So, I was hit by a car for the first time today.

Cut off at 26th and State by a CTA bus that passed me on the left and then pulled to the curb in front of me (not at an actual stop), I had to swerve around the rear of the bus to the left, where I was clipped by an oncoming car and dragged the length of the bus, pinched between the car and the bus. Incredibly, a police SUV pulled up to the intersection from 26th, and I was able to flag down the two officers, who were models of kindness and concern. The woman driving the car that hit me also stopped to see that I was okay. Here's the thing, though. As far as I was concerned, the woman who actually hit me was not at any fault, and I did not want to see her held liable for what I thought was the CTA driver's liablilty. But the bus driver just kept repeating "I didn't hit you. I didn't hit you." And it is true that he didn't. I waited around with the police and the woman who hit me for a while, thinking I needed some time to get a clear idea of whether I was seriously hurt or not and to make sure there were no serious damages to my bike. But in the end I decided not to file a police report, even though the police had taken the woman's information and the number of the CTA bus. I never gave them my name or information, in part because I didn't want the woman held liable, in part because it didn't seem necessary in the absence of injury or damages. I did the wrong thing, didn't I? I'm sitting here at home and I still seem okay, but the pain in my left knee is considerably more severe than it was immediately after I was hit and dragged. I'm pretty sure the only damage to my bike was to the bar tape, but I haven't had a chance yet to go over it in detail. I was able to ride it home after putting the chain back on and trying to realign the front fender, and it seems fine. But I am realizing that it is probably frequently the case that injuries or damages only become evident after some time has passed, and that I should have filed a police report in anticipation of that probability. This is the first time I have really been hit, and I have to confess that my impulse was just to let it go and move on, which was probably not the thing I should have done. I have paid much more attention to bike theft issues and "safety" concerns involving salmoning and sidewalk riding, and of course I never even considered that I would actually be hit and dragged by a car. Is there anything I can and should do after the fact--like try to contact the police who responded and complete a report, even though I also didn't bother getting their names or badge numbers (of course)? Or do I just serve as an object lesson for others and learn better what to do the next time this might happen? I stayed eerily calm throughout the whole ordeal, even though aware that it might not end as well as it did, but I guess I was rattled enough not to know what to do under what were pretty much the best circumstances.

The only real damage, I hope:

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Permalink Reply by David Barish on August 26, 2011 at 5:30am

Assuming Michael is pretty much ok this thread is a good one for discussing the issues.  for future accidents, social media is a bad idea.  Other than, "I've been inolved in an accident, wish me well" its best not to say anything online.  Also, from what you have said, I am not sure you are ok.  You may not know for a week or two.  Sometimes the injury seems very minor but over a short period of time it increases and you then realize you were hurt worse than you previously thought. If your knee continues to bother you see a doctor and make sure you tell the doctor how you got hurt.  If it gets to that point you may want to consult with an attorney. 

 


When you have an accident (I know that many prefer the word crash- feel free to substitute that word if you desire) you are not always your best self.  You may be in pain and may be disoriented.  Its not the best time to make decisions but you have to do your best. You need to:

* figure out if you need medical attention

* if that is the case you need to figure out what is going to happen to your bike. I somebody ie. police going to take it?

* put together your version of what happened as concisely as possible.  The story doesn't need to start with "I was going to  ride to the Starbucks on Damen but decided I didn't want coffee after all"  The story starts with the chain of events that led to you falling  off your bike such as, "The Red Toyota veered in front of me as I was riding Northbound on Damen"

*Report your story in as calm and concise a manner as you can to the police. You want them to pay attention to you.  The more hysterical and angry you get the more chance that some of your story goes in one ear and flies out the other.

*If somebody else is at fault in your mind see that they get a ticket and ask why if no ticket is given.

*If you need help, have a working brain at the time and have a cell phone, consider calling a reliable friend to come to the scene to be a witness if there are going to be contrasting stories being developed.  I once got a call from a friend who had been in a vehcile that was hit by an officer's vehicle not far from where I lived.  They were concerned that given who hit them they wanted another person present.  Good idea.

*Tell the same story about the accident to every medical person you see to make sure the medical histories jive with your version of the facts.

*if you are not so bad off but somebody else is make sure you help them get the medical, police or other attention you need.  Life is a cooperative venture.

*make sure you get insurance info from drivers who are involved in the accident.

*Get something to take home with you from the police that has the number of the report they are writing.

*If there are bystanders ask what they saw.

*If you think you are at fault you still need to tell the truth. However,  your judgement that you are at fault is just that, a judgement.  Truthfully tell the story but let the police or lawyers later on make the determination as to whether you were at fault.  There is a  difference between "The light was red and I didn't see anybody"  and "Oops, it was my fault."

*pay attention to yourself in the week or so after  the accident.  If you don't feel well go see a doctor.

Permalink Reply by Moc Artsy on August 26, 2011 at 5:49am
Thanks, David. That seems pretty comprehensive and well-considered. I now wish I had filled out a report, more for comprehensiveness than anything else. My injuries were minor and there is very little trace of them now, but an accident or crash is of course an ongoing process and an important city statistic as well, and I should have followed your advice. I would have if I had internalized all this information before the accident happened. I would even suggest it become a Chainlink "Sticky" in the manner of Lee's "Do this when your bike gets stolen" information about the Stolen Bike Registry. Forewarned is forearmed and all. 
Permalink Reply by Leah Jone on August 26, 2011 at 7:17am

I'm a volunteer on the hotline (this is my week on the hotline, actually) and we flyer and sticker and tweet and blog and talk to make sure people know to call us.

 

I often get forwarded crash info on Twitter and I pass the hotline number along to people as I see tweets about crashes. The hotline has been around for a year. (I'm not only a volunteer, but also a caller)

 

Unfortunately, most people don't know what to do on the scene. The biggies are

 

1. Police report

2. See a doctor

3. keep a private journal of your health (in a draft email to your lawyer or a new notebook)

4. One crash, it's trash - get a new helmet.

 

 

Moc Artsy said:

Thanks Dan, I didn't realize they had posted this. I think this should be circulated more prominently so that riders have this information also BEFORE they are involved in a crash. Having this as part of the crash support FAQ is not unlike finding out you should record your serial number only after your bike has been stolen.

Dan Korn said:
Permalink Reply by Ruby Red on August 26, 2011 at 7:27am
I just put the Crash hotline number in my cellphone. Along with the number for my local detective in case I see that rapist who has been hanging around my neighborhood. Have the numbers for emergency handy people, in your phones and address books! Not buried in a thread!
Permalink Reply by Moc Artsy on August 26, 2011 at 9:49am
Sorry, Howard, not trying to ignore your question, I'm just not sure about lodging a complaint with the CTA if I did not file a police report. I imagine that question will come up and I will be asked why I did not.

h' said:

So no intention of communicating what happened to the CTA?

Signed, the invisible poster.

Permalink Reply by Moc Artsy on August 26, 2011 at 11:24am

How do I go about this? I have the bus number and know at what time and where the incident took place.

I agree that I should have filed a police report. I didn't and I will leave it at that. I have a high level of confidence that I do not have any serious injuries and that my bike is unharmed aside from minor damage to the bar tape and saddle. In the future, I will do so regardless of whether I believe I and the bike are unharmed or not, and I advise everyone else to do the same. But rather than take down this thread and try to file a police report after having initially refused to do so (and I was given every opportunity by two very thoughtful and helpful police officers), I prefer to leave this thread around in order to provide helpful information for others.

Permalink Reply by Anne B. on August 26, 2011 at 1:20pm

I've submitted things to the general CTA customer service email address before and gotten pretty good responses: feedback@transitchicago.com

http://www.transitchicago.com/contact/full.aspx

 

Looks like they get a ton of reckless driving complaints: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-12-12/classified/ct-met-get...

 

Glad you're okay! 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on August 27, 2011 at 3:06pm
I'll second that thought.  Howard's suggested letter/e-mail is a good one.  CTA needs to know - with as much detail as you can give them.

h' said:

Michael, I have written in to CTA with detailed descriptions of drivers doing similar things and have received very earnest responses giving me a high level of trust that things are being followed up on internally.

I am only talking about composing a detailed e-mail and working to make sure it gets read by the right person/persons.

I'm willing to help you compose it.  I don't think this driver deserves a complete pass and respectfully I think you're off base in regard to the police report.

Permalink Reply by Moc Artsy on August 27, 2011 at 4:03pm
Thanks, Howard. That's pretty much exactly right. I do have the number of the bus, so that should aid in identification. I'm actually not sure of the bus line, but I think it's only the State Street bus that runs past 26th. I'll check the sign posts and send an e-mail on Monday. And thanks to everyone who responded here with such good will.

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