by Vicki Brown

Created on: June 13, 2010

Being hit by a car in real life is nothing close to how Hollywood and TV portray it. Everything doesn’t happen in slow motion and the person being struck doesn’t have the deer-in-the-headlights look and the driver doesn’t mouth “Oh my God”.

I was hit by a car while walking home from Brownies. It was a rainy evening just at dusk when visibility is at its worst. There was a crosswalk halfway between school and my house. I walked down one side to the crosswalk and then crossed to the other side. Why I don’t know but that’s how I walked home.

I was ten at the time and my dad had come home late the night before from a long business trip. I knew there would be presents and was excited and anxious to get home. Maybe that’s why I didn’t see the car. I was walking home with Maryann another Brownie and we were talking and laughing.

The last thing I remember was stepping off the curb. I awoke but thought it was a dream. I was lying on something hard and wet and there were a lot of people milling around. A policeman asked me what my name was, I replied politely, “Little Ethel Schwartz”.

I have no idea why I said that. I didn’t know anyone by that name. I hadn’t read anything with a character by that name. It wasn’t a silly nickname. Fifty years later I still laugh when I think of myself telling the policeman my name was “Little Ethel Schwartz”.

I lay there trying to remember what happened. I knew I hadn’t made it home because I hadn’t gotten my presents from my dad. Beyond that I was clueless.

Someone recognized me and rushed in to call my parents. My mother answered the phone and promptly had hysterics. They were at the hospital before me.

Back then ambulances were operated by the local police and were similar to a station wagon. They had some medical equipment and could hold a stretcher.

I must have passed out because the next thing I knew I was in the ambulance with the siren blaring and I could see the light flashing red. We pulled into the ER entrance and I was pulled out of the ambulance and wheeled up a corridor. So far I was having fun. I was in no pain and had had a ride in an ambulance. Everyone was so nice to me and wanted to help me.

Then as they wheeled me up the ramp, I saw my daddy. He was sobbing. I knew then that I was dead. But I wasn’t dead my dad was so overjoyed to see me in one piece that tears gushed from his eyes.

Apparently my parents

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