Total Pageviews

Victim Becomes a Cycling Samaritan

Dear Diary:

Late on the evening of May 30, I was in a pretty serious cycling accident on the Williamsburg Bridge: a hit and run. I was left with smashed bones in my face and a profusely bleeding gash in my forehead.

Against all odds, a good Samaritan on his bike happened past with an ice pack in his backpack. It helped stop the bleeding and may have just saved my life.

Three months later, while cycling down the West Side greenway with samples for a citizens̢۪ water quality testing program chilling in a cooler, I came upon a downed cyclist, also the victim of a hit and run. I gave the guy, a tourist, my ice pack for his swollen wrist.

I knew I was lucky the night of my accident, but I never expected to pay it forward quite so literally.

Read all recent entries and our updated submissions guidelines. Reach us via e-mail diary@nytimes.com or follow @NYTMetro on Twitter using the hashtag #MetDiary.