I need to write a post. Hmmm, what should I write about? Oh, I can write about how I was hit by a car today, and live to write about it!

I usually think about this when I bike: Always assume drivers can’t see you.

Today I didn’t…I guess. I can’t remember exactly what happened before the crash. I was on my way to work. I hadn’t been awake for more than 10 minutes. I was having trouble switching gears. I was driving on the wrong side of the street (in the bike lane (it’s what I always do for the first couple of blocks)). I had only gone a block. I saw a car stopped on a neighborhood road, waiting to turn onto the road I was on. I was in clear view, and I just went in front of her. She wasn’t looking. She started pulling out. I thought she would see me then, but to my horror she didn’t. I put out my left hand and said, “No!” She kept going. The front of her car hit the side of my bike. She kept going. I fell on the street, and skidded a bit. She stopped.

I heard voices from down the street say. “Stop! Don’t move her. I’m a nurse!” The driver and her teenage daughter got out of the car. Two nurses who were talking a walk came up to us. Someone called 911. They helped me move to the side of the road, and they moved my bike. They made sure I was breathing alright. The driver kept saying she was sorry. I got my phone out of my backpack and called my husband. I just said calmly, “Can you come down the street. I got into a little accident.” I didn’t want to freak him out by saying I was hit by a car. He later told me he knew I was OK by how calm my voice was.

I was pretty calm. I felt OK the whole time, but didn’t know how bad my scrapes were going to be or if I had other injuries I didn’t know about. I wanted to tell the people around me, “I can’t believe I just got hit by a car.” When Josh came some police were there. Then the fire truck came. A kind man from the fire truck checked me a little bit to make sure I was alright. A police officer talked to me, had me sign a paper that said I refused an ambulence ride, exchanged information with the driver, and told her and her family that it was alright.

Josh walked my bike as we walked home. Then I cried. I stayed on the couch in the trailer for and hour or two. I felt a little nascious. My coworkers had insisted that I not come into work. I didn’t want to miss a whole days pay. I was planning on coming in later, but I took their advice and didn’t go in. I wouldn’t have been able to do my work with my sore elbow and knee anyway. I think it was good to play it safe and just give myself time.

What a beautiful day to miss work though! Soon I was feeling better and limping around the house. Josh and I went to Starbucks and sat outside to read. We had exceptionally warm and sunny weather today.  Then I got dinner out of my tragedy from my parents. It ended up being a pretty nice day. I probably had a better day than that lady who hit me.

I do feel bad for getting hit. It was partly my fault. Everyone has moments in driving/biking where they are not paying attention or doing all the things they’re supposed to. We just happened to have our moments at the same time.