Lockyer Valley Highway Patrol officer speaks out after life-changing crash

A senior Highway Patrol officer has spoken about the high-speed crash that would have killed him if not for two simple decisions he made before getting on his bike. Now he is urging all motorcyclists to make the same decisions.

After more than 26 years on a motorbike and a career as a police rider-trainer, Sergeant Ray van den Bosch is pretty handy on two wheels.

Countless track rides, amateur races and his day job as a Highway Patrol officer have honed his skills, but all that expertise could not prepare him for the horrific crash that would have ended his life, if he was not wearing proper protective gear.

“My life is now before the crash and after the crash,” he said.

“It was a significant, life-changing event.”

Sergeant van den Bosch was at the Lakeside International Raceway in 2020 when he lost control of his Kawasaki ZX10R and fell forwards at more than 100km/h.

He skidded along the road and tore through his gloves before crashing into a tyre barrier.

The crash left the 49-year-old veteran police officer with six broken ribs, a degloved finger, a collapsed lung, a broken collar bone and a serious brain injury.

Sergeant Ray van den Bosch wants motorcyclists to think about all aspects of road safety and what can happen during and after a crash. Picture: Nev Madsen.

“I have no memory of the crash but I went down head first and slide for a long time

“If it was not for my gloves I would have lost my whole hand but the doctors had no choice but to amputate part of my finger.

“The hardest part was the concussive brain injury that I suffered, that lasted longer than the other injuries.”

In months that followed the crash Sergeant van den Bosch struggled to speak and had difficulty following conversations.

He was easily confused and there was a real worry that the brain injury would force his early retirement from the Queensland Police Service.

It was this change in his personality that profoundly affected his family.

“What we as riders don’t appreciate is what the people close to us go through,” Sergeant Van den Bosch said.

“When I was lying in hospital and I was badly hurt, I had my son and wife there witnessing my suffering. It was painful.

“I could not drive and I needed people to take time off their work to take me to therapy and specialist appointments.

“I inconvenienced them with an event that happened to me and that was hard.”

This picture shows the damage done to Sergeant Van den Bosch’s helmet when he hit the racetrack. If his head was not protected he would have died.

Sergeant van den Bosch credits his survival to two things and he was hoping his story would change other rider’s behaviour.

The first was the full suite of protective riding gear he was wearing that included a full-face helmet, race leathers and a back brace.

Now that he has made a full recovery Sergeant van den Bosch is urging his fellow motorcyclists to take stock of what they do on the road to save themselves and their loved ones from going through the same pain.

“Unfortunately, bike riders like to think it is other drivers who are causing the crashes but it is massively over represented in the crash data that the rider lost control,” he said.

“But I see a lot of riders who don’t wear any gear or enough gear.

“It is notable that a rider group that is over-representing the crash data are riders of cruiser bikes, and traditionally they are riders that don’t wear leather jackets, rider specific pants, boots, full fingered gloves or full faces helmets.

QPS Sergeant Ray van den Bosch was left with lifelong consequences after his crash, including a metal plate in his shoulder and the lost of part of his finger.

“If you are a motorcyclist re-evaluate what gear you wear and the risks they are taking on the road.

“If you are the loved one of a rider, have an honest conversation with them about the risks they take on the road and what gear they have on, because you are person who will be going to the hospital for the return visits, the physio appointments, the rehab appointments and watching your loved one learn to walk and talk again.”

The second key to his survival was that the crash occurred on a racetrack where he had immediate access to emergency medical care.

Without it he would have bled out.

He also avoided a collision with a tree or vehicle.

“It is the sudden stop that kills you,” Sergeant van den Bosch said.

“At the racetrack I was able to slide and tumble and there was no sudden stop but I did hit the tyre barrier where I got my smashed ribs.”

“If you want to explore the performance capabilities of your motorcycle the only place to do that is at the track.”

Originally published as Lockyer Valley Highway Patrol officer speaks out after life-changing crash