Steeler QB Roethlisberger in motorcycle crash (breaking)

[chookie]

http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_163114722.html

Shit.

[Roland99]

1. Moran. Wasn't wearing a helmet and has head and facial injuries.

(sigh)



hope he's ok, though.

[Tempest]

2. Darwin's Law almost claims another one

I hope the Steelers have a no motorcycle clause in his contract. I'd hate to see him paid for being a complete fuck-up.

[Dr.Phool]

3. I saw a dumb fuck get killed in a car the other night

He wasn't wearing a helmet either. What a nitwit.:sarcasm:

[jobycom]

6. Oh, right

If you don't see the difference between a car and a motorcycle, then please, don't wear a helmet. But don't start preaching your message like you're right. Some new rider might listen to you.

[Dr.Phool]

10. I protested to eliminate helmet laws in Ohio in the '70s

I haven't worn one since 1977. Just because something looks safer, doesn't make it safer. And just think of how many lives we could save if we made all car drivers and passengers wear helmets, a full coat of armor, steel toed boots, and night vision goggles.

[neverforget]

15. A helmet saved my friends life 13 years ago when he was riding

his motorcycle. A truck pulling a trailer crossed the center line so he put his bike down and his head was run over with trailers tires. If he wasn't wearing his helment, his head would've been squashed like a grape. It definitely made him safer.

[Eurobabe]

80. A helmet saved my life in 2003, I had a minor accident

went over the bars landed on my head first, then my left knee, skidding to a stop. Surely would have torn apart my cheek and jaw, according to the doctors.

I think people who don't wear full-face helmets are asking for BIG trouble, the way most cagers drive. Bikers who don't wear head protection should be made to sign waivers that they understand they are voiding their medical coverage for being morons.

edit, can't spell today, for shit!

[merwin]

17. If you get in a motorcycle accident without a helmet, there is a 100%

chance that you are going to have serious head injury. If you are on the freeway, then there's almost 100% chance of death. I ride a bike and can't understand why people would ever ride without a helmet... especially after being in an accident where a helmet saved my brains from being splattered against some idiot's car.

There is a reason we have seatbelt laws as well.

[cannabis_flower]

23. I agree with that but..

I was in a motorcyle accident where I was a passenger on the motorcycle and had a on a helmet but my head didn't hit the ground so I would not have had a head injury. Luckily we were going slow - like 15 or 20 miles per hour and someone cut us off and he had to put the bike over and we both went flying. I had a skinned elbow and a skinned knee but that was all.

[melm00se]

24. you were damned lucky

lethal impact can (and does) occur at speeds under 5mph.

[cannabis_flower]

25. Yeah I know..

but as I said, I did have a helmet on - even though my head didn't hit the ground.

[Jack from Charlotte]

54. I am for helmut laws but it seems insurance co.'s could REALLY...

make a difference. I'd allow insurance companies to not need to pay claims to those injured and riding without helmuts regardless as to fault.

Say someone wanted to walk around with a gun with a hair trigger pointed at their head. If I bump them, hence blowing their brains out, I should not be held for damages, IMO. Same deal as riding without hat.

[NashVegas]

63. I Hope You Don't Smoke, Never Drink to Excess, Aren't Overweight, etc

In short, unless you live a 100% risk-free life, how well would you fare if insurance companies refused to make payouts that come from accidents based on your own risky behavior?

I also assume you adhere to all traffic laws: never speed, never pass from the right-hand lane, never proceed as if "merge" means "I go first," never go through a yellow light as it's changing to red, etc., etc.

[Canuckistanian]

18. Did you protest guards on chain saws, too?

PTO guards on farm tractors? Car seatbelts? GFCI electrical outlets? Fences around power stations?

No? Sounds like you have more work to do.

Oh, and cancel your health insurance. People like you are unnecessarily tieing up trauma wards in hospitals and driving up the price of insurance.

And the part that irks me is that you sound so smug about it while ignoring the obvious statistics of people still alive today because of a simple protective device.

What a hero.

[pokercat999]

66. Naw, the BEST protection for EVERYONE

mount a sword with the blade pointed at the driver on every vehicle.

for u nitwits out there i'll add this :sarcasm:

[rppper]

90. my full faced saved my life, i have no doubt......

....went down doing about 60, my only wreck in 20 years of riding,drug with the bike for about 20 yards or so, my head and face shield bouncing off of the asphalt. in fact, i had a big yellow streak that covered the side and front of the helmet where it drug across the yellow traffic line....had jeans, boots and a thick denim jacket...the denim and jeans gave way to a good bit of rash, and overall i wound up with a broken foot and 4 cracked ribs, but.....gasp!!!!....no head injuries. i walked away from it. i agree with you it is a riders choice, but gary busey made a good point on one of the cable news channels last night...a DOT approved half helmet would have been all the protection big ben would have needed to save himself from the face full of injuries he recieved...and he would have still had all the wind in his face he would have ever needed. the argument that if you go down at 70 or 80 mph you are a goner anyhow is bullshit to...look at pro riders, who come off at speeds over 100mph and walk away...it's all in the safety gear you wear...and most deadly accidents happen at significantly slower speeds......no need to be snarky if you want to be a future organ doner...just please make sure your parts make it into someone who will protect them....now tell me how loud pipes save lives too......:sarcasm:

[Left Coast Lynn]

36. -

self-delete

[still_one]

7. I would never ride my cycle without a helmet

just as I would never drive a car without a seat belt

you pays your money and you takes your chances

[Roland99]

9. Hmm...looking at your screen name your post seems rather fitting.

[Zynx]

77. I take it you don't think soldiers should wear helmets either?

[GodlessBiker]

22. I wonder if he wears a helmet when playing football.

[Scairp]

52. Regardless of his position

He is still just 24 years old, and nobody at that age thinks they can be killed. I certainly never considered it when I was 24. But on the other hand, he has a multi-million dollar job that requires he stay healthy and whole, so one would think that he could at least wear a helmet. Funny, I was just discussing the subject of helmet laws yesterday with my husband because I grew up in Ohio, where this is still no helmet law, and I think it's really suicide to not wear one.

[Roland99]

56. I was riding a motorcycle daily when I was about 18 or 19.

I never thought I couldn't get killed and always wore a helmet.

[Scairp]

59. You are a clear exception

No one I hung around with in my youth EVER wore helmets, and they were not teens. They just don't in states were it isn't required.

[Roland99]

61. It's no longer the law here as long as one shows health insurance...

get a waiver.

But, the price for feeling free is that should you wreck, you'll free your brains from your skull.

[Bassic]

75. He wasn't wearing a helmet??

Aren't helmets mandatory?

And why would you not want to wear a helmet? I don't get it.

[Efilroft Sul]

79. Ben Roethlisbusey. N/T

[Tempest]

4. It was a contract hit

The driver of the car -- which had Maine license plates -- left the scene with police officers.


It was obviously a contract hit taken out on Roethlisberger by the New England Patriots.

:evilgrin:

[Joe for Clark]

29. That is funny, in a sick way.

Joe

[Maine-ah]

97. shit! you figured out our plan!!

:evilgrin:

[DinahMoeHum]

5. Sheesh, didn't this guy ever hear of Kellen Winslow Jr ????

Dumb bastard also almost screwed up his NFL career for keeps in a motorcycle accident awhile back.

Fuck.

:evilfrown:

[Roland99]

8. Or Gary Busey?

[kwassa]

27. or Billy Idol? Busey and Idol were leaders in the anti-helmet campaign

in California.

Idol almost lost his leg, Busey had severe head injuries.

EVERY SINGLE RIDER I know, who has ridden for any length of time, had had a serious physical injury that required hospitalization. Every last one. One guy managed 25 years of riding before he met his first big accident.

There is simply no protection on a bike.

[LiberalFighter]

50. He is still a kid and having won the Super Bowl...

undoubtedly believes he is invincible.

[Divernan]

11. Insurance adjusters say, "Buy your kid a motorcycle for his last birthday!

The driver told a local news reporter that BR's head hit the window of the car and then he rolled over the car and his head hit the pavement again. I've seen so many cases of bikers either killed or crippled for life - even when wearing helmets. I heard but can't confirm that there was a clause in his Steelers' contract that he couldn't ride his bike during the season. Hope he will be OK.

[sofa king]

16. ...And motorcycle salesmen can have their doubts, too.

I have a friend who took a long, long time to go from borderline sociopath to all around decent fellow. The first flash of conscience I ever saw him have was when he was about nineteen. A born salesman and gearhead, he took a job at a nearby Yamaha dealership and quickly rose to the top.

Then, after about a year he quit, just like that. When I asked him why, he said, "I've been selling these bikes to kids just like me for a year, and last week I realized that not one of them has ever come back. I think they're wrecking, and I don't want to have anything more to do with it." That, I think, was the day he became a true friend, instead of just a drinking buddy.

[stepnw1f]

12. That Really Sucks... sorry Steeler Fans

I hope for the best for him.

[Walt Disney]

13. Put that helmet on when riding in and urban environment. Otherwise,

you are putting your life in the hands of others.

Better still, do not ride in an urban environment.

[sofa king]

14. Drag. Hope he comes out okay.

The fact that he's still kickin' offers the chance that he may yet learn a lesson from it, I guess. But there are some lessons you just wish people didn't have to learn.

[MikeNearMcChord]

19. From PittsburghLive.com

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is in serious but stable condition and in surgery this afternoon following a serious head injury this morning after his motorcycle collided with a car on Second Avenue near the 10th Street Bridge, police said

Roethlisberger lost most of his teeth, fractured his left sinus cavity bone, suffered a nine-inch laceration to the back of his head and a broken jaw, and severely injured both of his knees when he hit the ground, police said.

A plastic surgeon has been summoned.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/accident.html

[jsamuel]

20. oh wow... so if he had just worn a helmet... he would mostly have knee dam

age only... sad...

[markam]

26. I guess we won't be repeating as national champs

"severely injured both of his knees"

[Joe for Clark]

30. They are probably reactivating

Tommy Maddox from the old folks home as we speak.

Damn.

Joe

[melm00se]

21. why one wears a helmet

This came from an accident involving a rider with 1.5 million miles under his belt (Dav Swisher)

why one wears a full face helmet:



Over 50% of crash impacts occur in the facial area (chin to eyebrows). I like my face...

Rothlisberger, according to reports, was driving what is considered to be the fastest production bike in the world (top speed >180mph, 0-60 in ~3 seconds, <10 second 1/4 mile).

his injuries are reported to be: lost most of his teeth, fractured his left sinus cavity bone, suffered a nine-inch laceration to the back of his head and a broken jaw. (please compare to the above pictures and try to say a helmet wouldn't have helped)

Beware of the anti-helmet crowd: their arguments will have the sound of scientific credibility but when the Godfather of motorcycle studies (Dr Hurt) says wear a helmet and almost every other credible source recommends that as well I would tend to wear mine.

Now, as to whether or not it should be required, that is a whole different argument.

[LiberalFighter]

51. Even Evel Knievel wore a helmet

At least when jumping don't know if he did otherwise.

[PCIntern]

28. They should take these folks up to the Ninth Floor

of Jefferson Hospital here, the Neurological Floor, and show them what happens to head trauma patients acutely. Then, take them next door to the 'special floor' where these people, if they survive, attempt initial recuperation. Then, take them over to Moss or Magee Rehab and show them what it takes to be able to stay in rehab, so they just don't plant you in a veggie-garden home somewhere where they watch you dribble until the bedsores work their way to the bone, and you get infection and die...eventually, after months of excruciating pain.

That's if you're really lucky.

Then tell me you don't need a helmet.

Morans...
(57)
Take a gander at this if you have a strong stomach..

This 22 year old woman who was the pillion passenger on a motorcycle refused amputation, and every effort was made to preserve the limb.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.worldortho.com/database/exam-trauma/comp/57.html&h=239&w=375&sz=32&tbnid=eZ5k2zF-oyOMOM:&tbnh=75&tbnw=118&hl=en&start=20&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmotorcycle%2Btrauma%26svnum%3D100%26hl%3Den%26lr%3Dlang_en%26ie%3DUTF-8%26newwindow%3D1%26safe%3Doff

[Frank Cannon]

53. That's what kills me about the "helmetless" crowd

I don't think any of them really think about the consequences of cracking one's head on the pavement, even at a slow speed, and SURVIVING. I've always heard their arguments couched in, "Well, you've got to go sometime." But what if you don't go? Chances are good, in a low-speed wreck, that you won't. But just dash your head against a solid object at even a few miles an hour and see what happens.

The gain of not wearing a helmet doesn't seem worth it to me, not in comparison to what a fully-functioning brain is worth.

[GumboYaYa]

31. I just can't understand the people who don't wear helmets when

they ride. Maybe it's because I have always worn one since I started riding a bike, but if I get on my bike without a helmet it feels weird. It doesn't bother me in the slightest to wear a helmet. It seems like such a small price to pay for the protection.

[PCIntern]

32. Because these assholes

typify the American Libertarian/Conservative viewpoint. But oh boy, wait until they're injred and then they want the taxpayer to fund their rehabilitation and pay for the medical bills. I'ms sick and tired of this.

Reminds me of the terrific Doonesbury where in the first panel the kid says to the parents: "I reject your mores, your values, your materialism, and your shallow lives." Then in the next panel, he says, "Oh by the way, I need a check for $26000 to cover next semester's tuition."

Paraphrasing, of course...

[MikeNearMcChord]

41. Funny you mention that,

many sports teams have clauses that exempt them from paying salaries if the athlete engages in behavior they consider a detriment to their career, case in point, Aaron Boone formally of the New York Yankees, had a clause forbidding him from playing basketball while he was under contract with the Yankees, of course he blew out his knee, and the Yankees, playing the nice guy let him go with a minimum salary. But they could've played A-holes and not pay him at all. The Steelers were not happy with Big Ben's motorcycling, if they have that clause, and play hardball Big Ben is screwed blued and Tattooed.

[timber84]

33. Could have been a lot worse:

http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_163154800.html

He's one lucky young man.

[RamboLiberal]

34. His Agent confirming Broken Nose and Broken Jaw

just reported by Honzman KDKA radio.

[timber84]

35. Knees are sprained

Rambo he dodged a bullet.

[RamboLiberal]

37. Possibly - I'll wait on the knees

He already had knee problems last season. Charlie Batch who I like a lot as the backup - hope he stays healthy this season.

Ben is going to be one very sore young man for a couple of weeks.

Wonder if Bengals fans think it's karma? And no, I'm not bashing the Bengals fans - they've given me no reason yet on this, but now we Steeler fans know how they felt when Carson Palmer went down.

On edit KDKA radio reporting he is in critical but stable condition. Operation was for broken jaw. Reportedly has laceration on knee.

[timber84]

38. I think he's a pretty tough kid, stupid to not wear a helmet, I hope

he's ok and enjoys liquids. He'll have no problem with weight at least in Sept.

[OhioChick]

39. You're right..........

liquids for sure. Will likely have his jaw wired shut for at least 8 weeks.......and hopefully doesn't get horrendous TMJ problems, to boot.

[Baclava]

42. Hot stock tip...buy Campbells soup

If his jaws are wired shut for the next two months...that soup contract will pay some bucks.

[fortyfeetunder]

71. Chicken Broth, Not "Chunky"

Or puree....

[Divernan]

45. I'll wait on the long term brain damage too.

One of my (adult)kids got hit from behind, while walking across a street (she had the light and right of way) by a pissed off teenager who had just been thrown out of school for fighting and was driving her red convertible Miata and ran a red light. My daughter was thrown through the air and instinctively curled up and rolled when she landed (she's a horsewoman). She ultimately required knee surgery, but more importantly, she had memory problems for nearly a year from banging her head on the pavement - and that wasn't hard enough to break any facial bones or lose any teeth. So BR's skull was hit a lot harder than hers was- and QBs need to be mentally sharp and remember the playbook, right? I'd say the prognosis is not good for him to return to the team.

[RamboLiberal]

46. You may be right - and especially since a football player

will get their bell rung quite a few times in their career. He may be advised by doctors that he can never risk another blow to the head.

This could be the end to this season or his career. Too damn bad he didn't listen to those who told him to wear a helmet or to even park the bike.

Hope your daughter is ok.

Another pic of cycle

[Joe for Clark]

47. I hope your daughter is ok now.

Joe

[Zynx]

60. Almost certainly has a concussion by definition

That sort of impact will scramble your brain, helment or not.

[Pale Blue Dot]

40. PA used to have a law requiring helmets

It's been repealed in the past 4 years.

[Divernan]

44. Yes, the state legislature lacked the balls to stand up to the crowd

of scraggly bearded, black leather clad, tattooed bikers who would rally at the State House every year and drive their hogs round and round the block the Capitol Bldg. is on, and then rally on the steps of the Capitol demanding their freedom from helmets. The bikers always got lots of press coverage - it was so colorful, and the clowns in Harrisburg caved. I'm sure a lot of generous campaign donations were also made. It would be fine with me if bikers could choose not to wear helmets, as long as they signed waivers they would pay their own medical, rehab, unemployment costs, instead of being drags on the taxpayers.

[NashVegas]

62. Of Self-Righteous Wankers Who Insist On Deciding For All

There's no way I'd get on a motorcycle without a helmet. That said, if someone wants to go helmetless, it's their choice to make - not mine.

[RawMaterials]

78. Bravo , your right on

even if its suicide to get on a bike without a helmet, we should be allowed to make such choices.

[kestrel91316]

81. So if somebody goes without a helmet and has no medical insurance,

and gets in a near-fatal accident with masive bodily trauma and brain damage requiring lifelong care in a special facility, I guess the TAXPAYERS will just have to shut up and pay the bill??????

How about I make it MY personal choice to say too bad, you can empty your OWN bedpan, dude. 'Cause it's all about personal choice, right?

Maybe the Christofascists and Libertarians will open up a charitable home for motorcycle wreck victims.........

[Captain Hilts]

68. Balls? nt

[pelagius]

43. Mandatory helmet laws...

...reduce the availability of donor organs!

[RamboLiberal]

48. Lord - Cycle Crash on other side of PA kills 5

http://www.pennlive.com/newsflash/pa/index.ssf?/base/ne...

A speeding motorcycle slammed into a minivan, flipping it over and sparking an explosion that killed the rider and a mother, daughter and two others in the van, police said.

State police said the minivan was making a left turn off Route 220 in Woodward Township at about 3:15 p.m. Sunday when the motorcycle hit it hard enough to knock it onto its side. The 2003 Kawasaki motorcycle penetrated the side of the 1993 Plymouth Voyager, said state police Trooper Mike Knight.

Authorities on Monday were still trying to determine how fast the motorcyclist, Mitchel Ryan Levan, 20, of South Williamsport, was driving. The speed limit on that stretch of the divided, four-lane highway is 55 miles per hour.

"He was producing enough force to knock a minivan on its side," Knight said. Police found the motorcycle in between two seats inside the burned out minivan.

[ovidsen]

49. Abolish helmet laws

We need more organ donors. :sarcasm:

[dysfunctional press]

55. bikers without helmets deserve whatever fate befalls them...

just as with every other decision we make for ourselves.

some people just ain't too bright.

[PCIntern]

57. Howard Eskin on WIP in Philly

said that Roethlisberger stated at one time that he only rode choppers or Harleys - this was a sport bike, and he only rides in groups, which he was not at the time.

the Coach, who did not include the non-riding in the contract, must be grinding what's left of his teeth to bits...

[OhioChick]

58. "World's Fastest Legal Street Bike?"

~snip~

Roethlisberger was on his black 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa - the company calls it the world's fastest bike for legal street riding - and heading toward an intersection on the edge of downtown.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5687558

[chookie]

64. On the Hayabusa

When I learned Ben had a Hayabusa, as you said, the fastest and most powerful street bike available, I thought, well, he's a rich athlete who can give himself whatever he wants.

Then I read somewhere today that the Hayabusa is very popular as the FIRST motorcycle for *new* drivers. WTF? Is it just me, or is this a little nuts?

I'm hoping Ben does not lose his career after this accident -- that would be awful.

Bikes have become very popular in recent years. I live in the country, and every weekend, dozens of them blast by at ??? decibles. I guess they come out here to ride in the quiet countryside. (Go figure.)

They tend to drive recklessly. I've seen them weave in between cars on double lane highways, or doing wheelies on crowded highways. What assholes. I am not a fan of motorcycles or motorcyclists -- at least the idiots among them.

My head and body are by no means as valuable as Ben's, and I would never consider getting on one without a helmet with a jaw guard.

[republicancowards]

65. Cowher should give him holy hell for this.

[Bzzzz]

67. Hey, Ive got an idea people...

Why don`t we all just strap on a helmet every morning when we get out of bed, and then take it back off when we go to bed at night... On second thought, better wear it in bed too, wouldn`t want to sustain a head injury falling out in the middle of the night. I used to be very open to the idea of wearing a helmet, but as the years go by I`m beginning to realize they`re for complete paranoids. How many of you on this forum over the age of fifteen wore a helmet on your bicycle when you were a kid? Now every bicyclist you see has got one on. Everybody in this country is beginning to think they are going to live forever, trying to protect themselves from every concievable thing that "may" cause injury or illness. I`ve got news for you, it`s impossible. Whether you want to believe it or not, accidents and illnesses happen, and sooner or later something is going to kill you. I know some people don`t want to hear that, but you can`t lock yourself in a darkened room and hope that death will somehow pass you by. Let me have my own life!

[LeftyMom]

69. I grew up wearing a helmet on my dad's motorcycle

As soon as they became popular and readily available I got one for my bicycle. I wear my seatbelt too.

I don't use the available safety gear to avoid getting killed in an accident- I want it to lessen my chances of brain damage in a survivable accident.

[chookie]

70. Are you saying...

...that falling out of bed carries a risk of injury equivalent to falling off a moving motorcycle on a hard surface? I'll have to ask my friend the ER doctor that....

I get the "let me live my own life part," but ridiculing those of us who take reasonable safety precautions is a teensy bit extreme, IMHO.

[Zynx]

76. We're talking about very preventable injury here.

I'm not saying you should walk down the street with a helmet, but given the risks involved in crashing a motorcycle, hell yeah wear a helmet. This is like saying soldiers shouldn't wear a helmet in a battle zone.

[Bzzzz]

86. It's a choice...

for me to make. In my state, it is legal to not wear a helmet and kudos to ABATE for keeping that choice available. You could walk out your door tommorow, trip, fall and hit your head on the cement or asphalt and die...should you have worn a helmet??? Are we now going to make wearing helmets as ridiculous as the abortion debate???

[Sewsojm]

88. Sorry but,

Anyone who rides a motorcycle without a helmet is a Idiot.

[chookie]

72. Update on Ben's condition: 7 hour surgery successful

"PITTSBURGH -- Doctors who operated on Ben Roethlisberger at Mercy Hospital said all of his fractures have been successfully repaired.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback underwent seven hours of surgery for multiple fractures after a motorcycle crash Monday morning in in Pittsburgh.
The doctor who led the five-member surgical team said Roethlisberger remains in serious, but stable condition and has no other serious injuries that doctors are aware of. Dr. Daniel Pituch said the athlete's brain, spine, chest and abdomen all look OK."
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/9356067/detail.html

[Baclava]

73. Great news!!! ......"no other injuries"

He'll heal up fine...ESPN is already saying he'll be ready to play by the end of training camp in August.

[kestrel91316]

82. Wonder if they'll have his dentures fitted by then??

[Baclava]

84. Lies, Lies and More lies.....

Cincy fan?

[kestrel91316]

100. LOL, nope. Former Bronco fan. Now in Lost Angeles where we HAVE

no football team to root for..............

[FredScuttle]

74. Did he break the plane of the windshield?

[Baclava]

83. Ben's injuries only to face, will play in opener

Roethlisberger has a broken jaw, a broken nose and some injuries to his teeth but otherwise came through his motorcycle accident on Monday with nothing else but some scrapes and bruises. Published reports that detailed injuries to his knees and shoulders are untrue, sources said. Roethlisberger also should be ready to participate in training camp, although he may not play in the first preseason game Aug. 12 in Arizona.

The quarterback had seven hours of surgery yesterday afternoon and evening to repair facial fractures caused when his motorcycle struck a car on Second Avenue at the 10th Street Bridge. After the surgery, doctors said the facial fractures were successfully repaired but they would not elaborate. They did say that there appears to be no brain, spine, chest or abdomen injuries.

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/06164/697867-100.stm

[RamboLiberal]

85. Looks like Ben didn't have a valid motorcycle license

One day after the motorcycle accident that seriously injured Ben Roethlisberger, there are new questions about whether the Steelers quarterback even had a license to drive a motorcycle.

As accident investigators continue to search for answers, KDKA Investigator Andy Sheehan has learned that police are looking into that issue this afternoon

Sources say that while Roethlisberger had a license to operate a car, he apparently did not possess a Pennsylvania motorcycle license.

City accident investigators are not commenting, but a confidential source tells KDKA that a review of motor vehicle records in Harrisburg shows that Roethlisberger has never had a Pennsylvania motorcycle license.

According to our source, Roethlisberger did have a learner's permit that allowed him to ride a motorcycle; but that permit expired on March 29th.

http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_164115654.html

By PA law I believe he needed to wear a helmet under a learner's permit.

[Baclava]

92. Right now...uh - who cares? Concerns about his health come first.

With every breaking news story there is a tendency to go with the first information we hear.
Inevitably, much of this info is wrong.

I think most folks are just wanting to see him have a safe, speedy recovery.

Steelers Fans need to rally behind him and not bombard the kid with "I TOLD YA SO" statements and stuff I read this morning from disgruntled fans who feel he let the team down. You can't change what happened...the only police reports I've read say Ben had the right away and then got cut off - a license wouldn't have changed that.

He's been riding his other bike, the Harley, for quite awhile - he's not a novice.

[RamboLiberal]

95. Still we all have to follow the law

Too often athletes think they are above the law. Basically I think Ben is a good guy - but still - doesn't look good when you don't follow the law.

[newscott]

87. I hear emergency rooms like motorcycle victims. Their organs are

always in perfect condition after an accident. The head trauma does them in and then it's time to harvest those organs! I've also heard the term donor cycles in relation to these bikes.

[brentspeak]

89. His nickname should be DUMB Ben

Just last fall, he was boasting on national TV about his decision not to wear a motorcycle helmet.

[chookie]

93. (cue song) "Bi-ig Ben,

...Big Dumb Ben."

I prefer to call him "Muttonhead" myself.

It is an immense relief that he is going to recover almost fully. But it could so easily have gone the other way, as breaks sometimes do.

CW Nevius wrote today:
"When his coach, Bill Cowher, asked Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to wear a helmet when he was riding his motorcycle, the 23-year-old had a flip and hip response."That's just the way it goes,'' he was quoted as saying. "I just want to ride.''
-snip-
Ever notice how rarely older guys say things like that? The ones who don't feel bulletproof, who have seen the breaks go both ways, who figure that trying to cheat the odds is a fool's game.

The old guys know the deal. They will be seen as fuddy-duddies. They don't get it. And they know it. The best they can do is shrug, stand back, and let events play out on their own.

"What I say about motorcycles,'' Roethlisberger's teammate Joey Porter said earlier this year, "is that concrete is undefeated.''
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/author?blogid=18&auth=55

[RamboLiberal]

91. Latest at 4PM Tuesday from Hospital

Doctors had a very short press conference, not live, no questions permitted.

Broke upper and lower jaw, lost 2 teeth, chipped some others, mild concussion, no injuries to knees, should be out of hospital in 3 - 5 days.

Speculation is he would be ready for the opener, but doctors didn't address that.

Hope he stays off the damn motorcycles or at least wears a helmet.

On Edit:
<snip>

Jones said Roethlisberger suffered the following injuries when his motorcyle collided with a car on second avenue near the 10th Street Bridge yesterday morning:

Broken upper and lower jaw;

Mild concussion;

Fractured nose;

Multiple head cuts and bumps and bruises;

Two lost teeth;

Several other chipped teeth.

Jones said there is no evidence of any major structural damage to the quarterback's knees, which contradicts some news reports.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06164/697867-100.stm

[Baclava]

94. Great to hear upgraded condition!

Head trama is always the scariest part, good to hear no brain or other injuries.
Now in "fair" condition.

"PARK THE BIKE!!!"
He'll be hearing THAT about a gazillion times a day....count on it.

[RamboLiberal]

96. Sources: Driver Will Not Face Criminal Charges

http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_164171223.html

Sources tell KDKA that Pittsburgh Police will not be filing any criminal charges against the driver of the car that collided with Ben Roethlisberger.

KDKA Investigator Marty Griffin has learned that authorities believe the woman made a “Pittsburgh Left,” which means she followed directly behind another car going through the light at the intersection and didn’t have a protected green arrow.

According to sources, she failed to yield to Roethlisberger and hit his motorcycle.

Sources have also told KDKA that Roethlisberger was not speeding at the time of the crash. He was apparently either going the speed limit or under the speed limit.

[rocktivity]

98. A "Pittsburgh left"...means

follow(ing) directly behind another car going through the light at the intersection... (without)...a protected green arrow."

Which is not smart because the vehicle in front of you can block your view of vehicles coming coming from the opposite direction--which, without the green arrow, have the right of way if they're going straight.

I remember one time in particular I was in front of a line of cars waiting to make a left turn. Being in front, my view of the oncoming traffic was better than theirs, but of course that didn't stop the people behind me from coming to the conclusion that I'd decided to take a nap. They started honking, I ignored them, and what should my wondering eyes should appear but two people on a motor scooter who I would have hit if I had let them bully me into making that left turn!

:headbang:
rocknation

[bleedingheart]

101. "A Pittsburgh Left" also has another meaning...it is when the

individual making a left at an intersection jumps out really fast before the person who was going to pass through the intersections even starts to move.

Since it is so common...most pittsburghers are smart enough to either hesitate when they see someone with a clicker on who has the potential to make a "pittsburgh left"

[chookie]

99. "Dare to be Stupid": a Weird Al video

This one is going out to our helmet-scoffing libertarian friends!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nIlFsERnmk

[Baclava]

102. News getting better and better...out of hospital tomorrow

Doctors: Roethlisberger 'Up and around'
Wednesday, June 14, 2006

By Gerry Dulac and Dan Majors, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Doctors at Mercy Hospital said today that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was "up and around" and a source who visited Roethlisberger told the Post-Gazette that he will be discharged tomorrow.

Roethlisberger remains in fair condition two days after he was involved in a motorcycle accident that caused numerous facial and head injuries. During a press briefing just after 5 p.m. today, Dr. Larry M. Jones, chief of the Division of Multi-System Trauma at Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, said that a second CT scan confirmed previous findings that Roethlisberger has sustained no brain injury.

Doctors said that Roethlisberger's jaws are not wired shut and he is on a soft food diet, and will not "suffer nutritional consequences of a liquid diet," such as significant weight loss.Dr. Daniel W. Pituch, chief of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery at Mercy, who was directly involved with the surgery Monday, said that the surgical team used "internal fixation technology" which involves the placement of small titanium plates and screws onto the surface of the broken bones in his jaws and face. The plates are one-and-a-half to two inches long and resemble hair berettes. The titanium plates were carefully bent to match the contours of Roethlisberger facial bones, Pituch said.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06165/698251-100.stm

[chookie]

103. Wow!

It's amazing what surgery can accomplish these days! It is a mercy that his jaw is not wired shut, as was the procedure in earlier years, and that he can take soft food and keep up his powerful physique. And not only did they repair the injuries he sustained, but they minimized any disfiguration of his pretty face. Wonderful news for Ben.

I find it breathtaking that people are cautiously optimistic that he may see play early in the upcoming season. Did they really set him up with a solidly rebuilt (dare I say bionic?) face, that he will not risk injury when he takes a hard hit during a game? If so -- wow.

It is a blessed relief that Pittsburgh's hero Ben is going to be okay.

(I apologize for harping on about this still, but if the dear boy had had a helmet on with a face guard, he would have walked away from this crash.)

[chookie]

104. Ben released from hospital

"PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Ben Roethlisberger was released from a hospital late Wednesday night after spending more than two days recovering from facial injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident."
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-roethlisbergeraccident&prov=ap&type=lgns

[tabasco]

105. Get well soon, Ben!

I hope you learned a lesson from this accident.

People who ride without a helmet are morans.

[pimpbot]

107. I hope he decides to play football without a helmet

I mean if hes so macho, why not?

[anotherdrew]

106. we're still talking about some guy who plays with a ball? grow up

think there a bit more important going on than being concerned with one out of a thousand traffic accidents.