read it right. Wheel was laying on ground the way where car would be going? Example car hit you and made the wheel go flying the direction where car was going?

 

Doh it all can be story telling. As no-one knows what really happened. I bet Aliens where interested in EUC's and you where the first EUC rider who got adopted. I have heard they like to probe us humans. How does your butt feel? After they have done all their probing - they placed you right in front of car. Funny how EUC itself have almost no damage, aside from handle slightly harder to get in place.. As they tried to do something to the EUC.  

Edited July 25, 2023 by Funky

[Robse]

1 hour ago, Punxatawneyjoe said:

Hate to say it but the more i think about it from your description/injury , i tend to think you started through the intersection and were struck by a hit and run driver. to have shattered your lower leg the way you describe and not able to remember anything about it. I'm guessing because you were so geared up you didn't sustain any other injuries. Did the doctor say you had suffered any sort of concussion? The shattered leg seems much for just falling at 4 or 5 mph. You said the wheel was "behind you and to the right of your direction of travel". Was it your left leg that was injured?

if it was NYC he could be hit by a another EUC rider on a heavy wheel speeding in the wrong direction on the wrong side of the road... or just a car.  There has to be a hit an run situation, those injuries are not the result of a 5 mph ground hit.

Edited July 25, 2023 by Robse

[The Brahan Seer]

Sounds like a hit and run as suggested above..

Epidemiology

Open fractures of the tibia are the most common open long bone fractures, with an annual incidence of 3.4 per 100 000.^1,2 The mean age of those who sustain open tibial fractures is 43.3 years, most frequently occurring in young adult males and elderly females.¹ High energy trauma is the primary mechanism of injury, with over 50% of cases being attributed to road traffic accidents or falls from a great height.^1-3

[UnbalancedMathematician]

Photos Link  

Thanks for everyone's help. So red is the course taken, red square my location after accident. Blue is wheel location and yellow is car path. 
 

You're welcome to explore more by looking at Google maps (15th and Euclid in DC.) Was on east side of 15 northbound crossing Euclid. 

While car was my first thought, there is no damage to wheel and car would have been likely coming from my left (though right leg injured) 
 

Link has full set of annotated images

I only have x-ray post-setting but you'll get the idea. Will reply with that

 

[UnbalancedMathematician]

x-rays after initial setting

[5Cauac]

You were hit from behind.

 

Wait..... this is weird.

Edited July 25, 2023 by 5Cauac

[mrelwood]

This was a horrible and incredible event. I really hope you heal well, though it will take a lot of time.

 Do you have any kinds of power pads installed on your wheel? Or pedal spikes? Was the wheel powered on after the crash?

[UnbalancedMathematician]

1 hour ago, The Brahan Seer said:

Sounds like a hit and run as suggested above..

Epidemiology

Open fractures of the tibia are the most common open long bone fractures, with an annual incidence of 3.4 per 100 000.^1,2 The mean age of those who sustain open tibial fractures is 43.3 years, most frequently occurring in young adult males and elderly females.¹ High energy trauma is the primary mechanism of injury, with over 50% of cases being attributed to road traffic accidents or falls from a great height.^1-3

Yeah issue is that any car would have been coming from left if I didn't see and injury was on my right (otherwise I'd have been further into intersection, was basically in gutter) 

In theory, the only thing I could see is some freak thing where my leg is braced against something then hit from behind --but then you'd think the back of my leg would have bruises etc. 

[houseofjob]

@UnbalancedMathematician

Awww man, sorry to hear about incidents like these, hoping you heal up quickly.

I agree with @Funky, not remembering how you fell is suspect. Did the hospital take any brain scans for signs of a concussion? (or did any of the nurses/doctors note signs of a concussion when you were admitted?) Remember, helmets do not guarantee not getting a concussion with the right amount of force trauma to the head, there is no such thing as 100% decoupling of such force, and the human brain was absolutely not meant to take blows. (I was alongside a fellow local rider friend who was concussed despite wearing a helmet, from random cutout)

That said, I don't think there's any way to get clarity whether you had a random cutout, had a run-in with a vehicle etc, if there is no first-hand recollection or eyewitness report.

Do you ride with pads and/or spiked pedals that lock you in? Being able to dismount from your wheel quickly for such events is pretty damn important IMHO (similar concept in skiing), and those wheel additions tend to prevent or hinder you from doing so, which can result in awkward landings that prevent you from using your legs and feet as natural springs (ie. not landing on the heels which will transmit the force up your leg bones, instead of your front balls of the feet which coupled with the ankles and surrounding muscles, acts as a shock absorber)

Edited July 25, 2023 by houseofjob

[UnbalancedMathematician]

6 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

This was a horrible and incredible event. I really hope you heal well, though it will take a lot of time.

 Do you have any kinds of power pads installed on your wheel? Or pedal spikes? Was the wheel powered on after the crash?

Yeah it's been really hard. Riding really did change my life: I struggled with fatigue and social anxiety and over time built confidence, meet people through a huge 200+ euc group here, group rides, less introverted, getting out of the house etc. Transitioning from that to my current state has been emotional to say the least

1. Yes to power pads but nothing that should lock me too much

2. The wheel came with larger spiked  pedals

3. I am unsure re powered state. I know it powers on just fine.  

[UnbalancedMathematician]

19 minutes ago, 5Cauac said:

You were hit from behind.

 

Wait..... this is weird.

 the break was backwards as though impact from front -- imagine an imaginary metal rod 1ft off the ground and running straight into it. That's basically the effect and would cause the same position. However I was turned 90deg right on ground. If you were looking at my lower leg from the side it made a triangle backwards

[UnbalancedMathematician]

25 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

@UnbalancedMathematician

Awww man, sorry to hear about incidents like these, hoping you heal up quickly.

I agree with @Funky, not remembering how you fell is suspect. Did the hospital take any brain scans for signs of a concussion? (or did any of the nurses/doctors note signs of a concussion when you were admitted?) Remember, helmets do not guarantee not getting a concussion with the right amount of force trauma to the head, there is no such thing as 100% decoupling of such force, and the human brain was absolutely not meant to take blows. (I was alongside a fellow local rider friend who was concussed despite wearing a helmet, from random cutout)

So CT didn't indicate but I'm allergic to contrast die so they couldn't get clear imaging. Definitely my emotional oscillations  could indicate a mild tbi -- random crying etc. Had some intense irritability. Both of which are calming down.  Just easily triggered by things. 

Appointment with Neuro coming up.

All I know is I have to ride again unless I have a brain issue that caused me to pass out while riding.

This is likely a red herring but 6 months ago I slipped on a satin cat toy (tube). Legs went right, torso left and hit side of sofa. Broke 2 ribs.  dex scan upcoming just in case

[UnbalancedMathematician]

4 hours ago, Funky said:

Yeah at those speeds if wheel suddenly stops working - most would simply "run out of the fall". Have done it many times while riding in winter, because sliding on ice.

Not remembering how you fall.. That alone is kinda fishy. My guess would be also hit & run. Also that kind of damage on leg would be right from car bumper.

Also if i understand/read it right. Wheel was laying on ground the way where car would be going? Example car hit you and made the wheel go flying the direction where car was going?

Yeah so in image blue circle I drew was wheel location. Red rectangle my location. Red arrows my course, yellow arrow cars course. 

[Punxatawneyjoe]

Perhaps you were struck from the left side high spinning you and the wheel around to the right, braking your right leg that was still on the right footplate when you were violently spun around, sending the wheel back towards the building and you to the ground right there where you bumped your head and forgot all of it.

[eezo]

Marty recently had a bad ankle break from a wheel losing power. If even that can be enough to cause a major break, if you were riding a wheel with power pads and spiked pedals, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that the wheel itself is what broke your leg. Imagine a scenario where you get hit or knocked in some way and that causes your body to lean such that the wheel takes off on you. It could have also spun itself on the ground and broken your leg. Basically there are potentially a lot of scenarios where a wheel could break your leg.

It does sound like a hit and run followed by major head impact. What brand/model helmet do you wear?

6 minutes ago, Punxatawneyjoe said:

Perhaps you were struck from the left side high spinning you and the wheel around to the right, braking your right leg that was still on the right footplate when you were violently spun around, sending the wheel back towards the building and you to the ground right there where you bumped your head and forgot all of it.

This is the physics scenario I'm envisioning as well.

Edited July 26, 2023 by nb1w

[level9]

Walked around in google maps. There are a number of different 1-way streets around; however Euclid is a 2-way street but it's not necessarily obvious (no on-road markings except right at the intersection). It would be easy to turn onto that street from University and/or one of the alleys and not realize it's a 2-way, especially with all of the other 1-ways around. Confusing for drivers.

IMO, you were hit from the right by someone who thought it was a 1-way street and was driving in the opposing lane of traffic. They contacted your right leg and spun you around.

[Hellkitten]

Are there any cameras in the area…….?

[UnbalancedMathematician]

9 minutes ago, nb1w said:

Marty recently had a bad ankle break from a wheel losing power. If even that can be enough to cause a major break, if you were riding a wheel with power pads and spiked pedals, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that the wheel itself is what broke your leg. Imagine a scenario where you get hit or knocked in some way and that causes your body to lean such that the wheel takes off on you. It could have also spun itself on the ground and broken your leg. Basically there are potentially a lot of scenarios where a wheel could break your leg.

It does sound like a hit and run followed by major head impact. What brand/model helmet do you wear?

This is the physics scenario I'm envisioning as well.

Helmet: Demon full face MIPS.

 This is exactly what I was thinking, however the wheel had zero scratches, only other mark I had was abbrasion on top of left ankle. 

What's crazy is the last thing I recall was being stopped 10ft before the cross. Don't even recall riding up to Street

[0000]

When I had a much smaller bone fracture, I lost memory from right when it happened (bike jump) and afterward for a small time too. Easy to imagine losing much more time with a break this severe. Really sad that there was no witnesses to stop and give details either as it's the sucky cherry on top to not even know how it all went down. Nightmare fuel for city riders. Hope the recovery goes well.

[eezo]

2 minutes ago, UnbalancedMathematician said:

Helmet: Demon full face MIPS.

From a brief search of Demon Podium full face MIPS helmet, unfortunately it looks like it lacks any impact testing certification. MIPS refers to a technology certification, not an impact testing safety rating. It is lacking even ASTM F2032 (BMX biking) or ASTM F1952 (downhill mountain biking), let alone Snell or ECE (both motorcycle-motocross level safety certifications).

I share this not to pile on your injury or make you feel worse, but as a critically important piece of information for your future riding and for anyone else reading this. Helmets with no impact safety certification are not safe for riding an EUC.

[Punxatawneyjoe]

30 minutes ago, level9 said:

IMO, you were hit from the right by someone who thought it was a 1-way street and was driving in the opposing lane of traffic. They contacted your right leg and spun you around.

I had thought of that but, given the wheels final location. It's hard to imagine an impact from that direction and the wheel ends up behind the bike rack seen in the picture.