Let me outdo your story.
Many years ago, my Best Friend gets Married. He was working in a Grocery Store and took a part time job working for a Pool Cleaning Service to make extra money.
He is helping unload Pool Chlorine off a flat bed truck. The 5 gallon Chlorine bottles were in boxes of four. As he was sliding the boxes toward the back of the bed, he tripped on a warped board and flew off the truck.
His Wife of one month calls me to tell me he is in the Hospital. I walk in the room. There he is with two broken arms smiling away.
While his Wife was working, his Mother In Law came over to help him out. Needless to say, he suffered with painful “digestive” issues until his Wife got home. He had amazing mind control. LOL
His wife proved her love for him then and there. She was and is a Princess.
And yes, I remember the Stingray with the 3 speed stick shift on the crossbar. A buddy of mine had one and hit a pothole, sliding him off the seat into the stick shift. It was not pleasant to see or hear his reaction...
How in the world did we survive such obstacles in life?
Indeed! My parents got me my only "store-bought" full size (26") bike when I was far too short to reach the pedals. So -- I rode it with no seat, sitting on the luggage rack.
I recall a few painful incidents like your friend's, but I must have survived OK... We have three kids and six grandkids... '-)
(BTW, 1937 for me...)
we survived cause no one told us we couldn’t !!!!!!