I got hit by a car today...

(Friday night)

I can't type that well, so I will make this short.

I have been biking to work the last two weeks. I figure that each day I save about $1.75 in gas. Today, I incurred at least $800 in physical and bicycle related damages due to the carelessness of a driver who did not have the right of way. While riding down Broadway in the right hand side of the right hand lane (at roughly the speed of traffic), a driver crossed the intersection immediately in front of me and caused me to run into his rear right quarter panel. I was thrown and landed on my left shoulder, which was dislocated and fractured, and I writhed in pain as he drove away.

I'm doing fine now. I add to the post later...

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Applicable MN Statute

169.09 ACCIDENTS.
Subdivision 1. Driver to stop for accident with individual. The driver of any motor vehicle involved in an accident resulting in immediately demonstrable bodily injury to or death of any individual shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident, or as close to the scene as possible but shall then return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the accident, until the driver has fulfilled the requirements of this section as to the giving of information. The stop must be made without unnecessarily obstructing traffic.
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Subd. 14. Penalties. (a) The driver of any vehicle who violates subdivision 1 or 6 and who did not cause the accident is punishable as follows:
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(3) if the accident results in substantial bodily harm to any individual, as defined in section 609.02, subdivision 7a, the driver may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year, or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
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(c) Any person who violates subdivision 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, or 12 is guilty of a misdemeanor.


609.02 DEFINITIONS.
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Subd. 7a. Substantial bodily harm. "Substantial bodily harm" means bodily injury which involves a temporary but substantial disfigurement, or which causes a temporary but substantial loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ, or which causes a fracture of any bodily member.

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The police officer who took the report informed me via telephone that the Greenway gas station across the street did not happen to have it's cameras pointed in the right direction, so if I can't find another camera that might have captured the incident, here is my plan:

1. Hope that an auto body shop or insurance provider is notified of the accident, which will then be recorded and forwarded to the police to match it.
2. Drive through the high school parking lots on Monday looking for a damaged maroon sporty type car, as reported by one of the witnesses at the scene.
3. Sit at that intersection at 4:00 pm every day next week hoping to see the same car and follow it to get their license plate.
4. Press charges and go after the insurance company.

This could be forgiven if s/he would have stopped and offered me aid or apology.

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(Saturday afternoon)

Today Sandy and I were notified that a car matching the description of the vehicle that hit me was located near the scene. We drove down and located a maroon two door Grand Prix with...(fanfare)...dents in the rear right quarter panel. The owner of the car is a 25 year old female that has been on the receiving end of three hit and runs in the past. They swore up and down that it wasn't them, and frantically produced receipts from all over town, including one for about 10 minutes after the accident. Sandy and I think it is reasonable to think that after the accident they went shopping to "prove their innocence." Also, the dents on the vehicle match up with some scrapes on my handle bars.




If it is not her, I would be surprised. But the hunt will go on.