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Midway through the
intersection I saw a car whiz by in the far, southbound lane. Terror
overcame me and I stopped in front of a monstrous, black SUV waiting
to turn left. This colossal vehicle was the only thing keeping me
from becoming roadkill. I only had one more lane to cross. The red
hand mocked me from the safety of the sidewalk. I took a deep breath
and stepped toward the sidewalk, simultaneously looking to my right.
The white Honda raced toward me like a charging bull. I had no
option but to let it hit me.
As I was sliding across the hood of a car, I didn't think about
friends or family or when I would see the white light. I thought,
"I'm being hit by a car. What did Ethan Hawke do when Denzel
Washington hit him in "Training Day"? Should I tuck and roll? Hey,
you know, this doesn't really hurt."
For years I tempted fate with the cocky attitude that crosswalks
were for the weak. I mean, who needs a sign to tell them when to
walk? I made fun of people that waited for the signal. If I saw an
opening in the traffic, I made a dash for the other side. It was a
workout really. In track, they call it sprints.
Cars were no threat to me. I was quick, agile, invincible. Or so I
thought, until I crossed the intersection of Baldwin and Lumpkin
streets when I shouldn't have, and fate caught up with me - in the
form of a white Honda.
The front bumper struck my right calf and pitched me onto the hood
like a rodeo bull tossing its rider. The driver slammed on his
brakes and I careened toward the asphalt. "Ooh, this might hurt," I
thought as gravity thrust my left heel and then my body onto the
pavement.
The world stood still in front of me. Cars were stopped. People
looked in awe, mouths open, with cell phones at their ears. I bent
both knees and elbows to make sure they worked. "I just got hit by a
car," was all I could think. Several bystanders asked if I was okay.
Out of nowhere a guy came up and said, "I'm a medical student. Are
you all right?"
My ass was on fire and my heel bone felt like it had been shattered.
"I think so," I muttered. In my head I was thinking, "You're the med
student. You tell me. Check my vitals. I could be dying."
The driver had yet to get out of his car, so I approached the
passenger side. "I'm okay," I said to the tinted window.
"Ma'am...Are you all right?" he lisped.
"I'm fine." For some reason I felt the need to calm him down. "I'm
pretty durable," I said while performing various calisthenics to
reassure myself that I was, in fact, functioning properly.
"Do you want my information?" the driver asked.
"I don't think I need it. I feel fine," I said as I continued to
bend various joints. He nodded, unable to speak and got back into
his Honda. It took him awhile to drive away.
I was lucky. I hate to think what would have become of me if the
Honda had been a Hummer. My wounds consisted of a small scrape on my
thumb, a sore calf and heel and a bruise on my backside resembling
the continent of Africa. I checked to see if the Honda emblem had
been branded on my calf - it hadn't. I fared pretty well.
Unfortunately, not all pedestrians do.
In the 1990's, four pedestrians were killed in Athens; three on
Lumpkin Street and one University of Georgia student on Baldwin
Street. Since 2000, there have been 219 pedestrian related injuries
and one death in Athens according to the combined statistics of the
Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the UGA Police
Department. And, according to Georgia's Governor's Office of Highway
Safety, the state's Department of Transportation has ranked a half
mile section of Broad Street as the 5th worst in the state for
pedestrian crashes.
ACC Police Sergeant Willy Smith is surprised that the number of
pedestrian accidents isn't higher. With the same cocky attitude I
had, people dart out in front of cars that have the right-of-way.
"I've watched cars sit through two changes of a light because people
keep walking in front of them. They just don't respect cars. It's
amazing how they escape being hit," Smith said.
UGA Police Captain Lisa Boone also cautions pedestrians to be wary.
"Before you step out into a crosswalk, make sure you make eye
contact with the driver," said Boone. Most often drivers are looking
for other cars and not paying attention to pedestrians. "You just
have to stop and think. You are going to lose if you walk out in
front of a car. It doesn't matter whose fault it is," Boone said. In
this case of man versus machine, machine will prevail every time.
Not looking before I stepped into the crosswalk wasn't my only
mistake. I also should have filed a report. "Always file a report,"
Boone said. "You could feel fine and then six weeks down the road
realize you have a problem related to the accident and there is not
much you can do." I have to admit as I was walking home from my
accident, fear set in. I thought that adrenaline could be the reason
I felt no initial pain. What if I had internal injuries? What if my
heel was fractured and I didn't know? It was all psychological, but
I still get pains in my heel when it's cold. It's better to be
cautious and get the driver's information.
If you walk when the traffic light is green or cross the street
where there is no crosswalk you have more than medical bills to
worry about. A citation will be issued if the pedestrian is at
fault, Smith said. "We issue the citation to protect the driver from
any liability. Even if it is your fault and you are the only one
damaged, it's best to have it on record," he said.
After my accident, I began to notice careless pedestrians in Athens.
I can't count the number of times I've seen people downtown dashing
out into oncoming traffic. Remember to look both ways before
crossing the street. If a car or bus is coming, dont' go. Drivers
need be cautious of pedestrians as well. Georgia state law requires
all vehicles to stop for pedestrians at crosswalks.
I now know to wait for the crosswalk signal. I should be thankful
for the Honda incident. It taught me a lesson that possibly saved my
life.
This article is published on the 2004 spring issue of The
Informer. |
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