With a lump on my throat.

At an intersection close to my house, I used to see a 6-year old, her mother and sister cross the street. The little girl would look at me, I'd rev the engine and she rewarded me with a big smile -the kind of smile that only happy, genuine people posses- every time. As they reached the sidewalk, the little girl -without ever failing- would give me another smile, and we mutually wave each other goodbye.
Two years ago they were hit by a car running a red light, traveling way above the 35 mph zone throwing them several feet. The mother and the older sister spent two weeks in coma, her sister has a metal plate on her cheek and scars on her head and back. The mother still bears the scars of a tracheotomy and her neck and will suffer from debilitating headaches for life.
The 6-year old - who dreamed of becoming a motorcycle cop- came to rest 70 feet from the intersection and took her last breath.
Two years have passed since the horrible accident, and every time I travel through the intersection I still remember the innocent face that put a smile on my face with her broad smile, brightening my day and waving goodbye.
May she rest in peace.

 

It seems all too often that when we think back to people from our past who have suffered from a tragic event that we tend to dwell on the negative. The mere fact that the thing you choose to remember most about the little girl is the smile on her face, to me anyhow, shows that you are a positive person.

I always try to imagine the way the world looks through the eyes of my kids (4 and 6) and imagine the wonder of things to come. How truly remarkable it would be if the rest of us could see the world in such a positive way, with bright, wide and clear eyes and be able to just SMILE.

I'm sure the little girl still gazes fondly at you and smiles her innocent and happy smile every time you come up to that intersection, only now the memory of that smile can melt your heart forever. She will never be forgotten.

 

Wow..brings tears to my eyes. Have you made some kind if memorial for the little girl in that spot? So sad... especially for the person that actually caused the accident has to live with that for the rest of their lives.RIP little one

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That is truly terrible.

 

Truly sad for sure. I have seen the aftermath of this sort of thing far too often. Maybe if I had stopped and spoken to more people for different reasons, some of these may not have happens. Maybe some did not because I did. You never can know.

We most often assume it is the driver at fault in such cases. Maybe it was here. Maybe the pedestrian. Like to cage vs bike issue, the cager vs pedestrian issue needs to be addressed often to both sides.

Loss of a loved one is a horrific situation to deal with. Especially a child. Time only dulls the pain. I think the worst fear I had in my former life, was to arrive at a serious accident scene to find one of my loved ones there. That haunted me to no end. Now that my kids are in their mid to late 20's, that seems to have diminished, but it can still happened.

Drive, ride, cycle and walk safely everyone. Everyone plays a part in their own safety. Put down the cell phone and choose carefully where and when you use your music devices. The red hand signal at the intersections does not mean to run.

My thoughts go out to this family for sure. Ad all others who have experienced such tragedy. Thank you Mofo for your post.

 

two cat one dog, one foot peg and one hurt kid on my street, add one older kid, all due to either going to fast or simply lousy drivers who can't figure out they have a brake pedal. I often drive like a snail just to piss speeders off in my car. Won't do that on a motorcycle though. I usually check my brakes before I drive or ride anywhere. In Maine they also allow over loaded log trucks that kill a few people a year. One log truck driver even had his own truck run him over when the brakes failed-it also went though the front of a store. But that is a bad story. Perhaps a new sign before the stop sign might help. There is a little girl who sometimes get loose on her own, she only 4 years old. I don't know what I can do except to drive slow down the street and have perfect brakes.:distress:

 

Yes, I brought flowers to the spot the day of the accident. Even though I remember her smile every time I cross that intersection, the one-page article in the newspaper yesterday updated me on the pain and suffering her parents and sister are going through.

Thanks all for your comments.
Jerry