Don't you hate when that happens! Plugging along, enjoying the ride then "BAM!" wtf
. As you described, it happens just like that. My strategy as I got older was do more country road touring. Less traffic, longer straight aways etc... hopefully to minimize the instances(traffic) where a situation could happen. That plan doesn't work.
Your story reminded of my first long ride in my sidecar this past November, which included a surprise 4x4 laying across the deserted long stretch of country road. My wife and grandson were in the sidecar at the time too. And then there is deer and other large animals, large road kill, drunk drivers cruising the back roads, bad roads that aren't marked properly that you may not see in the cities.
I guess it will always come down to ones skill and a degree of luck?
Thanks for sharing your story. You write well.
This is always an emotional time for me, so the Official Consort & Snugglebunny To The Head Cheese has offered to lessen the pain by cooking me a bigass steak with all the trimmings for supper. She's an angel, my Angie is.
Mike 
On Xmas day I'll be rattling the walls with my new set of Pearl "Forum" series drums, finished in 
She loves her '06 Harley Softail Deluxe. And besides, our garage is really small - I can barely fit our three bikes inside as it is.
