Getting ice cream can be hazardous to your health … Or, at least that’s what I’ve learned today.
I wanted ColdStone. It had been a rather rough two weeks between work and being sick, so I was really looking forward to some ice cream to help cheer my mood.
We’ve been battling some rather cold weather the last few weeks, so my thought was to hoof it to Squirrel Hill because it was forecast to be nice outside today and to help counteract all of the delicious calories and fat I was about to put in my belly.
My thought was that the walk was going to be pretty uneventful as it usually is — just a nice Autumn walk through the East End. I was approaching the next leg of my walk which leads me up a pretty steep hill. Of course, I want to die the whole time I’m trekking up the hill, but I know it’s a good cardio work out so I do it anyway.
At the intersection, a tractor trailer had the green light and began to turn left onto the street I was just walking up. Mentally, I was relieved because it meant that A.) He was going to take the whole light and then some to turn and B.) People who had the green light next would be a little more cautious.
As it turns out, I was pretty much wrong. I had the green light while the truck driver was still making his turn and kept my eye on the car coming toward me. The driver was heading straight so I knew I had time to cross the street safely and without incident.
What I didn’t know was that the behind the tractor trailer, some jerk ignored the red light (which had been red for at least 15 seconds) and came barreling through the intersection. Even worse — He was coming right for me.
A wave of panic spread over me and I tried to hasten my crossing. As I was sure that I was within seconds of being run over by this guy, he plowed right into the driver who was going straight.
It became apparent that the guy who caused the accident was considering driving away until the woman driver he hit (who as it turns out was driving with her grandson) informed him that she called the police and that he was going to have to stick around awhile. There were witnesses who saw everything that happened to me and her. Twice I heard, “Are you OK?! He almost hit you!” I could feel myself shaking as I nodded and shrugged it off.
Long story short, after the initial shock of what happened wore off, the grandmother said he hit her with such force that she began to feel dizzy and had to sit down. An ambulance took her away as a precautionary measure, but I hear she’ll be OK.
Unfortunately, a report wasn’t taken and my statement wasn’t officially entered so that kind of sucks. I did provide the grandmother my contact information as did another girl who witnessed the accident. Hopefully, we won’t have to go to any sort of hearing, but at least she has our account of what happened on her side.
Sadly enough, he didn’t seem too concerned that he could have potentially killed someone today. He couldn’t have been much older than me and I chalk it up to stupidity, extreme arrogance and recklessness on his part.
This isn’t the first time this kind of thing has happened to me, either. In the last two years, I have been within seconds or inches at least three or four times of being potentially killed by speeding drivers. It gives me pause because no matter how much you follow the rules, look both ways and try to be safe, you’re really not. All it takes is for one selfish person who thinks he or she is above the law to take it all away.
I’m not sure I believe in God’s existence, but there’s someone or something that doesn’t believe it’s my time just yet.
Through all of these instances, I’m reminded that life is fleeting … and at this point, I just hope I make it to 30.
