On Friday morning, while biking to class, I was hit by a car. Now I am okay, a little sore, a little scraped up, a little bruised, but all in one piece. I was biking straight and a car coming from the other direction turned left, didn’t see me, and hit me. Let me also add, that this was not a hit and run. The driver stopped, stayed, and waited for the police.This was one of the craziest moments in my life, and I would like to share my thoughts as the accident occurred.

The car starts turning, and all I can think is, this car is about to hit me. I don’t have time to swerve or brake I just have a split second to know it is going to happen. I am strangely calm in this second though. It is as if I am outside of my body knowing that I will be okay.

Then the car hits me. The front of the car collides with my side and the side of my bike. And then I see the hood of the car coming closer. In this second as the hood is flying towards me, I think about how in the movies when someone gets hit by a car, the video shows the perspective of the person being hit. It looks exactly like that. This gray hood is rushing towards me and I am not steady and I just think: this is just like the movies, I am basically in a movie right now.

Then I am on the ground. The driver stops and runs outside to see if I am okay. “I’m so sorry, are you okay? I didn’t see you. I’m so sorry”. I am a little confused. I had just been hit by a car. I was just casually biking. I am on the triathlon club team at Georgia Tech, so I have biked on some pretty heavy traffic roads. Never before had I been hit by a car. And this morning, while biking to class on campus, I was hit. Now don’t get me wrong, Georgia Tech is one of the safest campuses I have been on, it just felt weird. As I get my bearings, I remember that I was wearing my helmet and am very grateful (always wear your helmet, please). I look around, and people start coming up, two people take out their phones to call the Georgia Tech Police Department, some people come to see if I am okay. Someone moves my bike, my poor bike. It took most of the hit I think, the handlebars were severely bent, the front tire turned the wrong way and the back tire fell off. I feel surprisingly okay. My middle finger is starting to bruise and swell, and I can feel other bruises coming in, but mostly I am just amazed, in shock.

Then the police come, and start asking questions. I am so flustered and cannot get my thoughts straight. Was my finger broken? The poor guy who hit me, he just hit someone how does he feel? I hope he doesn’t feel guilty, it’s okay, I’m okay, I’m alive, and walking, and by some miracle I didn’t hit my head. “Do you want to go to Grady or Atlanta Medical?” Where do I want to go? I’ve never thought about it. Didn’t someone say Georgia Tech students go to Grady? I’ll go to Grady. Woah there’s an ambulance. And a fire truck. Why do they need a fire truck? I’m fine. The ambulance guy thinks my finger is dislocated; he’s going to pop it back in. “Hm that’s weird, usually it pops right back in. Let’s go to the hospital.” I get in the ambulance, and the EMS is asking me questions but the police officer has something to say and I don’t know who to listen to.

We get to the hospital and I am given some paperwork to fill out and then am told to wait. So I wait, and wait, and wait. I don’t even have that hospital wristband yet, did I miss my name? “She still has some more paperwork before yours to get through, just stay seated.” My mom is worried because she got a call from Georgia Tech saying I got in an accident but the hospital had no record of me. I call her and explain the situation. “Promise me you will ask someone to come sit with you, I will call some people to come check on you too”. I reluctantly promise her. I feel guilty, I am okay. My friends have classes and homework and lives they shouldn’t have to go out of their way to sit with me in the hospital when I am okay. But I send a message to some of my triathlon friends. And of course, someone comes. I am so grateful. Still waiting. My name is called. Now I’m waiting in a different room. I don’t mind waiting, I am not hurt too bad, the doctors are probably saving lives. Then the mother of one of my old triathlon teammates comes. My guests stay with me almost the whole time. I get calls and texts from friends and family; I feel so very loved. Almost five hours later the doctor finally tells me I am free to go, “You’re finger is okay. You are going to be sore for the next couple of days; take it easy”.

I finally make it back to the dorm where I change into my pajamas and promptly lie down to watch TV. I later go downstairs to the first floor, where I find that the guys had made me a get well soon card. The kindness of everyone overwhelms me. People are amazing

To God for keeping me safe; to the lady who stopped and waited with me right after the crash until I had left in the ambulance; to my friend and family friend who came to wait with me at the hospital and comforted me; to everyone who called and messaged me to see if I was okay; to all the people who gave me hugs; to the people who signed my get well card; to my mom for offering to hop on a plane, change her plans, and come to me; to my grandparents for leaving early and driving thirteen hours straight to see me; and to my understanding professors who understood why I wasn’t at class; I am so very grateful, thank you.

It was a crazy day. I thought some crazy things. I am so blessed to be almost completely okay after being hit by a car. I guess I can cross this off my bucket list.