I was hit by a drunk driver

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’m sore and I’m tired as heck but for the most part I’m fine and so is my passenger. My van is totaled.

We had just left the ICP concert and were heading home when we were hit.

We left the concert all happy and covered in Faygo and walked out into a chilly drizzly night. I gave four random teen girls a short ride up the hill. I offered them a ride because it was so cold and they were barely dressed and so up the hill we went.

Those girls don’t realise their luck two nights ago. Cold and shivering they got home safe. If they were with us a few more blocks it could have been bad.

The medics and the officer said if I would have had passengers in the back seat they would have likely been ejected with most of the contents in the back of my van.

Skateboards, hockey pucks, my rollerskates and a bike rim were among the things that littered the street and the yard I ended up by.

We spun at least two and a half times and even though we were in seat belts we were bounced around pretty good.

I have a huge bruise across the top of my thigh and my left shoulder is killing me and hurts so bad to even lift a soda. I think I bumped my forehead because it’s tender but no bump or bruise. And even though it hurts like no tomorrow my left ring finger is not broken.

The remaining passenger is thankfully just sore all over as well but ended up staying the night in the hospital with his diabetes.

We were driving along and I saw the other van coming in from the right and just as we got past the intersection I remember thinking “oh crap he didn’t stop” and then the sound of glass as the two back passenger side windows shattered and we were spinning.

His passenger fled the scene and when the officer came to the ER to give me the accident information I asked how the driver of the other van was and she said she didn’t know because he was being processed. It took a minute for that the sink in and it hit me like a wave that I was hit by a drunk driver.

Apparently he had the bottle with him and in a way it seems more shocking that I was hit by someone drunk then just someone who blew their stop sign. I’m not sure why it feels different but it does.

He only has SR22 insurance but the officer said he has a clean record and I’m not sure how that works since SR22 is for people with bad driving records or so I thought.

In the ER they had to cut off my favorite Quad City Rollers t-shirt and even my nurse tried to not have to cut it but I was in so much pain and soaked to the skin between Faygo and the rain. When they were cutting off my shirt the head nurse said “I smell rootbeer” and it made me giggle a bit and I explained why and then I got the strangest looks because I just don’t fit the ICP kind of crowd.

I posted on the QC Rollers facebook about the loss of my shirt and I think they are going to find me a new one! A bunch of great girls.

So that was my sweet Sunday evening.

2

Wow. I had no idea what Faygo was.

Oh, and glad you’re both OK. No doubt sorting out the damage is going to be a pain in the next months, but that beats the hell out of being hurt or worse.

3

:eek: Glad you’re OK. At least vans and shirts are replaceable.

4

Wow. Well, on the upside, you’re alive and with no (apparent) permanent damage, as is your passenger. Plus, the guy who hit you was insured, which beats the alternative.

The officer may not be allowed to discuss the particulars of the other driver’s criminal history with you, so he or she may have told a white lie to change the topic.

5

Just glad you and your passengers are ok, that’s the main thing. I hope the driver of the other vehicle gets real consequences to his actions.

6

It was pretty scary that’s for sure and I’m glad it was just bumps and bruises.

I remember being concerned for the other driver by asking the officer if she knew if he was okay knowing she wouldn’t have been able to give me specific details but wondering if she would at least be able to say that he was just bumped and bruised as well and not seriously injured.

I’m not sure why the fact that he was drunk makes me feel so weird about the accident. For lack of a better way to express it I almost feel violated?

I’ve just been sore and a bit whiney today.

I text my friend yesterday in the afternoon and said “I think I bumped my head because it’s tender but no bruise or lump” Later in the evening I text again about bumping my head and he said “Um yeah, we covered that a few hours ago you did” It was a whole DUH moment and I felt silly. My head is fine I’ve just been flustered with all this and it’s been up my ass.

7

I wish you a speedy recovery and hope you get back on your feet in no time…

Really though?
Your story just horrifies and disgusts me when I think about what happened that night… It’s just WRONG and sick, and I wish some people just knew better- or at least have someone there to speak up and stop them before they go and do something like that, you know?

Honestly… You went to an ICP Concert? -_-

(Just kidding- just hoping to put a smile there with my lame attempt at humor. But I sincerely do wish you all the best in your recovery)

8

I’m happy you’re safe Juggalo, but don’t go to or listen to ICP anymore.

9

I’m a 37yo mother of five and I’m very “mom” looking I guess that’s why I got the odd looks about the concert I attended.

I took a group of teens to see my favorite band The Used and one of the kids that ended up taking my son’s ticket said that since he saw my favorite band that I would have to go and see his favorite when they came to town.

I’m terrified of clowns! But a few weeks before the concert I gave their music a good listen and I like it. I mean I really like it. But honestly I like lots of different kinds of music and I can get really lost in some of the lyrics.

I learned to accept the fact that there were going to be clowns at the concert and I was okay with that because I THOUGHT I had made a distinction between the sort of makeup ICP and the Juggalos and Juggalettes would be wearing and your run of the mill circus clown.

I was doing fine unil the evil circus type clowns with the scary faces came on stage and had to close my eyes for that and tried to back up a few steps which was hard since we were so packed in there.

It was a good show and I was covered in Faygo and even took a half full bottle to the nugget! :smiley:

10

Thank OG you’re OK.

11

I think it’s because you can see most anyone spacing out for a moment or getting distracted, and accidentally blowing through a stop sign. Drunk driving requires an intentional choice to get behind the wheel - and in this case, he might have even literally been “drinking and driving.”

Glad to hear you’re pretty much all right.

12

I’m glad to hear that you weren’t seriously hurt!

13

Glad you got out without serius injury.

Seems you Americans are a lot ore tolerant of drunk driving than the UK. This drunk driver would be very fortunate not to end up in prison, but in the US he will probably just be fined unless he has lots of previous.

14

Theoretically, it’s possible to be uninsurable AND have no (serious) convictions. Speeding tickets add up quickly, and are not generally taken into consideration when discussing a rap sheet, unlike DUI or reckless driving.

Since I’m an old pharte and tragically unhip (I’m more in tune with ELO), what’s ICP?

15

Kricket, so sorry to hear of what you’ve been through (and no, I don’t mean the ICP concert). Glad you’re well enough to share this with us and hope your mending goes quickly. What an evening.

[Another old pharte]
Insane Clown Posse? Some kind of hip hoppyness.
[/Another old pharte]

16

I know what Faygo is, but I don’t know what Quad City Rollers are. I know what ICP is, but I wish I didn’t.

Kricket, so glad you’re still with us. Don’t disregard any symptoms. Please.

17

Depends on the state. Being clever and checking where the band was playing on Sunday, the accident probably happened in Iowa, so that state’s laws are here. For a first offense, some jail, license suspended for 6 months (probably barring work needs - an interlock might be installed then), big fine. And typically that’s for just being pulled over for drunk driving. This guy blew a stop sign and hit another car, so I’m sure things will get uglier from there.

18

Roller Derby, I’d guess, from context.

19

I’m glad a drunk driver got caught without you getting seriously injured.

Do they still make the t-shirt?

20

Yes ICP is Insane Clown Posse and Quad City Rollers is our local roller derby girls.

Ferret Herder is one smart cookie! And I think you are right about why I just feel so strange about this accident. And he had a bottle in the van with him.

I do hope that he is okay though and that maybe he will pull his head out of his ass after this. I looked his name up and found his Myspace and there is a picture of him and his kid with a beer and a bottle on the table.

And the passenger can get in trouble for running right? Is that because he could be charged with something as well or because they need his side of the story?

I also need to find and thank the security guard who was right behind us and saw the whole thing. He was very helpful and right on top of things. He came to my van first and was already on the phone before he got to my van.

We had just passed one of Palmer Chiropractic College’s parking lots and I remember seeing the security car leaving the parking lot as we passed.