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A Susquehanna Valley man is crediting his helmet for protecting him during a recent fall off his bicycle.

David Beohm has become an avid cyclist.

"I love just the feel of going out and it's just me," he said.

He logged almost a thousand miles last year.

"I can go out, and I can ride, and I can think about things and just take in beautiful Lancaster County," he said.

But when the longtime Pennsylvania State Police trooper waved goodbye to his wife, Mary, on May 29, the ride didn't go as planned.

"I didn't intend to fall off my bike," David Beohm said.

He had ridden about 18 miles and was headed home. He was on Wood Corner Road when suddenly his bike went off the road where the macadam drops off.

"This happened so fast that I went off and down on ground before I was able to comprehend, like, 'Jeez, what happened?'" David Beohm said.

Beohm suffered a broken clavicle, or collarbone.

"A clavicle fracture is a pretty common injury from a bicycle fall because you land on your shoulder and the force goes across your collarbone and that's how the fracture can occur. This break is in multiple pieces," said Dr. Joy Long, an orthopedic surgeon.

Long used a plate and seven screws during surgery to stabilize the bone.

"I just remember, 'Bam!' My head bouncing off the road," David Beohm said.

He said he believes his helmet saved him from a serious head injury or even worse.

"I don't know that I would even be here now if I wouldn't have had a helmet on just because my head hit so hard. You can fix broken stuff, right? You may not be able to fix this if it gets broken," David Beohm said.

David Beohm, who is a state police public information officer in Reading, has been off work since the accident.

"He likes to stay active, so this has been difficult for him. But he's a great patient," Mary Beohm said.

David Beohm's bike, which is almost new, is still sitting in his garage.

"I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid to get on that bike," he said.

He said once he's healed, he plans to ride again.

His bike shoes have some scuff marks, but he'll be wearing a new helmet.

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