I should Probably Buy a Lottery Ticket...

...because I'm feeling pretty lucky.

These are the pants I had on, yesterday, when the driver of a Ford truck decided to run me down:

I'm not really sure how I landed that my pocket got destroyed, like that.  All of my change, pens and other miscellany I carry in that pocket were strewn all over the rode, when I got up.

My right glove got damaged, but not my left.  Oddly, there is not a mark on my hand, although the end of my thumb feels a little tender/bruised.

My left kneecap was under the larger shiny area, on this leg-warmer.  The lycra fabric is melted and fused, from the friction of sliding down the road, making the shiny spots.  My knee is a little swelled up, and I have some road rash even though the fabic wasn't rubbed all the way through or torn.

My left arm-warmer wasn't as lucky.  I have a nice bruise on my upper arm, where the tear is, and bruising with road rash at the elbow, where the smaller hole is.

He was a driver, like many others, who pulled up at the stopsign and yelled something unfriendly.  I took off, and rode down the street, between a line of school buses that kids were loading into and a line of parked cars that other kids were going to.

I was doing about 17 mph, as I recall, when I saw a lady point and yell something.  Then, the truck hit me.  Luckily, he hit my bag, which deflected enough that I wasn't knocked down in front of the truck.  Rather, I then was hit by the side of the truck and knocked off the bike and to the right, toward the school buses.

For some reason, as I picked myself up, I had the presence of mind to get the license plate number, as he continued driving away.  The driver was looking over his shoulder at me, so he knew I was down.

I called 911 and gave the operator the plate number, a description of the vehicle and a description of the driver.  Paramedics showed up, along with the cops, and my buddy, Paul Granahan .(He's also my supervisor, whom I had called and asked for a ride).

The lady whom I had seen pointing, just before impact, stayed and gave the police a witness report.  I am so grateful, for that.  Without a witness to corroborate my story, I'm not sure how everything would go.

I talked to the police, today, on the phone.  They have classified this incident as an assault, rather than a traffic call.  There is warrant out for the vehicle.  Once it is located, they will determine who was driving, and issue an arrest warrant for him.

At that point, I will be called in to look at a photo line-up.  Then, I hope the guy goes to jail.

And that's not just a desire for retribution, it's a concern for my safety and the safety of others.  He did this crime not only in a school zone, but in the presence of elementary school children.  He could just as easily run over a child, as me.  That shows that he has no regard, whatsoever, for anyone other than himself.  He's an animal who needs to be caged.

Me?  I'm just a lucky guy who didn't end up under the wheels of this animal's truck, seriously injured or dead.

Powerball, here I come!

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