The student who flipped over his bike handlebars on McKinley Avenue has been released from the hospital, and does not think his bike accident was due to a chain breaking.
On Sept. 5, Alex Raaen, a sophomore film production major, crashed near the CAP building while riding his brand-new road bike.
Nikko Berrios, a senior professional selling major, saw Raaen flipping over his bike’s handlebars and went to help. He thought the accident was the result of a broken chain.
Raaen fractured his skull and was at Ball memorial Hospital for five days after the accident.
After he was released last Wednesday, he returned to class Tuesday. He said he will be cautious in resuming a full schedule.
Raaen didn’t remember anything about the crash.
“The last thing I remember is swinging my leg over my bike, leaving on the way to German class,” Raaen said. “I don’t remember the action. I just woke up in the hospital.”
After inspecting his bike, Raaen noticed his chain was not broken.
“My best guess is that I was probably standing on the pedals and there was a particularly unsmooth gear change, so I likely flipped off the pedals,” he said.
In addition to riding his bike to class, Raaen is also a member of the Ball State cycling team. The team typically rides 40-50 miles per week, so Raaen is no stranger to biking.
Raaen said the crash on campus was his first serious accident.
“I’ve had crashes where you fall over and scrape your knee, but nothing like this,” he said.
Though he always wears a helmet while riding competitively and recreationally, Raaen typically does not wear a helmet while on campus. He said the accident will make him more likely to wear one in the future.
The university cycling team has started training for the new season. However, Raaen said he probably won’t rejoin the team anytime soon because of his head injury.
