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Roethlisberger involved in motorcycle accident (2 Viewers)

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Roethlisberger released from the hospital at 11:45pm last night to avoid media circus. Amazing, about 60 hours after his motorcycle accident he's back at home with no long-term damage.

Quarterback sneak: Big Ben leaves hospital overnight

Thursday, June 15, 2006

By Jim McKinnon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ben Roethlisberger was discharged from Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh last night, a hospital spokeswoman confirmed this morning.

The Steelers quarterback, injured Monday when he crashed his motorcycle into a car outside the Armstrong Tunnel, left the hospital at 11:45 p.m.

The hospital delayed announcing Mr. Roethlisberger's release until this morning at the request of his family.

Mr. Roethlisberger was hospitalized in serious condition after the collision on Second Avenue.

Eyewitnesses said that Mr. Roethlisberger, who was not wearing a helmet while riding, was traveling outbound on Second Avenue when a car turned into his path toward the 10th Street Bridge.

He suffered multiple facial fractures to his jaw and cheek, a mild concussion, and various cuts and bruises.

After emergency surgery, doctors at Mercy Hospital said all of the injuries were successfully repaired.

The Post-Gazette has reported that Mr. Roethlisberger's motorcycle operator's license was expired at the time of the accident.

The driver of the car was not injured.
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Details about the accident and about licenses, helmets, and the lack thereof: Link

Apologies if all this has been posted before.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn't have a valid motorcycle driving permit or license when he crashed into a car Monday morning and likely will be ticketed, police said. Roethlisberger's motorcycle permit, which PennDOT can issue for one year, expired March 29, police said. Even if the permit had been valid, PennDOT regulations require anyone driving with a motorcycle permit to wear a helmet, which Roethlisberger wasn't.

Roethlisberger was traveling east on Second Avenue about 11:15 a.m. Monday when his Suzuki Hayabusa collided with a Chrysler New Yorker driven by Martha Fleishman, 62, of Squirrel Hill, at the Armstrong Tunnels and the 10th Street Bridge, police said. Leigh Steinberg, Roethlisberger's agent, didn't return calls for comment.

Those who apply for a one-year motorcycle permit first must pass a written test, said Danielle Klinger, a PennDOT spokeswoman. Permit holders also are restricted to daylight driving. A permit-holder seeking a full license may then either take the motorcycle road test at a PennDOT licensing center or pass a motorcycle safety program approved by the agency, Klinger said.

Though Pennsylvania's 35-year-old law requiring helmets to be worn was amended in 2003 to make helmets optional for drivers older than 21, Klinger said any licensed motorcycle driver with less than two years of being fully licensed or who hasn't passed a motorcycle safety course must wear a helmet.

Pittsburgh police investigators are reconstructing the accident to determine how fast both drivers were traveling in the 35-mph zone and other factors that could have contributed to the collision. The investigation likely will take weeks, spokeswoman Tammy Ewin said.

Lindsay Vilsack, a passenger in a car in front of Fleishman's, said the left-turn arrow turned from green to yellow as the car in which she was traveling turned onto the 10th Street bridge. "She was about one car-length behind us, so I don't know if it was still yellow when she went through," said Vilsack, of Greenfield. If the investigation reveals that Fleishman turned left without the arrow and didn't yield to oncoming traffic, she likely would be ticketed, police said.

During an accident reconstruction, investigators measure the distance between the involved vehicles as well as the location and length of any skid marks, debris or gouges in the road. Everything is photographed. Vehicles are inspected for mechanical malfunctions that could have contributed to the wreck and investigators review the motorists' driving records. Investigators also interview witnesses and review road and weather conditions.

Since 2000, there have been 24 wrecks at the intersection where Roethlisberger was injured, none of them fatal, according to PennDOT.
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I'm certainly glad that Ben is OK. That is the main thing in all of this.

That being said, if he gets on another bike before he retires from the NFL, he is an absolute fool.

 
I'm certainly glad that Ben is OK. That is the main thing in all of this.

That being said, if he gets on another bike before he retires from the NFL, he is an absolute fool.
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:goodposting: Any timetable on his return, or is it all just speculation still?

 
Roethlisberger ready to go home

Thursday, June 15, 2006

By Gerry Dulac, David Templeton and Dan Majors, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Doctors at Mercy Hospital said yesterday that Ben Roethlisberger was "up and out of bed," and a source who visited him said the injured Steelers quarterback will be discharged today.

Mr. Roethlisberger remained in fair condition last night, two days after he was involved in a motorcycle accident that caused numerous facial and head injuries.

During a news briefing just after 5 p.m., Dr. Larry M. Jones, chief of the Division of Multisystem Trauma at Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, said that a second brain scan confirmed previous findings that Mr. Roethlisberger had suffered no brain injury.

Doctors said Mr. Roethlisberger's jaws are not wired shut and he is on a soft-food diet, eating yogurt and pudding, and will not "suffer nutritional consequences of a liquid diet," such as significant weight loss.

While there is no timetable for his recovery, Steelers officials remain hopeful that their starting quarterback will be able to play in the team's season opener Sept. 7 against the Miami Dolphins.

Mr. Roethlisberger broke portions of his upper and lower jaw, his nose and the orbital bone underneath his eye, lost and damaged some teeth, and suffered a mild concussion when the motorcycle he was operating slammed into the side of a car on Second Avenue at the 10th Street Bridge intersection Monday morning.

He has severe bruising and swelling in his face and neck area, but he has spoken -- albeit softly and briefly -- to family members and visitors.

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 Mr. Roethlisberger's jaws and face. The plates are 11/2 to 2 inches long and resemble hair barrettes.

The titanium plates were carefully bent to match the contours of the facial bones, Dr. Pituch said.

"Once I had the bones put back together the way [they] needed to be, I kept [them] in that place by putting the screws in there," Dr. Pituch said. "Small holes were drilled into the bones and small screws were carefully placed into these holes.

"This technology allows us to have a more predictable outcome that usually does not require any additional major reconstructive procedures."

The plates, he said, help the cracked and broken bones fuse back together. Though only needed for about six weeks, it is unlikely that they would be removed.

Because the titanium plates are applied flat to the bone and screwed into place, no visible signs of their presence will be evident once the injuries heal.

While the doctors at Mercy Hospital refused to discuss the surgery in any further detail, Dr. Ira D. Papel, president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and associate professor at Johns Hopkins University, said he wouldn't be surprised to see Mr. Roethlisberger exercising within two weeks.

Dr. Papel said that the old-fashioned method of repairing a broken jaw -- by wiring the bones into place to ensure that they did not move -- normally required a six-week healing process.

Based on accounts he's read about Mr. Roethlisberger's injuries and treatment, he said, that process should be shortened considerably.

"That's what it's all about -- stabilizing the bones in the right position," he said.

Dr. Papel said surgeons would have had other problems to resolve Monday during seven hours of surgery.

He said Mr. Roethlisberger had significant nasal fractures that also would have had to be realigned and stabilized with splints to prevent future breathing problems. And it is likely that he has scarring inside his mouth from surgical procedures to repair the upper and lower jaws. He also could have surgical scars under his chin.

While it's not a long-term health concern, facial scarring will become a cosmetic issue for the 24-year-old football star.

"You usually have to wait a year for the scarring to settle down. Then there are ways we can help the scars blend into the surrounding area," Dr. Papel said. "Once a scar, always a scar, but we can minimize it and fit it into the natural lines."

Meanwhile, well-wishes continued to pour in to Mr. Roethlisberger and his family yesterday.

The second-guessing of riding a motorcycle without a helmet also continued.

The Pennsylvania Medical Society issued a statement urging the state Legislature to reinstate a more restrictive motorcycle helmet law.

The society has "long advocated for the requirement to wear a helmet while motorcycling," said Dr. Mark Piasio, the group's president and an orthopedic surgeon.

"Louisiana legislators repealed their motorcycle [helmet] law in 1999, but then re-enacted it in 2004," he said. "For the good of our patients and our health system, Pennsylvania legislators should wake up and do the same."

A former NFL quarterback from Western Pennsylvania also weighed in on the issue.

Monongahela native Joe Montana, a four-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers, said Mr. Roethlisberger should have worn a helmet or considered staying off motorcycles.

"It's just too young to take a chance to ruin a career," Mr. Montana said in a telephone interview. "You could be the safest driver in the world, but everybody knows accidents aren't always your fault.

"Why wouldn't you try to take care of yourself? That's what I just don't understand."

 
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I'm certainly glad that Ben is OK. That is the main thing in all of this.

That being said, if he gets on another bike before he retires from the NFL, he is an absolute fool.
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:goodposting: Any timetable on his return, or is it all just speculation still?
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Publicly the Steelers are saying that they hope he will be ready for the opener. But realistically, it's probably too early to tell.
 
Big Ben Will Wear Helmet...

hope this wasn't posted yet

http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_166172624.html
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Great news. And it's nice to see he's learned a new appreciation for the simpler things in life.
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Nice quote from your main man Carson concerning Ben LINK:
"He went through seven hours of surgery and the last thing he needs right now is guys banging on him for not wearing a helmet," Palmer said at Bengals' minicamp in Cincinnati.
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I have immense respect for Palmer and hope his recovery mirrors Ben's so that we can see them both fully healthy and on the field on September 24.
 
Same Link As Above

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did not have a valid motorcycle license when he crashed into a woman's car last week, and the driver -- who will be cited for failing to yield -- has received threatening phone calls.

Roethlisberger will be issued $388 in fines and fees for riding without a license and not wearing a helmet, police Collision Investigator Dan Connolly said Monday. Only licensed motorcyclists are allowed to ride bareheaded in Pennsylvania, with certain restrictions.

The Super Bowl champion quarterback rammed his Suzuki Hayabusa into a woman's Chrysler New Yorker on June 12 when she was making a left turn in front of him. Both had the green light.

Roethlisberger underwent seven hours of surgery to repair broken jaws and other facial bones. Tests showed no brain injuries, although he had a mild concussion; he also lost two teeth and chipped several others.

The woman, who will be cited for failing to yield to oncoming traffic, has received threatening phone calls since the accident, Police Chief Dominic Costa said. She filed a police report and the calls were being investigated.
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Nice. Real nice. I guess since he's cited for breaking the law, now Roethlisberger = thug? That seems to be the trend on the message board these days.

 
Big Ben Will Wear Helmet...

hope this wasn't posted yet

http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_166172624.html
Click to expand...
Great news. And it's nice to see he's learned a new appreciation for the simpler things in life.
Click to expand...
Nice quote from your main man Carson concerning Ben LINK:
"He went through seven hours of surgery and the last thing he needs right now is guys banging on him for not wearing a helmet," Palmer said at Bengals' minicamp in Cincinnati.
Click to expand...
I have immense respect for Palmer and hope his recovery mirrors Ben's so that we can see them both fully healthy and on the field on September 24.
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:goodposting: I hated seeing that happen to him as I think he is one of the best young players in the game.
 
From the Colts.com forum (apparently originally posted to a Chiefs board).

If another QB was in the wreck

Drew Bledsoe – Same thing as Ben, but it would've been on a stationary bike.

Eli Manning – Archie would have intervened and forced Philip Rivers to get on the motorcycle.

Donovan McNabb – He would have come under scorching criticism from Terrell Owens.

Brett Favre – He would have received enormous national coverage and sympathy, and would decide to contemplate retirement for a couple of months.

Josh McCown – Matt Millen would’ve traded him for a wide receiver.

Michael Vick – The media would be commenting on how he face-planted spectacularly, and no other quarterback could’ve done it.

Alex Smith – He would’ve secretly been grateful for missing the 49ers’ season.

Steve McNair – He would have walked it off, because Steve McNair is tough, man. He’s really tough. Everyone would have been talking about how tough he is.

Peyton Manning – During his first year back, the NFL would institute a special rule that nobody is allowed to touch Manning, and he only has to say the name of a receiver for it to count as a completed pass.

(More at the link provided above.)

 
From the Colts.com forum (apparently originally posted to a Chiefs board).

If another QB was in the wreck

Drew Bledsoe – Same thing as Ben, but it would've been on a stationary bike.

Eli Manning – Archie would have intervened and forced Philip Rivers to get on the motorcycle.

Donovan McNabb – He would have come under scorching criticism from Terrell Owens.

Brett Favre – He would have received enormous national coverage and sympathy, and would decide to contemplate retirement for a couple of months.

Josh McCown – Matt Millen would’ve traded him for a wide receiver.

Michael Vick – The media would be commenting on how he face-planted spectacularly, and no other quarterback could’ve done it.

Alex Smith – He would’ve secretly been grateful for missing the 49ers’ season.

Steve McNair – He would have walked it off, because Steve McNair is tough, man. He’s really tough. Everyone would have been talking about how tough he is.

Peyton Manning – During his first year back, the NFL would institute a special rule that nobody is allowed to touch Manning, and he only has to say the name of a receiver for it to count as a completed pass.

(More at the link provided above.)
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AhahahahTom Brady - Would have suffered an hernia and rib injury, but would tell no one and be listed as questionable for the rest of the season.

 
Can't believe you didn't add: Kurt Warner - Nothing. You can't get hurt in an accident when you're only moving 5 miles per hour. But his wife would've punched the driver in the face anyway.

 
from the comics at PFT:

And it's also safe to assume that, at a time when Cowher would like to tell quarterback Ben Toothlessberger "I told you so" regarding the decision to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, there's more than a few folks in the front office who'd like to say the same thing to Cowher regarding the acquisition of Santurdio.

 
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