🚀 go-pugleaf

>From: debstar40

>Well what were the circumstances?  I feel bad for him also if it was an
>accident not caused by his own carelessness.  Of course I feel for her
>family,
>but I would feel for both sides.  I hit a kid on a bike when I was driving
>years ago.  My mom was in the car with me.  Thank GOD he was ok.  Just the
>wheel got wrecked.  I was driving very safely and he was on the side of the
>road.  I slowed down when I got to him and he still kept driving straight.
>At
>the last minute he crossed in front of me to take a left.  Now if he died I
>would feel so horrible and it would never leave me, but it would not have
>been
>my fault.  I pulled over and made sure he was ok and he was more embarrassed
>than anything.  Said he was fine and took off.  I then drove straight to the
>police station to file a report.  
>
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That must have been terrifying for you Deb and thank God the boy was ok. =)

Since I am acquainted with both sides of this accident, through friends on one
side and a family member on the other, I do know some of what is going on
behind the scenes...not just what is in the media.  My understanding of the
accident is he was aproaching her and another bicyclist who were riding on the
right side of the white line.  So, they were on the shoulder, single file.  For
whatever reason he swerved and hit the girl.  She did not pull in front of him,
the sun was not in his eyes, he supposedly did not fall asleep, and no one will
say whether or not he was on his cell phone.  He just swerved right into her. 
Sent her about 35 feet through the air (he was speeding), when she hit, her
helmet shattered because she hit the road with so much force.  There is a
witness to this "accident".  She says he just swerved at them.  I would love to
find some sort of excuse for this accident....he fell asleep, suffered a
medical problem, bee flew in car, choking, whatever....but the fact none of
those have been given as an excuse for this accident leaves me perplexed about
the whole thing.  Certainly any of those things could happen to anyone.  Also
if she had swerved into the road in front of him, but that did not happen.  He
hit her in the shoulder of the road.  It's a well marked, well painted, flat
road with no curves and is used daily by bicyclists because it hooks up to the
bike path that runs through our area.  He is also familiar with this road and
drives it daily.  The excuse his friends and family are using is "he is a kind
and decent man he deserves our prayers"  Okay...yeah..alright....I can do that,
but that still does not excuse the fact he made a horrible mistake and took
someone's life. I think it would bother me less if I heard those same people
saying "This was a horrible accident, he accepts responsibility for what
happened and he is praying for forgiveness"  Of course, his lawyer will not
allow him to accept any responsibility or claim any guilt...at least not until
a deal is on the table if you know what I mean.  Oh yeah...I think I forgot to
mention he has lawyered up and still no charges have been filed against him. 
Maybe this is what happens when lawyers get involved.  

I do want to say that I have compassion for this man, I do know he is
suffering.  It's just the reaction of his friends and family and the way they
are trying to get even more sympathy for him through the media, while basically
ignoring what really happened, that pissed me off.  I have a friend who drove
drunk as a teen and killed a man in an accident.  It's been 19 years and not a
day goes by that she does not think of him and what she did. So I do know this
will affect this man forever. I just hope both families can find peace.