News Flash!

Steve and Cindy Shoemaker sideswiped by a pickup truck near Madison, IN.  Here's what we know so far.
While traveling near Madison, IN, heading towards Cincinnati, Steve and Cindy Shoemaker were sideswiped by a pickup truck which was passing at a high rate of speed.  Steve and Cindy were traveling with Dan and Kathie Dunlap, and Dave and Joyce Edwards, having enjoyed the weekend camping together.  Steve and Cindy were a little ahead of the other riders when Dan and Kathie were passed by the pickup truck at a speed which startled Dan.  A mile or so later, Dan, Kathie, Dave and Joyce came upon the scene of the accident.  Steve suffered abrasions, ( which of course will match his abrasive personality ), but Cindy suffered the brunt of the accident.  First report is that she has a broken collarbone, some cracked ribs, a small puncture of the lung, and a broken or fractured bone in her leg.  As this is being written, Sunday evening, Cindy is returning to Evansville via ambulance to be admitted to a local hospital.  As soon as more is known, it will be posted here.  Kathie Dunlap is getting out what information she has and Dan Dunlap will be sending in pictures as soon as possible.  I'm sure you all join me in wishing Steve and Cindy a speedy recovery and pledge our assistance in any way they may need us.  ( Perhaps someone could explain to Steve the more modern method of getting a new motorcycle that most of us use called the "Trade-In" method. )
This just in from Kathie Dunlap

Please pass this on to the BMW members in our club.  The Edward's, Shoemakers
and Dunlaps went on a camping trip to Clifty Falls this weekend. The camping
was excellent!  After leaving the park this AM we were about 8 miles outside
of Madison In. and Steve and Cindy went down.  We were about 1 mile behind with
Dave and Joyce and we came upon the accident.  What a terrible thing to see.
Your friends laying on the edge of a corn field and the bike nowhere to be
seen. We are not quite sure what happened, but a Blue pickup truck passed us by
really close to the line, and scared Dan.  Steve didn't see anything and
thought that he was T-bone.  He said he remembers going into the air and hitting the
road and tumbling and tumbling and tumbling.  With the damage to the truck,
it looks like he was trying to pass Steve and may have caught the trailer.  We
think that then the trailer shot outward causing the bike to follow.  Steve
got a lot of road rash on his Left leg, and was really swelled up, but thank
God, OK no broken bones!  Cindy however was not as lucky. Broken collar bone, 6
ribs, fracture of the lower leg and small hole in the lung. Steve says that she's
doing OK, and is in good spirits.  Chris their son, drove and picked Steve up.
Steve said that they are transporting her to Evansville, not sure which
hospital, as I type. The LT and trailer was a total loss.  Dan got pictures of the
truck, road and bike.  The ambulance arrived within 8 mins, and same with the
police.  The bike is stored in a warehouse and locked up.  Please keep the
Shoemakers in your prayers and I will try to update as we find out more.  We
will hook up with Steve after work and may know more on Cindy then.  They are
both really lucky and had angels watching over them!  Thank God for the helmets,
that saved their lives!
Kathie and Dan

 

Update from Kim: Monday, 1:00 pm

I talked to Steve this morning and Cindy is doing fine.  She is currently at St. Mary's, but he expects her to be released  sometime today.  The drive home in the ambulance was not as stressful as many of us had feared since the doctors had pumped her full of Demerol.  Steve said he "felt like someone had beaten him with a baseball bat", but he was his old jovial self and quite grateful that he and Cindy had fared as well as they did.  Does anyone in the club have some reading material to send him, like the 2004 BMW catalog for instance?
Update from Dan and Kathie: Monday, 10:00 pm

All,
 Just to let you know.  Cindy is home and walking slow but looking good for
what she's been through.  Steve got some crutches and Cindy has a cane
with prongs.  I am not sure who is going to start swinging first!  But I think,
personally, Cindy will have the upper hand!  Steve's leg is healing up fast and
the swelling seemed to be going down.  He is keeping it up and is a good
patient.  Cindy is just going to need a lot of rest and healing.  Steve's sister,
Linda from Lexington Ky, came in today to help out and will be staying for a
few days.  I can tell she will have no trouble controlling Steve and his jokes!
 Cindy has a sister, that lives down the street, thank God for close family
members.  Dan and Steve are talking about going to Madison Saturday.  Steve
wants to get their personal items and try to save the Piae lights a few
accessories!  ( you know what I mean, that darn spell checking not working)! Dan's
checking out the fuzz buster and the camera.  Let us keep them and their families in
our prayers.  Gods hands were protecting them on Sunday.
Your riding friends always!
Kathie and Dan
Update from Dan and Kathie, 11/16/2003

Just a short update on Steve and Cindy. Steve's swelling is going down and
is also down to one crutch at times. Cindy is getting better each day. She's
walking around the house some and watching a lot of the Travel Channel. The
prayers have really been working. Each day more improvement is seen. Dan took
Steve to Madison, IN. on Saturday. Steve got to see the bike and trailer for
the first time since the accident. They found part of the trucks running
board in the trailers fiberglass side, and the clutch of the LT was pushed
forward. This showed that they were hit from the back, and helped put a closure on
the accident for Steve. The hot dogs were getting ready to have puppies, and
the buns were ready for manufacturing of Penicillin for the local Madison
hospital. Dan tried to talk me into a buy one / get one free sale at Louisville
BMW but it didn't work. (I think that Steve was involved.) Can't let them two
get together alone!

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Christmas dinner next month.
Kathie and Dan