If I named every blog I ever wrote, this one would be called

What it's like to be hit by a car

I figured if I was ever reading a blog, it'd be interesting to read about what that's like. So in the interest of making my blog more entertaining, here we go.

The date was February 26th, 2004. I don't remember much of the morning, except running out the door of my apartment building on 14th and 3rd, as I was late for a meeting. It was no different from any other day, except today I had to run over to midtown to see a client/partner. So I reach the intersection and wait for the light to change.

As the walk sign blinks, I begin rushing across 14th street, like every other person. Now everything I describe here literally happens over the course of about 3 seconds. However it seemed much longer so bear with me.

I distinctly remember seeing the cars running parallel to me driving north. Now this was a major intersection. I was crossing 4 lanes of traffic through the crosswalk, and then walking parallel to 3 lanes of traffic. So the 3 lanes of traffic are moving in the same direction as me, and for some reason - as I'm walking across the street - I immediately knew something wrong.

The white walk sign was flashing, so I knew had right-of-way. However, I heard a screech...a car zipping right toward me; through the red light; through 3 lanes of traffic; and through a crosswalk with at least 10 people in it.

The moment I saw the car coming right at me was frozen in my head, and will be there until the day I die. As he speed into oncoming traffic, he made it through the first 2 lanes. Whether by chance (i.e. there were no cars there at the time) or whether or not the drivers in those 2 lanes slammed on the brakes in time - I don't remember. But what I do remember was hearing a horn blaring, and a loud smash like a hammer hitting a peace of steel as he slammed into the car in the third lane.

The car he hit - in less than a second - then came veering into the crosswalk, slamming into me in my left leg and hip and a young lady. She broke her leg. My situation was worse.

When he hit my leg, the femur smashed through my pelvis into my abdomen. Basically the femur was dislocated and was like a rocket into my pelvis. I remember crumpling to the ground on my knees with blood dripping out of my mouth. I had bitten right through my lip when the car had hit me. I don't know if I slammed right into the ground, but there was blood all over my face. Later on, I'd see that I chipped my front tooth as well, so it's likely that's what happened.

2 things happened then. The first was a woman - a recovering methadone addict from a nearby clinic - rushed over to help me. I don't remember what I said to her. However, I do know that another individual from the clinic also came over to me. Imagine seeing a young 24 year old kid lying on the ground in the middle of a busy intersection after being hit by a car. Now imagine someone robbing him while he's lying there bleeding. Well - that's what happened to me.

Not knowing this at the time (and not really caring) - I just laid there with extreme pain. I knew I couldn't get up. I remember the ambulance coming and being placed on a gurney. I remember having a brace placed around my neck while I was screaming that my neck was fine. And I remember a cop asking me questions in the ambulance, while I was just thinking "Get me a fucken hospital!"

The ambulance sped to St. Vincent's, where I remember being rushed into the ER. I also remember a REALLY hot ER doctor in there! Short, but hot nonetheless.

"Do you have someone you want to call?" I think he asked me.

"My parents" I muttered back. Somehow I gave him my father's business number. I don't remember anything else in the ER.

I have so much trouble remembering much between then and the operation. See, I was hit on a Thursday. Apparently surgery had to wait until Monday. So I rotted in the hospital for 3 fucking days waiting to be operated upon.

I'm sick of writing about this tonight. I'm gonna go watch TV.