Just as I was to pass them , two much larger versions suddenly emerged from the brush to the left of me . I was doing around 45mph at the time .
They both lowered their huge heads and charged straight at me ! I had no time to react .
The lead pig slammed into the side of my front wheel , the other , with huge tusks jutting out of its jaw , smashed into my left leg .
My foot was knocked from the peg , sending my leg flying backwards into the air , twisting my body like a rag doll . My leg impacted the side of my top case , preventing the wild attempt to remove my body from the motorcycle . The bike flicked from side to side in a wild tank-slapper as I fought for control , applying the rear brake causing the rear tyre to chirp in protest , within a split second the bike was responding to my input and brought under control .
I pulled over to the right edge of the road and stopped , perhaps 100 metres past the point of impact with what ended up being two adult javelinas 2 .
Attempting to move my left leg and put the sidestand down there was nothing , in fact no feeling down the left side of my body at all . I fell sideways , motorcycle on top of the bad leg , with half my body exposed on the roadway .
In tears , I lay like that for around 10 minutes , unable to stop crying . Perhaps it was longer , it ’ s hard to say . I was unable to pull myself out .
A man pulling a trailer with a helicopter on it , drove past , stopped , then came to assist . Within minutes , two Border Patrol agents plus a Texas Fish and Game warden stopped . Their initial concern was to get the bike from off me , then to remove me from the road .
They removed my helmet and used it to prop my left knee . I was startled by a gunshot as the Fish and Game warden dispatched the one javelina that was still alive laying in the road . He then dragged both carcasses from the road .
Cell phone coverage was non-existent yet thankfully the Fish and Game warden had a satellite phone and was able to call for an ambulance .
The warden also let me call two people ; my father back in Ohio , and Jay , the rider I was on my way to meet . Jay would be yet another key to my journey .
Taken to the nearest medical facility , Big Bend Medical Centre in Alpine Texas , I was scheduled for reconstructive surgery the following week . The stress was back , with full force .
Where do I go for a week ? How to function with a shattered left leg ? Worries crept back into my life , right when I needed to be strong . Then Jay came to the rescue ! Jay drove up from Terlingua to Alpine , picked me up at
TRAVERSE 71