Guardian Angels & Good Samaritans

(Part of a work-in-progress titled “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up; The Charmed Life of a Boomer”)

By Patrick O’Connor

I was driving on a Saturday morning through the downtown center of a major city. As usual on vacation, I was carrying two bikes on a bike rack in the back of our small SUV. The bike rack had served us well for many trips and this trip would be as routine as the others … or so I thought.

I was keeping up with traffic, which meant I was driving about 65-70 miles per hour. Road conditions were clear, dry and traffic was heavy and steady. Suddenly, out of my rearview mirror, I see the bikes drop from sight…they are just gone…gone. What … what just happened? I’m thinking to myself.

It took only a split second to realize the bikes had somehow fallen off the back of the SUV and were now bouncing along the interstate highway with traffic following close behind. The bikes were still attached to the bike rack that had fallen from the hitch. My first thought was that I needed to do something to be sure no one was hurt. But I must first figure out how I’m going to get off the highway because a whole lot of bad stuff could be going wrong behind me…real soon…maybe even now…and I am the cause of it.

I watched through the rearview mirror as cars, pick-up trucks, big rigs and motorcycles behind and next to me began to quickly swerve out of the way…at 70 mph with some tires smoking.  It looked a bit like a high-speed dodgem ride at an amusement park or the “big one” at a racetrack…only a whole lot more serious. I thought about the drivers dealing with what they were seeing in front of them. And thinking to myself how I would respond to bikes suddenly falling in front of me while driving through a major city with my family heading to vacation. Scary stuff!

I realized I would have to navigate through traffic to get to the side of the highway so I could stop. As terrified as I was, I went about ¼ mile past the drop scene, knowing I would have to stop and work my way back to the bikes. I’m as anxious as can be, thinking about what might be waiting for me when I get back to the bikes and bike rack. 

I’m not sure how long it took me to cross the traffic and get to the side to stop because it seemed like time had stopped. I pulled off the highway and stopped about a half mile from where the bikes were on the road. I then ran back along the berm of the highway with traffic whizzing past me. As I was running, I saw a car pass me and pull over and park behind my vehicle. As I approached the scene, I also saw an 18-wheeler truck had completely stopped on the highway right behind the bikes to keep anyone from hitting them. Amazingly, no one had hit them. What a relief! And, what a scene!

Imagine how I felt when I got to the drop-site and saw this giant truck guarding our bikes. It was completely stopped in the middle lane of a major interstate to be sure that no harm would come to anyone. Unbelievable. And the driver just did it because it was what needed to be done at the time. 

It was amazing how the traffic just kept buzzing along as if there weren’t two mangled bicycles tangled up in a bike rack laying on the road. I waited until I had an opening to run across a few lanes of traffic to the bikes sheltered by the truck. The driver gave me a wave and a thumbs-up sign as I got in front of his truck. It’s rare you get to stand in front of an 18-wheeler in the middle of a major interstate highway with vehicles racing past you at 70 mph. Add to that, I’m looking at two bikes and a bike rack that need to get off the road. I thought to myself, “No time like the present,” so I figured the bikes and I were going to cross a few lanes of high-speed highway as soon as possible. 

I had to get them off the highway but was unable to see oncoming traffic because of the truck. I lifted the bikes over my head (which were still attached to the bike rack) and watched for a go sign from the trucker. He looked at his mirrors for a minute or so and gave me the green light. I ran across the highway to the berm with bikes and rack over my head. It seems the bike rack had simply fallen off the trailer hitch.

I got to the side of the highway and watched as the truck driver gave me a big smile and wave as he drove away. About this time, the guy who had pulled over was now up to the drop scene. He asked how I was doing. I don’t think I said anything because all I could do was shake and sweat. We untangled the bikes from the rack, and he said he would help me get them back to the car, which we did. Both bikes were banged up a little but actually were in decent shape considering what had happened. He was very encouraging and commented how fortunate I was that no one was hurt. Amen to that!

He then took Sue’s bike as I started walking mine back, carrying the bike rack as well. As I was nearing the car, he suddenly went past me … riding Sue’s bike! He gave me a big wave and smile – sort of like the truck driver had. I could not believe it, but it was exactly what I needed at that moment…something to break the tension of the whole experience. We met with the bikes and the rack at my SUV. He asked if I needed any further assistance (probably for obvious reasons) and I said “No, thanks, I’ll take it from here. And thanks a lot for your wave and smile. It was just what I needed.” He replied, “It’s all good, man.”

I managed to load the bikes on the roof and return to my trip. I was still sort of shaking when I arrived at Edisto. Sue knew something had happened when she saw the bikes on top of the car rather than attached to the bike rack as usual. I shared the story, still shaken, even though it was four hours later. It was impossible for me to get out of my mind what could have happened and all the people that could have been so seriously hurt. I doubt I would have ever been able to forgive myself if people been injured … or possibly even killed … even though it was an accident.

About this time in the whole experience, I remembered the smiles and waves of the truck driver and the guy who stopped to assist me. What a difference they made in the whole event! It dawned on me that maybe I had a guardian angel and a Good Samaritan with me at the same time.

Epilogue
I have driven the same road many times since this event. Each time I drive past the spot where the bikes and rack fell off the car, I still tense up a bit. As for the bikes, we had to replace both seats and the front wheel on my bike. Actually, it was little damage considering what had happened. The bike rack was ruined. We still ride the bikes today.

I shared this story with a friend of mine who had worked in human resources for about 35 years. He mentioned he hired and supervised several truck drivers over the years. He said they were the most kind and considerate group of employees he ever knew. I’ve never known any truck drivers, so I’ll take his word for it. Maybe I kind of know a couple now. I definitely know that about the truck driver (guardian angel?) who stopped on the highway. Maybe the Good Samaritan was an off-duty truck driver? 

There were many scary parts of the whole experience. I definitely recall those parts and how fearful I was that people could have been hurt. Most of all though, I remember the smiles and waves of the two people who assisted me that day. I hope they remember it as fondly as I do.