“You’re leaving after one beer?” Jeremy asked as his friend placed his empty pint glass on the bar and picked up his coat. “I just finished 8 hours of work and a night class and I have to do it all again tomorrow,” he replied. Jeremy sighed. “Ok, Den, I’ll catch you some other time.”
With his coat in hand, Dennis opened the door to the bar and was surprised how pleasant it was outside. Late September in Philadelphia was rarely this warm. He decided to keep his coat on his arm and enjoy the short walk to his car.
Dennis lived in the suburbs on the outskirts of the city. He liked to travel home by heading down Walnut street. He preferred this route because it rarely had traffic and was a one way street where the lights were timed so that if he drove a steady 30 miles per hour, he knew he wouldn’t hit any red lights.
Dennis was making his way home on Walnut street after his short stay at the pub. He chuckled at the driver next to him sped to every red light only to stop abruptly and wait a moment for the light to turn green. Dennis kept an eye on his speedometer. He looked down every few seconds to make sure the meter was always on 30.
About half way between the bar and his home, Dennis was in the left lane making good time. He took a peek down at his dashboard, and took his head up just in time to see a dark figure stumble out from in between the parked cars on the side of the road. He wanted to turn the wheel to the right and move his foot to the brake pedal. He wanted to swerve and honk and be angry at this foolish pedestrian. However, before he could react, Dennis’ car collided into the person. The moments that followed appeared to be in slow motion. The pedestrian was struck by the front of the car and lurched forward briefly. The force of the car took him off his feet and his body flipped in the air as he tumbled into the windshield. His head hit the glass first and his neck and back followed leaving large jagged cracks. His body flew over the car out of Dennis’ view.
Dennis’ instincts finally caught up with him and he slammed his foot down on the brakes so hard he thought he would push his foot through the floor. The car halted to a stop and he was thrown forward almost headbutting the steering wheel but his seatbelt jerked him back into a sitting position. The screech of the tires drowned out the thump of the pedestrian hitting the ground behind the vehicle.
Dennis remained conscious. After a long moment of shock at what had just happened. He realized there was a person lying on the ground outside his car. He wasn’t moving. Dennis opened the door and fell to the ground. His legs felt like they were paralyzed. They weren’t injured, but he still had to focus to get them to work. He gathered himself and pushed off the ground. He staggered behind the car and saw his victim lying face down on the ground.
“Are you ok?” he shouted. His voice cracked halfway through the sentence. There was no reply. He stumbled to the pedestrian and flipped his body to face him. It was just a boy. He couldn’t have been older than 17. He was short and stocky with a dark complexion. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, the hood covering only the back of his head.
Dennis then noticed his eyes. They were wide open and lifeless. He then that the boy wasn’t breathing. Dennis instantly paniced. “Could I have killed a man?” he thought. He reached into his pocket and fumbled with his phone. He dialed 911.
“Hello, what is your emergency.” came through the phone. Dennis was upset at how calm the woman sounded.
“I...I...hit a kid on 44th and Walnut. He isn’t breathing.” Dennis said. Hearing his own words echo through his head, his mind raced. “If I had another drink I wouldn’t have been there. What if I had drank more and still hit the kid? I had driven that route before in a not quite sober state. What if I hit someone then? Why isn’t there a buffer between the parked cars and the street? ”
“Sir” the operator interrupted, “do you know CPR.”
“No”
“We are sending an ambulance please wait there.”
Dennis moved over to the curb and sat down. He kept whispering to himself that he didn’t do anything wrong and that there was nothing he could do. He thought about the boys family and friends. He pictured a funeral with sobbing parents hugging their extended family. He has never felt so bad in his life.
A few people slowed down on the way down Walnut street as Dennis sat on the curb. It felt like hours before the police and ambulance arrived. The lights flashing did little to brighten his mood. The boy wasn’t breathing. He was dead and it was all because of Dennis.
A small crowd formed after the emergency vehicles arrived. Every single person in the crowd appeared to glare at Dennis whenever he made eye contact with one of them. The EMTs announced the boy dead at the scene. The police officers took his statement and a breathalyzer test. He complied and the police all but left him alone. After getting his contact information they told him they would be calling him soon. Although it took hours, it felt like minutes to Dennis. They soon left as fast as they had arrived.
Dennis was left there with a car with a broken windshield. He was only 2 miles from his house. Dreading the thought of another car ride, he decided the long walk home would do him good.
With his coat in hand, Dennis opened the door to the bar and was surprised how pleasant it was outside. Late September in Philadelphia was rarely this warm. He decided to keep his coat on his arm and enjoy the short walk to his car.
Dennis lived in the suburbs on the outskirts of the city. He liked to travel home by heading down Walnut street. He preferred this route because it rarely had traffic and was a one way street where the lights were timed so that if he drove a steady 30 miles per hour, he knew he wouldn’t hit any red lights.
Dennis was making his way home on Walnut street after his short stay at the pub. He chuckled at the driver next to him sped to every red light only to stop abruptly and wait a moment for the light to turn green. Dennis kept an eye on his speedometer. He looked down every few seconds to make sure the meter was always on 30.
About half way between the bar and his home, Dennis was in the left lane making good time. He took a peek down at his dashboard, and took his head up just in time to see a dark figure stumble out from in between the parked cars on the side of the road. He wanted to turn the wheel to the right and move his foot to the brake pedal. He wanted to swerve and honk and be angry at this foolish pedestrian. However, before he could react, Dennis’ car collided into the person. The moments that followed appeared to be in slow motion. The pedestrian was struck by the front of the car and lurched forward briefly. The force of the car took him off his feet and his body flipped in the air as he tumbled into the windshield. His head hit the glass first and his neck and back followed leaving large jagged cracks. His body flew over the car out of Dennis’ view.
Dennis’ instincts finally caught up with him and he slammed his foot down on the brakes so hard he thought he would push his foot through the floor. The car halted to a stop and he was thrown forward almost headbutting the steering wheel but his seatbelt jerked him back into a sitting position. The screech of the tires drowned out the thump of the pedestrian hitting the ground behind the vehicle.
Dennis remained conscious. After a long moment of shock at what had just happened. He realized there was a person lying on the ground outside his car. He wasn’t moving. Dennis opened the door and fell to the ground. His legs felt like they were paralyzed. They weren’t injured, but he still had to focus to get them to work. He gathered himself and pushed off the ground. He staggered behind the car and saw his victim lying face down on the ground.
“Are you ok?” he shouted. His voice cracked halfway through the sentence. There was no reply. He stumbled to the pedestrian and flipped his body to face him. It was just a boy. He couldn’t have been older than 17. He was short and stocky with a dark complexion. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, the hood covering only the back of his head.
Dennis then noticed his eyes. They were wide open and lifeless. He then that the boy wasn’t breathing. Dennis instantly paniced. “Could I have killed a man?” he thought. He reached into his pocket and fumbled with his phone. He dialed 911.
“Hello, what is your emergency.” came through the phone. Dennis was upset at how calm the woman sounded.
“I...I...hit a kid on 44th and Walnut. He isn’t breathing.” Dennis said. Hearing his own words echo through his head, his mind raced. “If I had another drink I wouldn’t have been there. What if I had drank more and still hit the kid? I had driven that route before in a not quite sober state. What if I hit someone then? Why isn’t there a buffer between the parked cars and the street? ”
“Sir” the operator interrupted, “do you know CPR.”
“No”
“We are sending an ambulance please wait there.”
Dennis moved over to the curb and sat down. He kept whispering to himself that he didn’t do anything wrong and that there was nothing he could do. He thought about the boys family and friends. He pictured a funeral with sobbing parents hugging their extended family. He has never felt so bad in his life.
A few people slowed down on the way down Walnut street as Dennis sat on the curb. It felt like hours before the police and ambulance arrived. The lights flashing did little to brighten his mood. The boy wasn’t breathing. He was dead and it was all because of Dennis.
A small crowd formed after the emergency vehicles arrived. Every single person in the crowd appeared to glare at Dennis whenever he made eye contact with one of them. The EMTs announced the boy dead at the scene. The police officers took his statement and a breathalyzer test. He complied and the police all but left him alone. After getting his contact information they told him they would be calling him soon. Although it took hours, it felt like minutes to Dennis. They soon left as fast as they had arrived.
Dennis was left there with a car with a broken windshield. He was only 2 miles from his house. Dreading the thought of another car ride, he decided the long walk home would do him good.
