my iron horse
I look at the headlines around the world and I feel fortunate. There are no terrorist concerns in my hamlet sitting between Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake like the jelly in a jelly donut.
In fact I feel peaceful as I sit here with my longish grass needing to be cut, weeds needing to be dug out, and bees buzzing around the cherry and plum blossoms.
That tranquility was lost this morning when All Emergency Vehicles Responded. Today as I was waiting to cross an intersection, at my stop sign, a person’s life was seconds away from tragedy.
I looked to my left and I could see a cyclist coming down the curb lane quickly, the lime green jacket highly visible. I could wait for the rider to pass and I looked across the road at the traffic on the other stop sign where oncoming vehicles were also waiting for a break in traffic.
That is when time seemed to slow down. The oncoming driver was on their cell phone and was crossing the street.
I was holding my breath as the cyclist tried to stop, glanced off the front of the vehicle and hit my stationary vehicle causing the bike to upend spilling the rider over my hood and onto the road in front of my vehicle.
The offending vehicle drove away leaving their licence plate on the road.
I helped the cyclist to her feet and to the side of the road. Witnesses gather, the bike is removed from the front of my car.
All Emergency Vehicles Responded, fire department, ambulance, and RCMP (the police).
The cyclist will ride again. That driver will never talk on the phone again while driving I hope. It was so close to being much, much worse.Shaking I realize how seconds, or half seconds were the difference between life and death today for that young lady. (She went to the hospital and was released shortly after making sure it was ok; I know because I saw the ambulancee driver in town later somewhere else.)
Let’s keep it peaceful, enjoy the outdoors, and be careful out there. I hope that your summer will be free of Emergency responders and mine also.
Life and Random Thinking 
Wow! How things in life can change in an instant. How did you feel about this? I would be a little shaken up myself. Thanks for this post, have a good weekend David. 🙂
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I was shaken, and felt a bit emotional talking to the cop.
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I bet, I would also.
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You might be a bit emotional for a few days. So lucky it wasn’t worse. Still I am sure that the cyclist will have pains etc for some time yet, probably months. Louise
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What a frightening experience! I hope the police locate the offending driver from his/her license plate and charge that person for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries. What a coward to simply drive away like that!
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The driver did return after nearly 10 minutes but I think she realized we had her plate that came off as she hit the cyclist. The cop was ticked and so were we. A mistake and she panicked but she did return.
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Oh my goodness, how horrible. I am relieved to hear that the cyclist is okay.
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WOW! Pretty scary! Those people who insist on talking or worse, texting while driving, should be riding bicycles themselves for a couple of years.
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Yes life can change in an Instant in quiet places too.
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Those split of seconds that make a difference… They always kind of amaze me. Especially when you then think that it should have been worse (rather than could…). Glad nothing serious happened and I truly hope that driver learned a lesson…
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It was very unnerving for me, the cyclist was fortunate her injuries were not more serious and sadly I confess that I am cynical the driver learned anything, she did not act remorseful at the scene.
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People like this should have to do shifts in hospitals, especially telling relatives that their loved ones did not make it after they were run over by a texting driver…
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