Man records farewell video moments after deadly motorcycle crash

quote:

---

Kevin Diepenbrock lay at the bottom of a 100 foot embankment for nearly 30 hours, hoping for a miracle.

On October 15th, he had been on a scenic motorcycle ride with his friend, Phillip Polito, through the Great Smoky Mountains. They were cruising on a part of U.S. Highway 129 near the North Carolina-Tennessee border called The Dragon, known for its sharp curves, when Polito suddenly hit his brakes.

The resulting collision sent both men tumbling down a steep hillside. Polito died in the crash.

Diepenbrock, thinking he also might not make it, pulled out his phone and started recording. “Just wanted to say I love you guys. Sorry I was being stupid, but you know that’s what I do.”

In the footage, a gravely injured Diepenbrock lists his possible broken bones and tells his mom, dad, and wife he loves them. He asks them to take care of his dogs, and apologizes profusely. Still, he thought someone would come by soon.

He tried calling out, but no one could hear or see him from the road above. Phone calls and text messages wouldn’t go through, and his Facebook statuses failed to post.

---