Chris Ventura vs. The Antelope

Our pal Chris Ventura recently set out to ride up the Continental Divide, from New Mexico to Canada. This is a route that is largely dirt roads but has many sections of paved connecting roads. He - along with his riding pal, Brian - were making good time despite a couple mechanical issues and some poor air quality from wildfires along the way. On Friday 7/16, as they approached the town of Rawlings, Wyoming, an antelope darted out in front of Chris. Chris hit the animal essentially head on and crashed. At this point, they were on a paved road and going about 70mph. He took a big hit to his chest and laid the bike down.

Brian, who was riding just a short distance behind Chris, came upon him, his downed bike and the dead antelope just seconds after the crash. Chris was conscious when Brian found him but obviously in a great deal of pain.

EMTs arrived and took him to a nearby hospital. His injuries include 11 broken ribs, broken clavicle in 2 places, punctured lung and a torn aortic artery. Because of the aortic artery injury, the decision was made to send him by ambulance down to a larger, better equipped/staffed hospital down in Loveland, Colorado. He has already undergone surgery on his heart and after a week at UC Health Medical Center of the Rockies, he has been released. He is staying in Colorado until the end of July so that he can have a follow-up exam before heading back to SF.

He's very lucky to have survived without worse injuries but he has a rough couple months of healing (and unemployment) ahead of him.  If you have worked, ridden bikes or drank beer and mezcal with Chris, you know what an smart, kind, outstanding person he is (underneath that sometimes grumpy shell).

Please contribute whatever you can to help him out with his medical bills, rent, etc. until he can return to bartending and wrenching on motos.

Thanks!