Worst Day Ever

I've had the worst morning ever. Seriously.

At like 8:48 a.m. I was coming out of my apartment complex. I went down the big hill, and stopped at the STOP sign. I looked both ways, and only saw a black SUV turning the corner. I was easing into the intersection, about to turn left, when all of a sudden I collided with a girl on a bike! The next moments flew by so fast--I didn't see her coming at all. Then just like the movies, it was slow motion that I stopped, and saw her roll off the hood of my car.

I was so shook up, I parked my car. I got out. I found her on the ground near the trunk of my car. She wasn't wearing a helmet, and had a backpack on. She sat up, crying. I went over and told her I was so sorry and I didn't see her, and asked if she was okay. Then the lady driving the black SUV stopped and came over calling 911, telling her to lay back down. The girl was on her way to work, biking up the hill, and is 23. She had dreadlocks, and she said she didn't want to go to the hospital because she didn't have insurance. I was just in shock.

The ambulance came, along with a huge fire truck. They checked her out, she said her head kinda hurt but she was fine. They insisted she go get checked out so she stood and put herself on the gurney thingy. Then the cops came, and they took pictures of the accident; where my car was, the scrapes on my car from her bike; where the bike landed; where I stopped. It was a good thing my car was dirty because they could see where she slid off my car. I wasn't going fast at all. I swear she wasn't on the sidewalk; I would've seen her. I was so shook up I gave the cop my expired insurance card. I thought that since it said 2008 on it that it was valid. But it wasn't. It was from April. But they called my insurance company and they verified me, so that worked out. The other cop took her bike and the last cop just gave me a copy of the accident information exchange paper and said he was going to visit the girl in the hospital and see her side of the story and then he would call me. He said at that point he didn't know whose fault it was. I tried to explain my side, while teary-eyed of course, but I'm not sure if that helped. At least the first cop I spoke with listened to me.

So now I wait. I've been waiting all day long--I'm very anxiety-ridden at this point. I don't want to eat, I don't want to drink anything. I really don't want to be at work. I am so scared to drive now but I have to tonight because I'm going to this volunteer awards ceremony. I am super paranoid now, especially because I work in Boulder--city of the bicyclists.

I just hope that she doesn't sue me. I hope that she doesn't change her story and tell the officer that I was speeding or that I intentially hit her. I hope that she is okay. I hope that I'm not in trouble. No matter how many times I've told myself it was an accident, I still feel terrible. The way that the black SUV lady looked at me, it was like I had killed someone. I just want to go home and be with my doggie and around family and cry some more.

I know that life goes on, and if I am at fault, then I have no choice but to "man up" and handle it. I'm an adult now. But my question is, if no one is at fault, who pays for her ambulance fee to the hospital? And if I am at fault, do I just pay my $500 deductible? Will my insurance go up? I asked my agent if it would, and he said it would depend on the amount of money the insurance company pays.

I want it to be okay. I want to feel safe. Keep your fingers crossed for me. If I don't hear anything tonight, I'm definitely calling tomorrow.