Cars, pedestrians can be a lethal combination

<p>My mind told me it was a life-size rag doll flying through the air. Limbs akimbo, it flew in front of me about 30 feet before landing, bouncing, then skidding another foot on the asphalt. Somewhere in this developing image I came to realize that this was not a doll - it was a pedestrian who had just been hit by a truck.</p><p>I quickly pulled over and hit my hazard lights. Dashing across the highway, I stopped traffic with my hands until I could make a beeline to the inert body lying in the road. The rest of the scene faded as I concentrated on her life signs and the blood pooling under her head. She was in an unnatural position, not moving, with her limbs twisted the way she had fallen. I thought she was dead.</p><p>But she had a pulse, she was still breathing, and the pool of blood was not getting bigger. I worked to keep her still and waited for life support to come, gently putting my hand on her back and talking to her, telling her she was going to be all right. Slowly she regained consciousness. She was a young girl, 13 years old at most, and her awakening response was to start crying. She started trying to move her arms, pushing herself up off the road. The more she regained consciousness the more she fought to get up. I feared for her head and neck, then for internal injuries as she attempted to grab her belly in pain.</p><p>Looking up, I saw a young man, pale and shivering in the summer heat. He had not seen her until she flipped over the hood of his truck when it hit her. She had been running in the crosswalk, but she wasn't checking to make sure drivers saw her. The young man may have seen other cars stopped, but his view of her as she sprinted across was blocked.</p><p>It was clear that this had suddenly become the worst day of both their young lives.</p><p>The haunting image of her body flying through the air, only to land in a crumpled heap, is one that kept me awake most of that night. Amazingly, she was not killed, and will probably live to benefit from lessons learned. Thoughts of her life, forever changed, haunted me. Thoughts of the young man who hit her, and the guilt he would carry for the rest of his life, saddened me.</p><p>School is out, kids are everywhere, and street congestion is at an all-time high. Most drivers are frustrated and impatient with long waits and seemingly endless traffic jams. In this stressful environment, we are all at increased risk of accidents waiting to happen.</p><p>Pedestrians: If crossing the street, even in a crosswalk, make sure you are seen by drivers. Don't let music in your headphones or idle thoughts distract you from danger rushing toward you at high speed. Sprinting across streets, with or without a crosswalk, is dangerous. After all, a crosswalk is just two painted lines on the road and drivers don't always see the people between those lines. They are sometimes blinded by other cars, by the reflecting sun or impatient inattention.</p><p>Drivers: If you're on the road and relieved to be suddenly clear of traffic jams, don't speed to make up for lost time. If a car ahead of you is stopped in the next lane, make sure they aren't stopped for a pedestrian. That stopped car may be blocking your view of someone whose life depends on your driving skill.</p><p>We are all challenged by the traffic these days, but it is everyone's responsibility to make sure we stay safe. It's going to be frustrating for a while around here with all the construction and traffic delays. Please be safe and watch out for each other. The sight of a body flying through the air to end up crumpled on the ground is not one easily forgotten.</p>