How did you crash?

[dantama]

Perhaps others can learn from your mistake. So if you have ever crashed, tell us about it and lets discuss could've, should've, etc.

My first one was in 1990, I had been riding on the street for 7-8 years at that point.

I was traveling on a two lane each direction city surface street, 30mph speed limit, lights about every block or two.

I was going an estimated (per police report and witness accounts) 10 mph over. I had a green light and an oncoming car turned left into me.

I braked all the way into the car. Front tire hit the front fender just in front of the door, made a skid mark down the fender into the cent er of the passenger door (car was still at an angle at the beginning, hadn't turned all the way) and pushed the door in and bent the cars frame.

I broke out the passenger window with my right fore arm and then headed up over the car, over the stop lights and back down. Bike stayed near the car.

I broke many bones including my back and spent two weeks in the hospital.

Things I learned.
Just because the lights green for me doesn't mean I own it. From then on it meant, maybe I can go through it.

I was only 25 at the time and was perhaps a bit immature (perhaps still am) and I thought that if I follow the rules for the most part, I'll be OK. Now I think of riding as a chess game(played against a cheater). Everybody else is going to try to punt me off, and they will cheat to do it. My job is to defend against their moves, and catch them cheating.

Some of you may have been lucky enough to have that mind set to begin with. I had to learn it.

How did you crash?