Depending on how you look at it, either God drove a car into motorcyclist Anthony Oliveri or more likely a woman took a leap of faith and the laws of physics did the rest.
While driving along the roads of Fort Wayne, Indiana, a car suddenly and inexplicably swerved directly into Oliveri. Police say the car not only ran over his bike, but also over Oliveri, leaving him badly injured on the road. The car kept on driving.
Speaking with WANE, Oliveri said he thought he was dead.
I remember it happened and I didnt quite know what was going on for a split second. As I grabbed the handle bars as the bike was losing control and I looked back around my left shoulder, all I see is her tire and the left bumper getting ready to run my face over. Literally I was inches from that bumper and I just said to myself today is the day I die. I just shut my eyes and said if this is the way that God wants to do it then I guess that this is the way were going to do it, Oliveri said.
His injuries were severe, but just being alive was enough.
She rolled over the bike and she rolled over me and everything and I just figured that was it. Then, when I felt the pain of my bike of sliding on the back of the road. I was like, wait, I feel pain, that means Im still alive. I look up and look down at my feet and think well my legs are still connected. When I felt the pain as funny as it is, at that point in time, I was happy because not ten seconds earlier I thought I was dead. At that point I was just ecstatic to be alive to be honest with you, Oliveri said.
The car ran over his midsection breaking all of his ribs on his left side, damaging his spleen, bruising his kidney and leaving him with road rash that covered much of his back and extremities. Its amazing that he lived.
Oliveri and his fiance attribute his survival to divine intervention. Ironically, its that very excuse which the driver would later use as her defense.
Police caught up with the woman who hit Oliveri several blocks down the road. According to the police report, the woman identified as 25-year-old Prionda C. Hill told them that she was driving and out of no where God told her that he would take it from here and she let go of the wheel and let him take it.
God did it is tough to prove in court, so the woman now faces several charges including leaving the scene of a crime and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon. She is currently out on bail.
What Gods involvement was if any on that day will never be known, but Oliveri did have some very real guardian angels looking out for him the flesh-and-blood kind. Thankfully, several retired nurses saw the accident and rushed to Oliveri to help. When they had him stabilized, they called an ambulance and he was rushed to the hospital.
Oliveri says he wants his story to be a lesson for drivers to watch out for motorcyclists. Another lesson might be that no matter what you think you hear, God drives those who drive themselves.
