A mother of 2 crashed her bike moments after she took a selfie.
She wasn’t wearing a helmet
Carmen Greenway, was on her way home after celebrating her mother’s birthday, when she hit a rough patch on the road and lost control of her bike.
Sadly, she fractured her skull and died six days later after suffering a cardiac arrest. She wasn’t wearing a helmet.
Her husband, Rufus Greenway, said that his wife had a drink before driving home, and that she might have had one hand on the bicycle, but she was a “competent cyclist.” He adds that, “She had been taking some selfies on the main road, she did that regularly and was media savvy.”
“She was just having a lovely time, happy to be with her mother for her mum’s birthday. One second you’re happy and then next second it’s a trainwreck.”
“It was just a gross oversight, maybe overconfidence”
Mr. Greenway wants there to be legislation that requires riders to wear a helmet. When asked why his wife wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, he sad “It was just a gross oversight, maybe overconfidence.”
He shared how devastating it was to lose his wife of nearly 13 years, “The biggest loss is my children have lost their mother at 41. I’ve lost the love of my life. No rows, no arguments, I thought I was in it for 60 years.”
Photo from: facebook.com
“We were just living an adventurous life together and it was getting better every day. The sanctity of life was being in each other’s arms.” He adds.
According to Carmen’s mother, “Carmen is a very devoted wife and adored her children and adored her husband. She’s a special person. She was special to me because she was my only daughter. She’s just got this special quality about her, she just exudes love and happiness. She just had this huge personality that was so infectious. People just wanted to be with her, just gravitated to her. Everyone was her friend.”
Keep yourself safe on the road
Sadly, Carmen’s death could have been easily prevented only if she had followed one of the most basic rules of riding a bike: Always wear a helmet. Here are some other bike safety tips that you and your family should follow to keep yourselves safe on the road:
- Wear a bike helmet that fits you – Bike helmets don’t really work if they don’t fit you properly. Make sure that it’s snug and not too tight or too loose.
- Make sure to check if your brake works and that your tires are properly inflated – You should always check that your bike is in tip top shape whenever you’re riding. If your brakes don’t work, it’s best to fix them or not ride your bike until they’re fixed.
- When biking at night, make sure to have reflectors or lights on your bike. Always make sure that you’re visible to all other drivers and motorists on the road – Bikes can be hard to see, especially for larger vehicles. Make sure that you’re always visible and try and avoid blind spots where other vehicles won’t see you.
- Always ride your bike with at least one hand on the handlebars to keep your bike in control – While it might look cool to bike with no hands, it’s very unsafe and very dangerous. Always keep your bike in control.
- Look out for hazards on the road ahead – Always keep your eyes on the road and watch out for any hazards or roadblocks that might cayse you to crash.
- If possible, avoid riding at night – It’s best to avoid riding at night since bikes are harder to see, even with lights or reflectors. It’s better to ride in the day or early in the morning.
- Make sure to follow all traffic laws – Bikes should also follow the same laws that other motorists follow on the road. Respect these laws, and you’ll keep yourself safe.
- You have to be predictable when you are riding – Always ride in a straight line if possible. Keep your movement predictable so that other vehicles on the road know where you’re going.
- Always keep yourself aware of everything around you – It’s extremely important to be aware of your surroundings whenever you’re riding a bike. Accidents can happen anywhere on the road, and you need to stay vigilant.
READ: Single mom run over while biking on a bike lane; who’s to blame?
Sources: Mirror, Richmond and Wicketham Times, nhtsa.gov
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