Broken Neck...Unbreakable Spirit

By Bob Cox

While working as an engineer for the Santa Fe Railroad, Jim Vierra’s entire world was literally turned upside down in a matter of seconds. After graduating college and getting a job as a mechanical engineer, Jim quickly realized he wasn’t cut out for working indoors from morning till night. His cousin told him that the Santa Fe Railroad was hiring, so he followed up and got a job on the ground floor as a brakeman in Richmond, CA.

Just 18 months later, Jim ascended the ranks and became one of the youngest engineers in the company’s history. His astonishing promotion happened because he never missed a shift while eagerly accepting every call for work when the railroad was shorthanded.

For the first couple of years, Jim was living the dream, riding the rails from one spectacular adventure to another and getting paid well for it. Jim soaked in the breathtakingly beautiful landscapes and canyons that most people would never get to observe. One full moon night, while slowly crossing a bridge at Fraser Canyon, he saw a majestic white owl flying silently outside his window in search of a meal. The raptor was wise to glide nearby as the ground beneath the train shook like an earthquake, causing small critters to scatter about.

The fateful day that changed Jim’s life forever began just like any other day. After five long years on the railroad, the novelty had worn off and the reality of life separated from family and friends sunk in. He drove a hotshot train from Calway to Richmond, clueless to the dangers that lied ahead. Near the small town of Fleur, an unreported incident occurred when the engineer of the previous train damaged a switch and tried in vain to repair it.

By the time Jim’s mile long train reached that point while zipping through the darkness at 80 mph, it was three in the morning and the conductor was fast asleep. When the train hit the jimmy rigged switch, the first four cars made it through unscathed but the fifth car clipped the switch and flipped the entire train on its side. Jim was thrown violently headfirst into the thick bulletproof glass window. Minutes felt like hours as he waited motionless for help to arrive.

After several MRI’s, Jim’s neck was broken and would require a risky surgery that could leave him paralyzed from the neck down for life. If that news wasn’t grim enough, another patient sharing the same room had just been through the same surgery and was paralyzed! Jim was in such a precarious state that if he did something as simple as sneeze, it could’ve broken his spine and possibly killed him.

After a complicated and gruesome surgery, Jim came through as good as possible with no paralysis. After three weeks in the hospital, Jim was released and began regular physical therapy treatments. The doctors told him that he would have to avoid all activities that involved any kind of impact forever because the metal in his neck could be broken, which could cause him to drown in his own blood. Many of the things that Jim loved to do, like weight lifting, wakeboarding, snowboarding and dirt biking would be off the table for the rest of his life.

While Jim was extremely grateful for all the skilled medical professionals who helped him during his recovery, he also confessed that he just couldn’t follow doctor’s orders. “I think I was just stubborn. I’ve been so active my whole life, to have someone telling me that I’d never be able to do anything again, I just didn’t accept that. After watching that guy become paralyzed, it really made an impact on me. The idea that I was going to live a full life but not be able to do so many of the things I enjoy, I might as well have been in that guy’s shoes”, recalled Jim.

Today, Jim is the picture of health, strength and vitality, and he thoroughly enjoys an active and healthy lifestyle. He also has an amazing attitude and actually credits the accident for being a very good thing because it became the catalyst for embarking on a new career that he had a lifelong passion for: motorcycles. After retiring from the railroad, Jim purchased Nor Cal Scooters and he loves his work and his life. I asked Jim a few questions about Nor Cal Scooters.

Q: How long he stayed at home before getting back out into the work world?

A: Not long. I ran into a buddy of mine who opened this shop and he ran out of capital. He asked me if I wanted to invest, so I came in as a 50-50 partner and I eventually bought him out.

Q: When did you start selling scooters?

A: Several years ago, we started selling scooters and quads and it was actually more rewarding. Growing up, you couldn’t separate me from my motorcycle. When we started selling scooters, I realized that most of the people that were coming in were first time riders and they had that same passion that I had when I first started riding.

Q: Do people really love riding their scooters?

A: Yes, I’ve even had people with cancer tell me that riding their scooter is like medicine for them. I’ve had older people say they can’t believe how much fun it is and how they wish they had a scooter when they were younger. It’s amazing and actually very enjoyable to watch people light up.

Q: Are scooters a good alternative for people who are reluctant to ride a motorcycle?

The scooter is perfect for people who have never driven a motorcycle. They’re easier to control because they are light, easy to maneuver and they stop quickly. Plus you don’t have to learn how to shift gears.

Q: Why should people buy a scooter from Nor Cal Scooters?

A: Our scooters are a fraction of the cost of other new scooters and are built even better. A new Vespa scooter can retail for over $5,000 and your first service is around $240. Our scooters start at just $1,299 and we offer free oil changes and basic service for the first five years!

Q: How does your service department compare to other scooter shops?

A: Our service is amazing. We started out fixing Harley’s and sport bikes, so our mechanic JJ is incredible. Our guys are real motorcycle guys, so you’re not going to find someone that can fix scooters as fast, inexpensively or as well.