Accident in Tel Aviv
August 31st, 2009 by the manWe arrived in Tel Aviv Sunday the 23rd and proceeded to our hostel, where were staying for one night, before moving to our luxury apartment on 14 Ben Gurion. Myself and Paul went to park the cars and we missed each other somehow on the back. I walked up a street called Frishman and then left on to Ben Yehuda, one of the main city streets. Then I looked and did not see any traffic coming and stepped on to a walkway. I immediately was hit from my left by a motorbike/ moped coming up Ben Yehuda. I did not see it at any stage. I was knocked to the ground my glasses went flying and then I was laying just by the road mostly on the footpath. The biker had driven over my left foot as I steped out and then clipped me I guess as he sped past. When I came to myself, I was on my feet in an instant. I felt blood on my face and saw blood on my clothes. I was in shock but I looked down and saw a young man lying next to my feet with his moped on the street side of him. He was alive thank God and seemed okay. I bent down to sympathise with him and then started asking for my spectacles. A young man who wa s standing there picked up my glasses and gave them to me, they were mangled. The frames were all twisted obviusly from the moped rolling over them. I frantically tried to piece them together so I could see clearly what was going on. I was focused on this when people began to tell me to sit down. Just then the ambulance and the police arrived. I must have been out cold for awhile after being hit as the ambulance seemed to be there instantly to me. I would say on looking at the time chain, that I got hit, blacked out, people arrived, someone called the ambulance. Then after a few minutes??? I woke up and jumped to my feet and began being concerned for the young man who was lying at my feet.
The original helpful young man who had picked up my glasses was urging me to sit but I kept telling him I need to get my wife from the hostel. He asked me the name and rang it but no one answered. he then cycled down there and found Julia. Minutes later Gerald arrived and hen Julia, both looking shocked and upset at the sight of me. I then was urged to go in the ambulance and Julia came with me, as did the moped driver who had broken his leg in the accident.
The Echelod hospital (The Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center is one of the largest hospitals in the country) was amazing to me., Julia and all the rest we there with me and were allowed to stay for a long time. The doctors, nurses and other staff were kind, friendly, human and very concerned about me as I was family. In the next hours, I had a cat scan on my head, my foot was x-rayed and I saw an eye doctor. all of this was done with some precision with results being posted on the hospital it system, where they could be viewed immediately. At the end I felt very safe in their capable hands. If you ae going to have an accident, tel aviv Echelod hospital is the place to go.
I have a fracture to my eye socket and a gash in my forehead, which needed 6 stitches. I have bruising to my feet, my knees and my left elbow. Thankfully I was not damaged in any internal organ other than there is a concern about my dodgy left eye. I was asked to come imediately to make an appointment with their eye consultant.
I was thoroughly checked and rechecked before being sewn up and discharged eventually at about 5am, with a summary report in both Hebrew and English. Next day went to the policeand made a statement and they gave immediately their report which today we faxed to the Echelod hospital. This then allows the hospital to not bill me the 6000 NIS approc that is owed. Today also we faxed various docs to our travel Insurance company.
My head is sore and it is tough being in a foreign location when in trauma. I had of course the love and care of my family, Julia, Denise and Gerald ( and Emer of course) who themselves were traumatised by the sight of me. Gerald and Emer went home last night and I know they both were terribly traumatised by all this and did not want to go but were glad to go also.Also Teresa was a great comfort since, it was sad to see her go home last night at 4am and also Paul and Lewis and Craig went home today. This leaves Denise and Amanda here with us.
My eye is all black and blue and I am sore in various places PLEASE PRAY for us and ask that we can continue our holiday without anymore stress and strain. Also we had to leave the apartment we had booked online as it was a dump and filthy. We lost our €800 deposit and though we argued it was to no avail. We moved to Holiday2000.net apartment 5 minutes away. It is beautiful and clean and modern. The managers Yarden ha been extremely helpful and given me some really helpful and practical advice on the accident. He also put me in contact with a lawyer and we hope to talk to him next week.