Famous biker wrecks
Posted by Ben Baker on Dec 20th 2016
| Crashing sucks. No question, that's an absolute truth. But it does happen. Here's a list of some famous crashes and who was in them and what the aftermath was. |
| The most famous bike crasher of all time has to be Evel Knievel. His most famous crash was in 1967 in Las Vegas. He didn't make it across the fountain at Ceasar's Palace and spent a month in a coma with pretty severe injuries. Despite plenty of broken bones and wrecked rides, he finally died in 2007 from a variety of health problems |
| Duane Allman logs in at No. 2 on this list. Cofounder of the Allman Brothers, Duane died Oct. 29, 1971, in Macon, GA. He was on a Harley Sportster on Hillcrest Avenue on the west side of town. Reports from the time say he was approaching Bartlett Street when a flatbed stopped in the intersection. What happened next is not 100 percent clear, but we do know he was thrown from the bike, which landed on him and crushed him. Alive at the hospital, he died from his injuries. |
| Ann-Margret is one of the hottest redheads ever (hey, my article and I call 'em like I see 'em), Ann-Margret appeared in the movie The Swinger on a 500cc Triumph T100C Tiger. In 2000 she had a wreck before Christmas. Broke her wrist. In true Ann-Margret style, she was back in the saddle as soon as she was able to ride again. |
| Deserved or not, this man has a reputation as a wild man. Gary Busey is also a biker and survived a crash in 1988. At the time of his accident, he was opposed to helmets. Now, he's a fan. "By 2001, Busey had changed his tune, telling USA Today 'Riding without a helmet is a gamble everyone is bound to lose.'" The famed actor suffered a pretty severe head injury and recovered, beating doctor's expectations. |
| Peter Fonda. Easy Rider. Nuf said. Fonda has had two crashes. The first in 1964 in Hollywood saw him recover. This crash saw a hipbone break the skin. In 1993 he ran into a deer at night. |
| William Michael Albert Broad may not be a name you know. How about Billy Idol? This rock legend has suffered two crashes. In 1990, he ran a stop sign in LA. His leg was so messed up, doctors thought they would have to amputate. His next crash was 2011 when he says he hit a road gator (tire debris). More surgery to repair a broken foot bone. |
| Remember the 80s TV show CHiPS? Did you know Erik Estrada was nearly killed filming an episode of the show? He was on a 1000cc Kawasaki following a film car. He lost control and went into a car and the bike landed on him. The show incorporated the recovery, including scenes of "Ponch" in his real life hospital bed. |
| Daryl "Chill" Mitchell, well-known for his work in several sitcoms and movies, is now in a wheelchair thank to a 2001 motorcycle crash. He was riding in the dark in S. Carolina and says, "It was dark and I didn't know the roads really well. I went around a bend and on the other side there was gravel and loose pavement and bam, the bike shot right underneath me. I woke up five days later in the hospital." The actor has not this keep him down as he is still a popular actor. |
| We covered Bob Dylan |
| Want to read more? Here's a list of celebs who crashed. |