Hello!

Most of you folks may know me as "Joe the Mountain Jedi" from YouTube. Today, I'm coming to you as just Joe and am humbly asking for your help.

On August 23rd, my coworker and good friend, Angel and his partner Chelsea were involved in a serious motorcycle accident. They were traveling towards Gulfport, FL, and while making a right handed turn at approximately 20 MPH, Angel's rear tire found a slick patch in the roadway, slid out, and then caught traction again, ejecting both of them from the motorcycle.

To those thinking "20 doesn't sound that bad", this type of crash is especially scary for riders because of how violently you are ejected from the bike, AND the fact that it usually pitches your body upside down. This is what happened to Angel and Chelsea, and as a result, both of them impacted the ground head and shoulders first.

Both Angel and Chelsea are dear friends of mine and the Wife Unit personally and professionally( Angel is my coworker, and has a very promising future ahead of him in our shared career field as motorcycle technicians).

Angel sustained a broken collarbone, AND scapula (shoulder blade) on his left side, along with some moderate road rash and bruising. Chelsea received a wrist fracture, multiple bruises/abrasions, and a concussion from her head impacting the roadway at the base of her helmet. THANKFULLY, both of them were wearing helmets and protective gear, or this could have been FAR worse( the roadway where this happened is abnormally rough and textured for the crossing guard area at this intersection). Obviously, they both will have obstacles to overcome in their recovery, due to loss of mobility, income, transportation for appointments, and the associated medical bills in the days to come.

Angel is my coworker, and "apprentice" at The Ride Factory in Tampa, FL, where we take pride in the level of service we provide for our customers with any motorcycle, regardless of age. A year ago, Angel applied to our shop with minimal experience but a HUGE passion to learn our craft and has excelled in his journey to become a technician and my right hand man in the shop.

I know his injuries will take time to heal, but I also know him well enough that I'm going to have to tell him to "take it easy" more than a few times in the coming weeks (having had a similar injury a few years ago, i know this is a lengthy recovery, especially for a technician). If you or a loved one is a rider, you know "how we are wired" when it comes to the mindset of a motorcyclist.

If you've taken the time to read this, THANK YOU from our TRF/JTMJ/Weirdo family! If you are unable to contribute to this fund, PLEASE share this with those you know who ride or have loved ones that do. Every share helps, and it would mean the world to our goal to help a couple of fellow riders.

Much love, Joe