Sunday, May 11, 2008

The Accident

Because I will be asked about this a lot, I figured I should just write everything out for people to read since I have been asked so much.

I was on my way to Mass on Friday morning.  I was stopped at the corner of Pandora and Quadra at the red light.  The light turned green, I waited a couple of seconds and then proceeded.  After crossing Quadra, a cyclist hit the side of my car and fell to the ground unconscious.  

It all happened REALLY REALLY fast, it is tough to put it all in words.  

Firstly, I don't know much about how the man on the bike is.  I think he will be ok as he was moving on the ground and as he was being put in the ambulance.  If you can pray for him, his name is Diter I found out.  I will probably never know how he is doing ever again because of privacy laws with medical records.  But please pray for him.

After talking to a LOT of witnesses (I had about 10 surround me after I was off the phone with 911 and they all said "It was not your fault, you have no blame in this), I came to find out everything that happened.  After going through the intersection, he hit the right fender just above the right front tire.  He then slid up the right part of the hood and then hit my windshield and fell to the ground.  I immediately stopped and went out.  It was all such a blur.  

I see ICBC tomorrow.  The guy I was talking to on the phone sounded unsure about how to go all about this.  The accident was not my fault (Cops even said I have 0% of the blame).  And yet, it was not an insured vehicle that hit me.  That would usually take care of repair costs.  But he said he really doesn't know, it's usually a car that hits a cyclist.  So I will find out tomorrow what happens there.  I think I will need to keep my eyes open for a new car, because if I do have to pay for my own repairs, they would be for more then what I paid for the car.  

I don't know what to say about the whole thing.  In one sense, it is all still quite shocking.  I have been VERY tense the past couple of days because of it.  I wonder what would have happened if I did things a bit differently, if I left a bit earlier, if I had been able to see him, and so on.  I know there is no value in dwelling on the past like that though, but one does wonder because one does not like to have been the one who was hit by the cyclist.  You ultimately feel, regardless of if it is your fault or not, a sense of responsibility for that person.  

We can just pray that he will be ok.

-Harrison