Thank goodness!!!

You know we like to have the verbal warfare with the Roaring Meeces. But they're our good friends, and all is in good fun. A really close call with former TWWer/now Roaring Meecer Julie Barott happened just recently. We wish her a speedy recovery. Get well soon Julie! Man, that is some scary she-ite.

Here's Paule's account of the incident:

All,
Last night on our commute home, Julie was struck from behind by a car. She's doing ok and will recover fully. She had just finished an interval and was about 30' in front of me and cruising in the bike lane at about 18-20 mph. A driver in a lexus drove into the bike lane and hit her directly. I looked up in time to see the impact and Julie flying through the air. To date, this is the most horrific thing I've ever seen and continues to loop in my mind.

The driver appeared to be braking at the time of impact and had no reason for his actions. I believe he was telling the police that he tried to swerve but went the wrong way. He was remorseful and in shock. Good reaction, as I would have killed him on the spot.

When I got to Julie I though she was dead. No movement, just laying there like a rag doll, her Timbuktu bag still securely attached. I can't describe the feeling. It's not really happening, I know I was screaming, calling 911, begging Julie to talk to me, yelling at being on hold with 911, my battery on my cell going dead, seeing Julie start to move, screaming at the driver "what the fuck were you doing". I remember holding her and telling her to wake up, stay with me, don't leave me. It seemed life someone else's life at that moment. She was probably out for 15-30 seconds. Hard to say, that whole time thing is tough on adrenaline. I think her first questions were where am I, what happened, was it my fault. I'm having a very hard time even now writing this as all the emotion from the moment keeps coming up. This is the love of my life and she's laying in a fucking ditch. You don't know how precious someone is until you think they have been torn from you. I'm a very grateful person right now.

Julie has a deep bruise on her right hip and her left knee is very sore. Her helmet saved her life! Wear your damn helmets. It's broken and compressed in 5 or 6 places. She asked the same wonderful questions for about an hour. I didn't care what she asked, she was asking. She knew who I was and that was about all. Nothing broken, her right hip took most of the impact from either the car or hitting the ground. I'm not sure, shit happens real fast but slow at the same time. We came home last night about 1:00 a.m. The cops and the paramedics were great at the scene and the people in SF General ER were fantastic.

Thankfully, Julie doesn't remember doodley squat about the accident. Only finishing the interval and then being put into the ambulance. Her bike is trashed from what I can remember. We were doing intervals in the business park and Robert Mau, a guy that I know from cross racing was doing the same. He stopped at the scene on his way home and told me he would come back to get our bikes. I've got a message from him last night.

Julie is determined to attend Interbike tomorrow. I'll gladly push her around in a wheel chair, in fact I'll gratefully be pushing her around in a wheelchair. Sorry, this is so emotional. I know it's cliched, but tell whoever it is that you love them and put the petty shit aside. At any given moment, you may not have that incredible luxury and you'll want it back.

Did I mention just how grateful I am right now. Life is going to be good.

paule