Kim's accident details

You are not alone in wondering how it happened, I have wondered about that myself a lot as well.



Severe accidents are sufficiently rare in the Netherlands that they are typically covered in the media. Here are two articles that have most representative pictures. Kim is of course not on them, the police will not let that happen: http://www.112provincieutrecht.nl/nieuwsberichten/fietser-zwaargewond-bij-aanrijding-in-baarn.html#&gid=1&pid=3



https://www.hardnieuws.nl/utrecht/baarn/fietsster-ernstig-gewond-na-aanrijding-met-vrachtwagen-hilversumsestraatweg-n415-baarn-8481.html



It is a provincial road where many cyclists cross because it is in a forest area, a popular place for hiking, which is indeed why she was there.



It is quite a bit away from Utrecht by bike.



This is a provincial road, you are allowed to drive 80 km/h there as you can see it is not the case that vision is blocked by trees or anything like that.



And cars have preference on the crossing.



As Kim is an experienced cyclist, the police assumes she may have been blinded by the sun or for another reason not looking whether there was traffic coming. They assume she never saw the truck coming.



The truck was very closeby when she crossed, it tried to break last moment but that did not help enough.



The police did investigate the breakmarks, but they have not reported on that so I assume it corroborates the evidence that it was Kim's mistake to cross. There were witnesses, they were asked for reports but they have not been formally interviewed.



As you can maybe see her bike was actually not damaged that much. The steering bar is tilted but that doesn't require much force and the frame around the chain is dented.



Kim has visible bruises but also not that much. Her head is damaged and that makes it so worrisome. Everything else we already know it will heal.
TUES 21:26



Thanks for sharing all these details Jefrey. It's helpful to know a bit more of the specifics.


Wendy:
Am I correct in thinking that the coma was chemically induced at the hospital to prevent the cascade effect of inflammation from the initial head trauma? or was the coma state caused by the actual accident itself?


Jef:
She was already in coma, but then they indeed gave her sleep medication to ‘relax’ her further. That way the body would have more energy for recovery.