Be A Lert. The World Needs More Lerts.

Two days ago I was driving behind a woman on a small street near my home. We were approaching an intersection---to our right I noticed a young boy on a bike heading west to our north. He was approaching the intersection; the car in front of me was approaching the intersection. One of them had to stop. My mind has completely blanked out whether we had a green light or a red light.

At any rate, the bike went through the intersection AND the car went through the intersection. They met in the middle with the car broadsiding the bike rider. I went back later and there are definite skid marks showing that the car tried to stop (I also wasn't able to remember if she'd had time to brake). It was awful to see and to hear. I was able to see the boy stagger to his feet twice, like a wounded animal, and then just lay on the ground.

BUT! He's okay apparently. Immediately on the scene was a fireman who lives three houses down from the intersection. He's a friend of ours and I went back later and asked him how the boy seemed, if it seemed he was okay (nobody, of course, could know about internal injuries). He said, "It was definitely not his time to go!" The boy, 11, (who wasn't wearing a helmet--too uncool I'm sure), didn't even have any abrasions! Nothing seemed to be broken; he seemed to be fine. They transported him to the hospital as a precaution, but on the surface of things, he seemed fine. Amazing.

I felt sorry for the woman in the car. How many many times could it have been me?? How many times could it have been any of us? I don't know that she was driving too fast, but I know that many many times people drive too fast down these little residential streets. There are children chasing balls, riding their bikes (without helmets and against the light), playing too close to the street---just being kids. I'm glad this reminder to SLOW DOWN came without any horrible consequences. That might not be the case next time.