Here is Gladstone's own account of the accident:
"Around 5 pm on Thursday 30 October, I was riding from the SouthEnd to Brighton. Turned left from Berkeley St. onto Comm. Ave. I saw thelight was red at Clarendon, so I started to brake. The light turned greenso I picked up speed again. I was going about 15-18 mph (I'm confidentof this, since I have a computer on the bike I was riding) when I reachedthe intersection.
Just before I reached the intersection, the pedestrian, who was apprentlyrushing across the street (from my left) because the light had changed,crossed in front of me. I tried to yell and brake, but it was too late.I must have instinctively turned my head down, because my scalp hit thepedestrian's face. I ended up standing. My bicycle was on the ground.
The pedestrian was face down in the crosswalk, next to my bike. I askedhim if he was ok and got no answer. I then yelled for someone to call thepolice and an ambulance and radioed my dispatcher to tell him what happenedand to get an ambulance.
I put my hand on top of my head and felt something hard and jagged andremoved my hand quickly. I checked to see if the pedestrian was breathing(while passerby asked questions like "whose fault was it?", "ishe [me] a courier?" etc...). He was breathing, but not respondingto my questions.
Traffic (including the vehicles who the pedestrian had passed in frontof before the collision) moved along the whole time, except for a taxi-driveron Clarendon who stopped and radioed for help. The fire department arrivedfirst. They made me sit down, because I was bleeding a lot, and inspectedmy head and bandaged it (they told me there was something - possibly atooth - stuck in it), while others tended to the pedestrian. Eventually,the police and ambulances arrived. I described what happened to the policeand was taken to Brigham and Women's hospital, where the ER folks removeda crown, part of a tooth, and part of a filling from my head, and closedthe wound (it cut down to the skull apparently).
I retrieved my bicycle from the Police on Saturday and it was generallyin good shape, except for some bloodstains (mine, from when I picked thebike up when the police told me to move it). I noticed afterwards thatthe handlebars are bent somewhat as well. I believe I somehow pressed downon them quickly when the collision occured.
My head is ok. I still have a bump and it hurts a little, but I hadthe stitches removed last Friday and am told it is healing well.
I gather that Mr. Spring is being kept in a medically-induced coma bydoctors, to aid healing, and should recover, although I'm not positivewhat this means. I piece this together from what I've been told by police,Ms. Daly (the Globe 'journalist' who wrote Friday's article), and my father,who has spoken to Mrs. Spring several times to express his and my concernfor Mr. Spring's condition.
I'm less interested in discussing who was right/wrong in this particularcase than the way people have reacted.
There are many troubling things about this. People were more concernedwith the fact that I may be a courier, and the issue of who was at faultthan with the well-being of someone lying unconcious on the pavement, bleeding.Motorists were in such a hurry to get home that they did not stop, andnone have come forth as witnesses. Ms. Daly told me she was aware of thefacts of the case and still wrote the article she did. The Boston Policewill not issue me a courier license, claiming they cannot while the accidentis under investigation, although the investigator (Officer Vincent Adduci,who has been extremely helpful during all of this) says the investigationis over and is trying to make it possible for me to work again.
I'm concerned about (but not surprised by) the reaction in the papersand in the business community in general. I would hope that publicizingan accident like this would make everyone realize how dangerous the streetscan be and be more careful. Of course, riding around during the past week(with a helmet now) I'm even more impressed by how willing pedestriansare to run into the street, ignoring the dangers around them.
Ms. Daly wrote: ''There is almost no one who doesn't have a story aboutcouriers,'' said Boston attorney Carmen Durso, who was hit last year ashe tried to cross Bromfield Street downtown. ''That messenger said to me,`If I was going faster, I would have really hurt you.' ... They have noconcern.''
Nowhere does she say that the attorney was not at least partly at faultin the accident. Also, while I don't know what tone the messenger used,his warning seems to me to possibly indicate some concern. Most peopledon't realize the real danger of a pedestrian/bicycle collision and hiswarning should have made Mr. Durso think a little. But listening to andconsidering the words of others seem to be forgotten tools for some.
While I'm sure that, as has been noted, there are lots of reckless cyclists(and motorists and pedestrians) I feel like no one is willing to own upto his own responsibility. Pedestrians have the most to lose and are themost able to change direction quickly, yet everyone just complains about"protecting the rights of pedestrians". While I'm for protectingone's rights, shouldn't people be concerned with protecting their personsfirst? What good is being in the [legal] right when you are seriously injuredor killed? You have to be looking out for people doing stupid things, notjust exercising your own legal rights and ignoring the well-being of yourselfand others.
I know. I'm preaching to the converted. And I feel like a kindergartenteacher saying some of these things.
Hopefully, Mr. Spring will recover, I will be able to work as a messengeragain, and people will think just a little more.
If only life were that simple...
Jonathan M. Gladstone
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