Cartwheeling Motorcyclist 'Shouldn't Even Be Here' After Crash

ByABC NEWS ABCNews logo
Saturday, June 21, 2014

A motorcyclist caught on video cartwheeling his way to safety after colliding with a car said he believes childhood gymnastics helped save his life.

"I didn't know I rolled like that," Michael Smith said. "I shouldn't even be here right now but I'm here."

Smith, 22, was headed to lunch in Clearwater, Fla., last month when he collided with a car making a left turn. Video shows him catapulting into the air -- then flipping and rolling -- and walking away.

"When I realized I was up in the air, I just thought to myself, 'OK, I could either land on my head or my feet,' and the next thing I knew I hit my feet and I rolled and I get up," he said.

Smith didn't suffer any serious injuries. His friends only believed his story when the video was released.

The crash won't stop Smith from riding again.

"I'm built tough. That's all I can say. I'm built very tough," he said.

He's even considering a new career.

"I would be a stuntman. I would do all the things that they do and enjoy it," Smith said. "I'd come in all day. For real."

The driver of the car was ticketed for making an improper left turn and driving with a suspended license, according to Clearwater police. Smith received a summons for not having the required motorcycle endorsement on his license, which he said he is addressing this week.

Smith continues to see a chiropractor a few times a week because of some lingering pain.

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