3 years ago
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Tracy Smith is a bike fanatic. Typically, he'll head out on a twenty mile ride that takes him past Maumelle Park. On April 23rd, he did just that, but didn't get very far.
Smith says, ?And just before I got to this road here, where I take a left to head down Maumelle Park, the lights went out.?
Smith says that's all he remembers from his accident. He does know after the fact that a car slammed into him from behind.
?I had no idea 'til afterwards. I was airlifted, taken to Baptist in critical condition. I guess probably the first time I was conscious enough to know what was going on was Tuesday,? says Smith.
The extent of his injuries is simply incredible. Smith says on the left side of his body, he had cracked ribs and a bunch of cuts and scrapes.
Smith says, ?But the significant injuries were my head, the trauma to my head. I actually have 15 fractures in my skull and face.?
On bicyclesafety.com, it says around 44,000 people die in car crashes in the U.S. each year. About one in 54 is a bicyclist. Many riders say cars don't respect their space.
Cyclist Leon Smith says, "To me it's dangerous as you ride in the street. That's why I ride on this park road right here. Every once in a while you might run into some traffic."
As for Smith, he's cautiously optimistic he'll be back riding in eight weeks.
