Suddenly, my daughter was run over by a truck

[warrens]

Actually, she bounced. Lucky girl. She was on her way to school and crossing a four lane street. My street, actually. She got halfway across and the people in the left lane stopped to let her cross the rest of the way. Because these were BIG SUVs, she couldn't see the right lane. And neither could Ed, the guy in the Ford 150 in the right lane. Pow.

The good news is, she landed in slush and skidded about 20 feet. Otherwise, who knows. She has three broken ribs, but they let her go home tonight. She's a bit cranky after the dilaudid and morphine, but she can walk again, if only like a 90 year old lady with arthritis. She will be fine.

I got told by a lawyer not to call Ed, the guy who hit her. I said, the guy thinks she MIGHT BE DEAD. So I called him. He had a Kerry bumper sticker, which helped, but I would have done it no matter what. Poor guy hadn't slept a wink, was calling every doctor he knew to see what they thought because no one would tell him anything.

He stopped and was going to scoop her up and drive her to the hospital but bystanders said, don't touch her, she might have neck injuries. So he stayed with her and kept telling her she would be OK. Friends of mine lived right there and came out and called me and I got to the ER just when she did. Ed came in about a half hour later with the cops, and he had scoured the street and found her glasses, which was a big deal at the moment.

They're both going to be fine. But it was BAD for 24 hours. When I got there, she was on a board, with her head taped so she couldn't move. And of course, her clothes were shredded and muddy. But the doctor examining her said, nothing OBVIOUS wrong. So I was there to watch all the tests and she did great on all of them. She's a tough little kid, and I am so proud of her.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

1. OMG! What a day!

I'm thankful it wasn't more serious. Glad the guy was so caring, too. What a frightening experience it must have been for your family.

[MissB]

2. wow. Lucky kid

I'm glad she's going to be fine.

It was good of you to call Ed. Not from a legal standpoint, but from a human one.

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Hope she's okay! I was run over by a semi when I was 12,

broken pelvis and arm and spent a month in hospital and then another couple months before I could walk again. But otherwise, all is right as rain - except for one leg slightly shorter than the other, and the problems I'll have with arthritis when I get older.

Sounds like she bounced well and should be good!

My doctor told me that I was lucky - if one is going to get into a bad accident, especially relating to bones, age 12 is about the best time since the body heals so well and so quickly and so strongly at that age.

Send my best wishes from a fellow car/person collision survivor!

I do hope she comes out okay and manages to see the humor in it later in life.

And to you, her father/mother - never egg her on to cross streets any more. Let her always wait til she's comfortable. My accident is 27 years behind me, and I'm still skittish around semis. She may very well always be skittish around crossing large streets, even when it might seem utterly childish and illogical for her to be that way. Go with her flow. My friends and family know that on the highway, when I'm in the car, we never ride side by side with a semi on the highway or anywhere. We are always in front or behind. Never next to.

[Misunderestimator]

4. Wow... glad she's ok...

And it was really nice of you to call the driver... it sounds like it wasn't his fault, and he did the right thing afterwards.

All the best to you and your daughter!

[Darth_Ole]

5. Awww... I'm sorry :(

It's awful that would have to happen to a kid.

[progmom]

6. holy crap

what a nightmare. :hug:


i am so glad she's ok.



i think i'm going to have nightmares about that myself tonight.

that phone call must have just wigged you out...

[warrens]

10. You go into shock

I was on my way to work when the phone rang and for some reason I answered. And they told me to go to Northwestern so I went out and tried to get a cab or something, I wasn't quite sure what I was doing, then a bus pulled up and I just got on. I really don't remember anything until I walked into the ER and held her hand. Then I calmed down right away. She was all scraped up and muddy and had blood and tape on her face, but it was just bad looking. Underneath she was fine.

I spent the day with her, and slowly the shock wore off. They weren't giving her enough pain meds, thinking she was a "kid." I finally got a doctor aside and said, yeah, she's 14 but she's the size of an adult. You are undermedicating her.

So they gave her a regular dose of dilaudid and she relaxed instantly. They had to transfer her to Children's Hospital, and if you EVER have a very sick kid, I cannot recommend a place so highly. They are the best. I spent the night there and was walking the halls with parents with kids who were burned badly or had cancer and had been there for a month. What a wonderful place.

I have about 200 videotapes from my daughter's childhood, and they have no money for their tape program. Guess where those tapes are going tomorrow?

(I'm still in kinda shock, if it isn't obvious.)

[progmom]

16. I am really glad it turned out the way it did

:hug:

My kid is only (almost) three. I know I would lose it - big time - in your situation.

[deadparrot]

7. Wow...poor thing!

Hope she feels better. I'm glad to hear everything's okay, for the most part, though. :)

[shesemsmom]

8. Oh my gosh

how lucky you must feel I am glad she is fine and so is Ed and praying for a speedy recovery. How old is your Daughter

[warrens]

14. she's 14, going on 30

a wonderful, bright, genius girl. You might have noticed that I sorta like her. She's in a very advanced public school here, studying Latin and debate and stuff. She's your basic "gee I hope she is like this when she grows up" type kid.

Plus, she shares my taste in music, film and literature. She raided my CD collection, but I was happy she did. And she turned me on to Arcade Fire.

[shesemsmom]

15. Wow lucky MOM

the only thing my teen and I have in common are our last name and address. Keep up the good work.

[mark414]

20. wow your daughter is into the arcade fire?

great kid you got there

[Taverner]

9. I am so glad she is OK

:hug: from one parent to another

[NYC Liberal]

11. Wow, I'm glad she's alright!

I can't imagine being in that situation. How old is she?

[KT2000]

12. Glad she is OK

and that was really nice of you to call Ed - sounds like he really cared.

I have ssen that very thing happen so often. I wish that cars had flags that went out on their right side - like the school buses have on their left. It is nearly impossible to safely cross and 4 lane road - and if it is dark at all - it is impossible.

Best to you and your daughter.

[JohnKleeb]

13. Wow, I am so sorry

That is just so damn sad.

[warrens]

17. BTW, if that topic line seems, um, flippant

It's a joke between my daughter and me. It comes from an old Mike O'Donoghue NatLamp article, "How to Write Good." I am a journalist and my daughter is going to be a MUCH better writer than I am. At the end of the article, he says, "young writers often do not know how to write an ending. So many characters, so many story lines. Here is my suggestion, which is perfect. "Suddenly, everyone was run over by a truck." If your story takes place in England, "Suddenly, everyone was run over by a lorry."

It's been a running joke with us for a few years, and when she was feeling a bit better, I said, suddenly, my daughter was run over by a truck. I got a weak smile, but that was all she could do then.

[Dookus]

18. I'm glad she's going to be fine...

it must've been pretty scary for everybody involved. It was very very thoughtful of you to call the driver. I'm sure he was freaking out.

[peekaloo]

19. LOL

sounds like you and your daughter have a great approach to life. Best wishes for her speedy recovery. You seem like a great dad and an all around good egg for your concern shown to Ed.

:-)

[warrens]

23. It was an accident

He did nothing wrong, she did nothing wrong. Sometimes things happen. Ed is a good guy. Who knows, he might be in DU. I know lawyers are useful, but the IDEA of not telling him she is OK really pissed me off. We are human beings, not dollar figures. The lawyer wasn't QUITE so cynical as to say, it will cost your daughter money, but he came close. I talked to friends who USED to be lawyers, and they said, yeah, you hurt your legal case, but were you really going to go after that guy? And I said, no, I want her bills paid and a few bucks for pain and suffering and maybe go after the city to put a crossing guard there. Not just for the kids, but for the senior citizens who live in the retirement home there. For those of you who don't know Chicago, LaSalle is a four lane street with a median strip. It is almost all households, but it is a main drag here in the morning and evening. There are a lot of accidents at that intersection. Ed was blameless, but when truck strikes kid, the truck loses. In court. It is up to our insurance companies to work it out. Ed did nothing wrong and he appreciated hearing it from the father.

[Schema Thing]

24. That's a great story, even if today is not

Damn man, you have this dad feeling weepy. I'm so happy she'll be ok.

Your relationship with your daughter reminds me of mine. I'm a photographer, and my 13 year old is going to be MUCH better than me, or at least go much farther. I don't worry about her teenage years much at all, she's already a great young adult and all around person. (and most people would much rather listen to her downloads than mine. Myself included)

[accipiter]

21. wow

I wish you and your daughter the best - it sounds like she'll be ok....thank goodness.

[fluffernutter]

22. omg, bad 24 hours for sure! i hope she's okay

you both are in my thoughts :hug:

[Aristus]

25. Thank God she's going to be okay!

Sending bright blessings and positive thoughts your way.

:grouphug: