Wednesday, August 10, 2005 I was on my home from Ritual Coffee Roasters last night at around 10pm. I had just finished some logo design and illustration with Meredith and Jeffrey, and was just going home to get my bicycle and go for a ride.
As I was walking down 22nd, there was this drunk asshole just yelling and freaking out. I was getting tensed up, and since these cats can be trouble I was getting ready to cross the street. He was 30 feet away and clearly fucked up on some weird shit. He started yelling at cars and shit, and was standing in the bike lane screaming, then he just stepped out into the road with his arms up in the air and legs spread (like a jumping jack). He was playing chicken with a motorcycle, they tried to avoid him but when they swerved he jumped into their path.
They hit him sqaure on, and just like that the people on their bike had were flying in the air because some shithead did something beyond their control. I couldn’t see what happened to the man after he was hit, but the motorcycle wiped out and was skiding straight at me with the two passengers still sort of on it. I ducked behind a car right bewfore the motorcycle crashed into it. It stopped literaly four feet away from me, I called 911 and one of the passengers started moving around, she took off her helmet and after she could start to think clearly she started yelling to the other motorcyle rider, he wasn’t moving and with the helmet on I couldn’t really tell if he was breathing or what, he laid totally still for at least a minute or two before he showed any sign of life. Cops were on the seen in minutes and the paramedics where there in about 6 minutes. The man who played chicken with the motorcycle was sprawled on the ground in this raggedy position. I saw his chest rising when the cops where there, but I’m certain he couldn’t move at all, and I’m not sure what his state was when he got to the hospital. I think the motorcyclists will be okay in the long run.
My friends know that I’ve seen some real crazy shit lately (all starting about 5 months ago), this is just more stuff to haunt my mind for a while. It was in a good neighborhood, it wasn’t of course gang related or criminal, it was two people who’s life was changed by something beyond their control. Everytime I get on my bike I think about it, everything could be going well, I’m following the law then some sudden uncontrolable life change. Someone shoots a gun, or a car turns into me…
I know this stuff is rare, but I just keep witnessing this shit so close. This accident was in what I sort of describe as my “safe zone”. The area I come too when tension seems to high in my neighborhood, the area I feel safe walking down at 3 am, the path I ride my bicycle down just to be safe.
Leave a Reply