OREM, Utah — Mary Brickey says she is an artist, first and foremost.
However, the teacher at La Europa Academy in Murray also has a passion for riding motorcycles.
“My dad loved motorcycles, so I would go and ride with him,” she said. “That might have been what gave me the love for it.”
That love for the open road led Brickey to take a motorcycle safety class and eventually buy one in August.
“It’s freeing, very freeing and empowering,” she said.
Last Sunday, Brickey took part in a big group ride that started in Orem, just off 800 North.
She told FOX 13 News she was among the first 50 or so riders in the group as they made their way through Provo Canyon.
Shortly after passing the turnoff to Sundance Mountain Resort, she noticed something wasn’t right with her bike, so she decided to try and pull off the road.
“It was until about halfway to the barrier that I realized that I wasn’t stopping, not even slowing, and I had no brakes,” Brickey said.
She said her only option was to crash into that barrier.
“They tell me I flew about 30 feet, or at least that’s where I was, and it was in a ravine,” she said.
The crash severed Brickey’s right leg on impact. She says she also dislocated one of her fingers and broke a bone in her right hand.
She was airlifted to a hospital in Murray, where spent a few days in the intensive care unit.
“I’m really convinced that having a brand new helmet, and having the whole face on and having all my gear on, saved the rest of me,” said Brickey.
Esther Hi’ilani Candari is the director of programming at Writ and Vision, a fine art gallery and rare books dealer in Provo.
“Mary is an artist, and art is in many ways what her life revolves around,” said Candari, who has known Brickey for about four years.
Candari had the idea to do some sort of fundraiser for Brickey almost immediately after learning of the accident last Sunday night.
She said the gallery is normally booked out six months to even a year, but they had an opening for the next two weeks. That led to the fundraiser being an art exhibit, which kicked off on Friday.
“We ended up having about 110 pieces that were donated in person, and then about a dozen more that were just listed online,” said Candari.
There are also a couple dozen prints, Candari said, with all the proceeds from the donated artwork going directly to Brickey.
“It was really heartwarming to see the mobilization that happened, and it’s a testament to who Mary is and what she’s done for our community,” said Candari.
Brickey told FOX 13 News how thankful she is for those on the ride who stopped to help her after the accident. She spoke about several riders, including Noah Nathanson from Las Vegas, who used a belt as a tourniquet immediately to try and stop the bleeding, all while keeping her alert and awake.
She expects to be in the hospital for a few more days and will begin rehab after that at some point.
Despite the accident, Brickey hasn’t closed the door on ever getting back on a motorcycle.
“I’m going to be on a bike at least a little to show myself it’s OK, and that’s important to me,” she said.
The art exhibit fundraiser for Brickey will run in-person at Writ and Vision through Nov. 19 and will continue online through Dec. 31. It can be viewed here.
A GoFundMe campaign has also been set up for Brickey.
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