One Minute He Was Riding His Bike Down a California Highway, the Next He Was Lucky to Be Alive

Bicyclists beware and always wear a helmet.

Silas Patlove is glad he strapped on the protective headgear after colliding with a deer near Sausalito, California. In the video of the incident posted to YouTube by Patlove on Monday, you can see where the bicyclist is riding along a two-lane highway with what appears to be a view of the bay when, out of nowhere, a large deer hops over the guardrail causing the rider to flip.

Image source: YouTube

"Although I don't remember it, I landed on my back, and hit the back of my Giro helmet, which probably saved me from serious brain injury," Patlove wrote in the video description. "Although I had a mild concussion with a bit of memory loss around the event, I am very grateful to have escaped feeling only a little banged up."

The bicyclist went on to say he didn't know the extent of the deer's injuries and thanked the people who stopped to help.

See the crash that was caught on video:

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