OJAI : Motorcycle Accident Victim Gives Thanks

Allison Louise Golledge says she has much to be thankful for this holiday season, after narrowly surviving a motorcycle accident Aug. 30 near Ojai in which a prominent Santa Barbara doctor was killed.

“Hopefully, it will be a quiet Christmas with no stress. . . . That’s all I ask for,” the Goleta resident said Tuesday.

Golledge had won a ride with Dr. Henry Lee Holderman, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle enthusiast, at an auction to benefit the Goleta Education Foundation, a fund-raising arm of the local school district.

Holderman was killed instantly when his bike ran off California 150 west of Ojai. Golledge, 45, a physical-education instructor at El Rancho Elementary School in Goleta, broke nine ribs and her collarbone and suffered severe damage to her right shoulder.

Holderman, 58, a past president of the Santa Barbara County Medical Society, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.12%, well above the 0.08% limit that triggers a drunk-driving arrest in California. California Highway Patrol investigators estimated his speed to have been about 60 m.p.h. at the time of the crash.

Golledge recalled that after Holderman picked her up at her home about 1 p.m., the two stopped for margaritas at a Carpinteria bar before taking off for a popular biker hangout near Ojai. She said Holderman had a vodka and tonic at the gathering place, The Wheel, where they had a barbecue dinner.

Golledge said her good physical condition--she jogs and plays tennis--helped save her life. But she said she would not be able to return to teaching until next fall. “This has been really tough,” said Golledge. “I’m not able to do anything except physiotherapy and water therapy. But I don’t anticipate anything permanent.”

Golledge did not hesitate when asked if she would ride again. “Yes, I would,” she said. “That’s just the way I am.”