Breaking: John Roberts' Neck (No, Seriously)

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: Huffington Post

Rachel Sklar | December 4, 2007

Remember how John Roberts was in a bicycle accident on Thanksgiving wherein a car cut him off, forcing him to swerve and collide with a jogger, resulting in both of them being taken away from the scene in ambulances? The CNN morning anchor, who spent a chunk of his Thanksgiving day in the hospital getting stitches in his right hand, credited his bicycle helmet with saving him from further injury — but it could have saved his life. Turns out that Roberts was hurt worse than he thought in the collision: Turns out, he broke his neck.

Roberts found out yesterday after hearing from the hospital, which had been delayed in contacting him due to a clerical error during the intake process. Turns out he broke a "facet" bone, which attaches vertebrae together over similarly-named facet joints, enabling the neck to move back and forth. According to Roberts, he had landed on his head after the collision and his neck "took all the shock," and following the accident it felt very stiff and he had difficulty moving it. Well, now he knows why.

Roberts is matter-of-fact about the accident: "I've been walking around with it for 11 days and didn't die...so, probably no biggie." He has remained in touch with the woman he collided with that day, whom he says suffered a broken nose, a partially torn ACL, had stitches in her face and has been suffering from post-concussive syndrome. So he says he feels lucky by comparison and just concerned that she should make a full recovery.

Roberts will be in a neck brace for the next 4-6 weeks, though "American Morning" publicist Christine Pietz confirmed that he won't be wearing the brace on air during that time (don't worry, the doctor said it was okay)....

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/04/breaking-john-roberts-n_n_75213.html

[aquart]

1. "No biggie"?

You broke your neck, man!

[Ediacara]

4. Seriously...

Luckily it was just a zygopophysis, but crap, any time anyone breaks a bone in their neck, it's very serious....

[flamingyouth]

8. No kidding....

And neck injuries can haunt a person forever. Let me tell you about how I hurt my neck at age 15 and am still dealing with the aftereffects. x(

At any rate, I'm glad he wasn't hurt worse.

[OhioChick]

2. I Smell a Lawsuit....

He'll sue and get a fortune, but poor Joe Schmoe put in a wheelchair by a physician will get jack-shit. You know how those junk lawsuits go. :sarcasm:

[BrklynLiberal]

3. It would seem that it may have cut off some blood flow to his brain.

[Minstrel Boy]

5. "credited his bicycle helmet with saving him"

His helmet hair would have saved him in the '80s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqo9MdtUMtI

[Kolesar]

6. I scared to death now that motorists have those phones stuck to their heads

They don't signal, they don't look, they tailgate and they don't pay frigging attention to what is going on!

I wonder how many cyclists or occupants have been killed due to cell phone use already.

[CountAllVotes]

7. good point!

Every time it seems that I see some one driving in the "as if" mode they seem to have a cellphone in their ear. It is very dangerous! I believe it impairs driving ability extremely. I've known of more than one person that got hit and injured severely by someone driving while using their cellphone.

[ashling]

9. I was rear ended in arental car by a driver on a celphone

while my own care was being repaired after being rearended by adriver on a cellphone. Really

[TomInTib]

12. I love accounts such as yours.

You just cannot make that stuff up.

[ashling]

14. My Pleasure.

I am glad you were cheered up by my own personal trauma.
:rofl:

[customerserviceguy]

15. It's why

I would never get a motorcycle endorsement again. We already had trouble with people in cars "seeing" us back in the 1980's, but today with the goddamn cell phones, they don't even see other cars. You're asking to be killed if you drive without a cage around you these days...

[boricua79]

17. I wonder how many cyclists

have been riding the road like they own it.

Works both ways. Lots of fresh cellphone users and there are also a lot of cyclists who are very irresponsible with their bicicle riding. Riding on the right side...riding in the middle...etc.

[yellowcanine]

19. Riding a bicycle too far to the right is exactly when you are going to get nailed by a car.

They don't see you and next thing you know a door opens up or a car gives you the old "right hook" around you at an intersection and nails your front wheel, flipping you neatly over the handle bars. Or a car from the opposite direction turns left in front of you - never saw you because you blended into the side of the road. Sorry, but a bike riding right down the middle of the lane is much less likely to get hit by a car. And that is a fact.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[paparush]

10. Where was Rove?

:-)

[Ian David]

11. Great. Now he'll become addicted to painkillers like Rehnquist was.

ABC News: FBI Files: Rehnquist Had Hallucinations
abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2769238

FBI files detail Rehnquist drug addiction: WPost - washingtonpost.com
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/05/AR2007010500154.html

[Nailzberg]

16. Not Justice Roberts, the CNN anchor John Roberts n/t

[Ian David]

22. Oh! I feel stupid now. n/t

[bemildred]

13. It's a damn shame. nt

[yellowcanine]

18. Many car drivers just don't see bicycles, joggers or motorcycles. Heck, a lot of them don't see

other cars - or stop signs and traffic lights. It's a damn jungle out there. A good start would be a $500 fine and points on the driver's license for doing anything other than driving when at the wheel.

[NoodleyAppendage]

21. Post-concussion syndrome claim so early...you can bet on a lawsuit, Johnny.

Concussion has typical sequelae that may persist for up to 6 months, but most of the times when I've seen people report having post-concussion syndrome (or the more nebuluous "persistent" post-concussion syndrome) they have already lawyered up. I suspect Johnny will have many court dates in his future.

J

[dysfunctional press]

23. when i read the subject line, i thought the article was about the chief justice...

who gives a rat's ass about an obscure tv talking head?

[Kolesar]

24. Ha! The joke's on me

I would not have known if this guy was a game show host or a car salesman if I saw him on the street.

[Kolesar]

25. Broken

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=324x1703

[JNelson6563]

26. Your thread headline has been cracking me up

for a couple of days now. Just thought I'd stop in and mention it. :-)

Julie