|   Holy crap! Longish story that JUST happened.... | Ska!
Sep 10, 2003 11:43 AM | | I had been out and about today having to take care of some business in town and was now on my way home. I was driving North on the inside lane of a busy 4 lane street (two lanes headed north and two lanes headed south). I was following along with the traffic at about 55km/h (34mph).
Looking a little ways ahead I could see that the lights, located just before an overpass which crosses highway 402, had just turned green so slowing down was not necessary. Traffic moved along steadily. As we got closer I knew something wasn't right. There was a girl headed south down the overpass on the northbound side of the road (on the sidewalk). I noticed she was slowing down to cross the intersection. I quickly glanced further right where a blue Mazda was racing Westerly so as to make a quick right to head North before the traffic got there. There was a good gap ahead of the group of cars I was in so it's obvious he wanted ahead of us. I looked back at the girl as the guy yielded slightly to judged. At that instant I knew the girl thought he was going to stop. He still had his eyes on us and didn't once look in her direction. I whispered an "oh shit" and "BANG" he hit her. She went down pretty hard too. Traffic continued on, I'm sure most people in the group I was in didn't even notice.
I sped up the overpass and pulled into the first driveway to turn around. I crossed over it again expecting to see the guy out of the car talking to the girl but everything was back to normal. I look down the road further and see the young girl try to get back on her bike only to get back off again. She walks her bike with a slight limp and I speed up to meet her. I pull into a driveway a few houses ahead of her and let her catch up. I can see the tears rolling down her face.
I get out of the car and ask if she's OK. She walks up and nods yes. She sobs heavily and wipes her eyes. She's a young girl, 12 she tells me, headed home from school. I ask again, in a comforting voice, "Are you sure you're OK?" She nods again. I say "just a little scared, huh?" She nods again and starts to cry a bit more. "It's OK" I say. "It's not your fault". I tell her a fake story about how "It happens to all of us sometimes" (yeah right) kinda thing just to try and make her feel better. It seems to work. She's a little more relaxed and I actually get her to smile at one point. I was just blown away that NOONE was even here besides me. There were literally dozens of people who saw it happen.
I ask if the man got out of the car to talk to her and she said no. She said she got up and he just looked at her. She started to cry again. I told her that it was no problem and that it was his fault for not stopping. My guess is she was just freaked and took off in shock. Still, the brother should have found out about her. It's hit and run in my eyes!
After I talked a bit more and felt that she was OK on her own, I gave her card with my home number and other contact info so that if her parents wanted more info they could get some. I also told her that if her bike was messed up at all she could have her mom or dad bring it to me and I'd fix it for her free of course. I think that made her feel at least a little better. She may have walked on feeling a little better but I sure as hell didn't. WTF???? A young girl hit by a car and NONE stopped other than me????
Total B. freaking S.
Ska! |
| such BS, way to do the right thing | ibmkidiii
Sep 10, 2003 11:49 AM | | too bad you couldn't get his license plate too. What a pr*ck. |
| It amazes me how inconsiderate people are..... | old Oi Punk
Sep 10, 2003 11:49 AM | | ....and I thank you for doing the humane thing and showing concern for a fellow human, a kid no less, and I curse the SOB that hit her and showed NO concern! Thanks, SKA, for doing what is right!! |
| Sadly it's far too common... | The Rear Admiral
Sep 10, 2003 11:50 AM | | ...it's happened to me before, the people who hit me get out of the car, ask if I'm alright, somehow imply or act like its my fault, and then leave. Of course, I never really protested 'cos I'm sore and kinda stunned, and never get the license plate either. People driving by act like its more of an inconvenience than a concern in any kind of way.
It's a good thing you did, helping her like that, pity that the other party didn't help out. Somehow, someway it will come back on them. |
| Crap is right. | Drewpy
Sep 10, 2003 11:51 AM | | As a parent, that was horrible to hear.
Hit & Run on a 12 year old. $20 says the asshole was drunk and didn't want to see the cops. |
| Could be Drewpy, but most likely.... | old Oi Punk
Sep 10, 2003 11:53 AM | | ....just a common @sshole! People don't have to be drunk nowdays to show NO concern for people!!!! |
| Damn | wg
Sep 10, 2003 11:54 AM | | That just stinks and scares me 'cuz I see people fly by my kids' school drop off zone every the morning. Too busy to realize there are kids who use the roads too.
Any more info on the bastard or the car who hit her? Model etc. Write it down while you remember all the details so in case the parents/police call. Hopefully he'll be found and dealt with. I vote for revoking driving privilages and has to ride a bike. (Or shot but then that wouldn't be P.C.)
Werner |
| The driver deserves a beating, or at least to be confronted.... | Mackie
Sep 10, 2003 11:55 AM | | with his actions. Do you think that he might be passing the same way at the same time tomorrow? You could get a plate number, and tell the police what happened....
You are a nice guy, and a good citizen Ska. Thank you. |
| Nice Work SKA, thanks from all of us, truly.......!! (nm) | esquire
Sep 10, 2003 12:00 PM | | |
| Inconceivable (not a Princess Bride moment though) | namaSSte
Sep 10, 2003 12:14 PM | | Im with you Ska, WTF!? Hats off to you for being a good person. You know, she'll have long forgotten about that dope who hit her (although Im sure the incident will always be there) but she'll remember the kind stranger who didn't let anonymity get in the way of doing the right thing.
YOUDAMAN Ska! Thanks for being real.
Peace and light,
Scott' |
| good work! | JimC.
Sep 10, 2003 12:20 PM | | just damn good work, Ska. Hero for the day, at the very least. And a hero in her eyes for a long time, IMHO. Jim |
| That was very nice of you.... | michigantammy
Sep 10, 2003 12:29 PM | | I'm sure she was scared to death. I would be, too, even at this age. I'm not sure about road riding now...
I agree with JimC, you're a hero.
Thanks for sharing the story.
Tammy (going to get a road bike tonight, if the deal is good) |
| Nice job-did you call the police? | free-agent
Sep 10, 2003 12:40 PM | | They may not be able to do anything with just a description but at least it would be on file.
Again, that was very cool of you and hopefully that driver will get theirs. |
| Good work. | pedalAZ
Sep 10, 2003 12:49 PM | | Too bad you didh't get a better look at the car, license plate and driver. |
| Agree w/ the others - Good Work Ska! (nm) | ®andyA
Sep 10, 2003 12:49 PM | | . |
| Nice work, SKA! Admirable piece of humanity...Agreed WTF! nm | TNJED®
Sep 10, 2003 1:01 PM | | |
| And how are you doing? | gfox
Sep 10, 2003 2:56 PM | | Good on you for turning around and going back to help. You did a truly wonderful thing.
How are you handling what you witnessed? A few weeks ago I witnessed a motorcycle vs car accident. I had to jump flying parts of the bike as I was running to the scene. Try to talk to your friends if you don't feel like your normal self. It really does help.
I hope you and the girl in the accident will be ok.
greg |
| Wow | Mary Ann
Sep 10, 2003 5:39 PM | | I cannot believe the gall of that driver not to stop to find out if she was ok. You're right: that IS a hit and run. Thank god you stopped for her. She could have been seriously hurt, and no one would have been there to assess it or tend to her.
It struck me as sad too that, in this day and age, it would not be possible for an upstanding man like yourself to drive a young girl like her home to be sure she was ok and that someone was there for her when she got home. That whole scenario brings in too many other issues. Sometimes a stranger is your only friend--but you still can't trust him.
Good thinking on your part to give her your card for her parents. They'll be relieved to know someone was there for her. Hopefully she'll be fine. It was very generous of you to offer to fix her bike. I hope she takes you up on it--for both your sakes.
I'm glad the world has you in it, Steve. Doesn't quite balance out the existence of those hit and run A$$holes, but it helps.
Mary Ann |
| Glad to hear the girl should be OK, a kid here was killed last week | bhutata
Sep 10, 2003 7:13 PM | | Last week a 12 yr-old boy was killed in crossing the street on his bike. He was riding his bike to school and after crossing a busy street he realized he'd left his lunch ticket at home. A driver stopped to wave him through the crosswalk against the light and he was hit by a car going in the opposite direction. Last year a committee asked for a crossing guard at the crossing in front of the school, but the county said they didn't have the money. Right after the accident an anonymous donor ponied up the $2500 to place a crossing guard there for the rest of the school year.
I've always hated it when people think they're being so helpful and polite by waiting and waving someone on when they are actually encouraging the person, especially when it's a young kid, to enter a dangerous situation by implying that the crossing is safe.
http://www.news-leader.com/_friday/0905-Boyhitbyca-155143.html |
| Agreed | Fat Tire
Sep 11, 2003 7:18 AM | | on the pet peeve. I have instructed my teenage son who just started driving to NEVER proceed when someone waves him on if he doesn't already have the right of way. Can you imagine being the person who waved that boy across? Hopefully they will never be that "polite and helpful" again.
A similar situation occured when my son was learning to drive when another driver trying to be courteous tried to wave him on. The problem was my son couldn't see beyond the driver into the other lane. My son started to go and I said "NO!".
Afterward we stopped and talked about the situation. My words to him were "if you don't have the right of way, hold your ground and don't go. If an accident happened in this situation it would be your fault - you didn't have right of way."
I'm glad it happened with me in the car so we could discuss it. I hope he remembers it in the future. |
| No call yet.... | Ska!
Sep 11, 2003 4:40 AM | | Just a few things about the responses.
Thanks for the kind words everyone but I am definitely NOT a hero. I just did what I hope anyone else would have done.
I didn't get a plate number as the timing of the whole event prevented that from happening. I know that car though. Next time I see it I'll write it down.
Mary Ann, you're so right. I thought of giving her a ride home but the thought of what could possibly come of that scared the hell out of me. It's so sad that in this day and age, a guy like me just there to help has to worry about such things. When I told my wife about it, she said we would have given her a ride home if she were with me. Funny how it would truly be more understandable had she been there. When I was a kid, my parents would have thanked the person for the help. Today, you just never know.
Bhutata, that's an awful story. I'm glad it didn't turn out that way in this case. I'd be really messed up if I witnessed anything like that. Terrible. Glad to see they have a crossing guard in place. To bad it wasn't earlier. |
| One of the worse things about the boy who was hit is that... | bhutata
Sep 11, 2003 5:11 AM | | A whole busload of kids on their way to the school did witness the crash.
Anyone who'd spent any significant amount of time riding a bike in traffic has had their share of close calls with cars. Too many drivers just don't haev a clue when it comes to watching out for bikes, peds, and even other cars. My 11 yr-old has to cross two busy streets at an intersection on his way to the school just 3 blocks away and I'm always nervous about that, but it's hard to tell a 5th grader that he can't ride his bike to school. I'll admit I'm more consistent about making sure he wears his helmet since that accident. |
| "what anyone else would have done..." | Mary Ann
Sep 11, 2003 6:01 AM | | But the thing was, you WERE the only one who acted properly in this situation. The absence of others doing the right thing is what made your actions heroic.
I know you don`t care about recognition. But rest assured, you were a hero yesterday.
I was putting myself in your shoes yesterday and realized that it would have been much easier for me (a woman) to drive her home in these circumstances.
It's just good that she wasn't terribly injured. Again, good on you Steve for doing the right thing.
Mary Ann |
| good job Ska! | *rt*
Sep 11, 2003 5:34 AM | | an important part of being a hero is not thinking that what you've done is heroic.
good on ya for doing the right thing.
rt |
| I'll pile on too. | Mike T.
Sep 11, 2003 6:27 AM | | Good job Steve but your actions are not a surprise - from a fine fellow like you anyways.
Are you and mac interested in the Squeezer? I'm already entered. |
| Dude, I'd love to... | Ska!
Sep 11, 2003 7:05 AM | | But unfortunately I doubt I'll be able to make it. I have to help a friend move to his knew house in Guelph on Saturday and there is also a "last-ride/race" at a local trail here. Really sad for us locally and our club (expect a full report on that event).
The Squeezer looks like a blast and I'd LOVE to attend. But...
Keep me posted on how your guys do and say hello to Ol'Crank for me.
Blow them away boys!
Ska!
p.s. my offer for ANY Sunday ride stands, bud. Also I'm off at 11a.m. on Tuesdays for afternoon rides. |
| Traffic Cameras? | Screamin G
Sep 11, 2003 10:23 AM | | Any chance there is a traffic camera located at that intersection? If you report it to the police with the date and aprox. time they maybe able to check the camera and see the whole thing. Just a thought. Cameras are everywhere these days. Also banks or parking garages in the area may have a camera that captures that intersection.
Just a thought.
Great job stopping and making sure the girl was alright. Nice to know there are some people out there that still care about other humans.
-G |
| Funny thing about those cameras.... | old Oi Punk
Sep 11, 2003 11:56 AM | | ...is that the American CRIMINAL Liberties Union is AGAINST them! Invasion of privacy, in PUBLIC, give me an F'n break! If you are NOT a criminal, what harm will it do!? As I said "Privacy" in Public!? I know we need the "checks and balances" in our country, But the ACLU has gone too far to protect the freedoms of criminals, while denying the rights of VICTIMS and their families! O.K. this was way off Mt.B. topic, but the camera thing made me think of ACLU's stance against cameras on our streets. (old Oi Punk, stepping down from the soap-box) I am going home to get ready for the Chequamegon Fat 40. Hope to see some of you up there!!!! |
| Right place at the right time | JFR
Sep 11, 2003 12:08 PM | | Ska, I'm glad you were there to do the right thing. Good job. Thanks.
People suck. Thank goodness there's cyclist :) |
| You're a good man, Ska! Thanks for being there. -nm | NuMexJoe
Sep 11, 2003 12:36 PM | | |
| I have a 9-year old daughter, thanks... | ssaddle
Sep 12, 2003 11:31 AM | | I know that is most likely how she would have reacted, in part maybe even thinking it was her fault. You are so very cool, from a mom to stranger thank you. |
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