Who hit the Gate?

penokee · Apr 27, 2005

Got to the property one day and saw this bent gate/pipe. Logger was working with a tractor/skidder several miles inside, and thought he must have hit it at night - couldn't find any pieces of tractor, skidder, etc.

Several weeks later found out that a Group of Tresspassers on 4 wheelers went around the gate earlier, and on the way out (middle of the day), the leadman hit this thick, old, blaze orange pipe with his body - his 4 wheeler kept going for +300' and eventually ran into the woods. Members of the group took him +20 miles to a Hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken collar bone and other minor bruises. Would have killed a normal man.

They told them at the hospital that he fell out of a tree when working on a deer stand.

Moral of the story: You can paint your gate the brightest blaze orange, but when a blind person (blind drunk that is) travels down the road - look out.

penokee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

SCB · Apr 27, 2005

Must have been a big guy. I don't think I would have even dented the pipe.

Scrounger · Apr 27, 2005

In upstate NY near Indian Lake a drunk idiot went thru a cinder block outhouse at the campgrounds. Doing over 1200mph over the lake and never lifted for the trail head. He literally took out three complete stalls and the sinks before he came to a stop. He was way messed up and dead too. I still had to laugh when we came upon the scene with the police all looking into the mess.

shvl73 · Apr 27, 2005

( a Group of Tresspassers on 4 wheelers went around the gate )
This is an all too common occurrence. I would press charges if at all possible.

penokee · Apr 27, 2005

Seems like there's more of these nuts all the time. At least in your case he's out of the Gene Pool. The guy that hit the gate isn't the Brightest Bulb and when you mix in a few Adult Beverages - Look out. Trouble is this charachter is still driveing on the local roads.

Had to post another pic from opposite end - my body hurts just looking at the bend.

penokee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

GerardC · Apr 27, 2005

That is unbelievable. I don't know how he could only be injured and not killed. Must have an angle watching over him. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Wesdor · Apr 27, 2005

I have a lane going into part of my property and 4 wheelers were going in all the time before I bought it. I put a 5' tall tubular gate at the entrance and padlocked it.

Neighbors thanked me last year for putting in the gate. They said it put a stop to the 4 wheelers going in.

You might want to consider a much more solid gate than the single pipe.

I'm with you. My body hurts, just looking at the pipe.

beenthere · Apr 27, 2005

Maybe be a bit glad that he isn't suing you for having a 'nuisance' and not sufficient signs and warnings up to keep him from hitting the gate (I don't advocate such suits, but have heard some real horror stories of what people sue over and win!).

That certainly must have gotten a partial "Oh ssh****" started in his mind when he saw that at the last split second. He is probably lucky it wasn't a 1/4" cable, or similar item. Nice color and nice gate. Maybe you can get him back to 'straighten' it for you, now that he has the technique down pat. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

PineRidge · Apr 27, 2005

Unless you have no trespassing signs up the jerks could even come back and sue because they were hurt on your property. We had a rash of them for a short time. I kept posting signs and they kept tearing them down.

Quite frankly the 4 wheelers didn't bother me as much as the liability did. In my case someone else must have got nasty cause the problem finally went away on it's own.

GerardC · Apr 28, 2005

I kept posting signs and they kept tearing them down. 

You should video tape yourself when you put them up. That should be good enough evidence if you needed some I would think.