madmatt9471

I am ready to share this here now - because this will save lives, please see the link below -

For many of you that know me - Matt Decker 661-406-7516 AKA madmatt9471

I had a bad wreck a little over a week ago week (12/18/15) and another member did indeed post it - But if there was ever any doubt or you were ever sitting on the fence as to getting a roll-bar in you Vette please see my comments and pictures in post #4

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...bad-wreck.html

Please be safe and look out for those A-holes drivers who always are carelessly driving and don't care for others safety -

Thanks,Matt
661-406-7516

REKCUF

Glad your ok!

madmatt9471

Thank you REKCUF - I appreciate that a lot!

Thanks,Matt

ULEWZ

Matt, I don't believe we have ever met, but I am sorry to hear about your crash. I drive on the 14 every work day from the Valley to Palmdale and am always Leary of the cars going in and out of the car pool lane. I wish you a fast recovery.

JohnsC5

Wow, sorry for the loss, but glad you survived. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

whalepirot

matt- glad you're okay and wishing a speedy and full recovery.

As a bike rider, too, I am super defensive, but believe the old saying, you never see the one that gets ya! Others' dark tint windows only make it MUCH worse

spiral04

Holy Sh#t Matt!! Glad you are alive and on the road to recovery. Heal quickly and look forward to your posts in the new year.

madmatt9471

Thank you for the kind words and yeah the 14 is dangerous man, people just don't care - I know we will meet up one day!

Thank buddy you and I am working on healing up!

Thank you, I drive I DWP Vanpool and I always constantly look for Bikes in my mirrors and pull left to give them room, as well as when I drive my personal vehicles. My son-in-law is also a Bike Rider and I always worry, but he always wears full gear.

Be safe and I will always will look out for you Bike riders!

Thank you Spiral! I too am grateful to be alive, I wish I never had to experience it and hope no one ever has to again, but since I did it is my wishes that fellow Vette owners will protect themselves with a small investment and insurance by getting a Roll-Bar (and it is really non-intrusive, you can put your top in the back with the rear bent bars like I had)

Thanks,Matt

cv67

I really miss riding street bikes (had an 89 springer softail all tricked out) after a few times out I knew it wouldnt last long too many close calls all freak accident type stuff...it was time. Miss riding dirt even more

Good to hear Matts Ok..some are so worried about weight from safety equiptment but sure are thankful when they do their job

x3 on that 14 is a deathtrap used it only to go to LACR before it closed

madmatt9471

Couldn't say it any better myself, thank you buddy - weight times safety = my life saved! = Invaluable!

Thanks,Matt

bob arrowsmith

Sorry to hear about your experience, so sad, and happy you pulled through, I have a c4 and will be looking into a roll bar in the near future, also was wondering if a dash cam would have been a help in getting a video of the person that caused the misfortune , get well soon. Bob

mountainbiker2

Would you believe my last Corvette I cut out the roll bar I had installed? Now you got me thinking again for my current one. Glad you're okay.

Steve & Karen

jbsblownc5

So glad you're going to be ok Matt, that was FREAKIN scary!!!

strand rider

Best wishes for your complete recovery.

Hoping the healing happens quickly, but don't rush it, do it well.

My cousin had a full body cast (motorcycle) for a long time, and when he was finally able to get around, he had to go see his buddies, first thing.
His leg was very messed up, but he couldn't stay off of it during the duration of the healing , so now one leg is shorter than the other, from walking with the cast on too much, with so many bone breaks to heal.

I trust this is a one time deal, and not some kind of avant garde' life style statement .

Don't get down. I once met a man who survived three small plane crashes, and five car wreaks, and was not a stunt driver, just a guy. His wife was in a few of the crashes with him. They were a nice couple in their fifties, said they were a little stiff at times.

I was once talking to a car customizer , Dean Bachelor, who used to be a stunt man. He ran into the very situation others had warned him about. When you start to look forward to the crash and the pain, time to quit. He now makes movie cars. Or used to , it was a while ago. I bought a small pin striping instructional book from him.

madmatt9471

It's worth the money - I don't think the dash cam would of survived - but if it did then yes it would of caught at least some of it!

Wolfe makes them for the C4 as well!

Steve thank you very much and like you and Karen, Tina and I just celebrated our 26th Anniversary - I did not think 27 would be coming around for us!

Re-thinking the Roll-Bar is worth it, it really is!

Please send mine and Tina's well wishes to Karen too!

Joel,
You are so right and to experience it is a whole other thing. I'm glad to be here and thank you again buddy! It's always good hearing from you Joel!

Right on and I "Will" keep it all in mind! Thank you!


Thanks,Matt

c5wolf

Matt, I'm so sorry.. You were always tough since you were a scrub.
If there is anything I can do tell me. Say hi to Tina
My dad lives right by you again and I'll tell him what happened as well

heavymetals

Very glad for you that you made it out alive.

I am glad this isn't an airplane forum.

mountainbiker2

From some of the pictures I saw, it looked like the Corvette hoop was not touching the roll bar. Are you saying that the hoop was squished down onto the roll bar and that's why it saved you?

Steve

madmatt9471

Steve,

The Wolfe Roll-Bar goes right under the Halo/Hoop it is literally a 1/16th of an inch away from the plastics inside the Vette -

In the pictures it might be hard to tell because I did not get any close-ups - But like some other bars that DO NOT go under the Halo/Hoop the WOLFE RACECRAFT Roll-Bar does.

IT SITS RIGHT UNDER THE Halo/Hoop interior humps

Here are a few pictures before the wreck:

Charley Hoyt

Glad to hear that you are alright. I have a similar question to Steve's.... From the pictures it looks like the stock roll structure did its job and didn't get crushed to the point where the aftermarket roll bar helped. How did the aftermarket bar help? I'm not saying it didn't help, I just can't see from the pictures how it did. More detail would be helpful.

Thanks,
Charley