When Ben Davis shakes his head, a nasty bruise on the side of his face shakes with him.
The Toronto skateboarder is astounded about what's happened to him.
He and several friends were enjoying their favourite pastime on the streets around Kensington Market Tuesday afternoon when a surveillance camera caught an almost unbelievable sight - a car plowed straight into him as he raced along on his board.
"I remember the instant where I got hit, just seeing that huge blue car, I don't know, had a huge grill in front just like trying to jump, and then basically knocked out," he remembers.
He broke his wrist and received some stitches in the impact. But as traumatic as that was, it's not what's upset Davis the most.
It's the fact that police have charged him and not the driver for the mishap, because they claim the motorist wasn't speeding at the time he hit the skater boy.
The result: the person behind the wheel is free while Ben is looking at a ticket for skateboarding in the middle of the road.
His friends are astounded by the development, but all are just grateful that their pal wasn't more seriously injured. And they don't believe the charge is justified.
"It was ridiculous," avers Virgil Baruchel, who managed to get out of the way of the same vehicle.
"Like we skate here every day. Nobody ever drives this fast. Usually when someone almost hits somebody they slow down. They don't keep going just as fast."
Those who live and work in the area aren't interested in assigning blame so much as ensuring everyone is safe.
"We definitely need to control traffic in this neighbourhood," maintains business owner Chris Devita. "It's Kensington Market, and there's never a moment without children or many pedestrians walking the street."
Area residents want speed bumps installed on the street or a total ban on all cars.
For his part, Ben is just happy to be alive. "I'm lucky obviously," he concludes. "Like, so many other things could have gone wrong."
To see the unedited video of the accident,
click here.
Video courtesy:
heavy.ca
They can also be something else - dangerous.
Here's a look at some parks in the GTA where boarders can try their moves in safety and for free.
Unless otherwise noted, most of these facilities are closed in the winter and will only reopen in the spring. For the majority, that means next month.
Toronto
Cummer Park
(Leslie & Finch)
Daylight hours only, not supervised.
Greenwood Skatepark
(Greenwood & Dundas)
Daylight hours only. Not supervised.
Stan Wadlow Skatepark
(Woodbine & Cosburn)
Dawn to dusk. Not supervised.
Port Union Skatepark
(5450 Lawrence Ave. E. right behind the Port Union Recreation Centre)
Vanderhoof Skatepark
(Eglinton and Leslie)
Markham Skatepark
(McCowan & Bullock Drive)
Open dawn till dark, no lights.
Oakville
Shell Park
(Lakeshore west of Bronte Road)
Open dawn to dusk including the winter. Not supervised.
Mississauga Skatepark
705 Matheson Blvd. E. on the east side of Iceland Arena.
Open Sunrise to 11pm
Other Mississauga Parks
Clarkson Community Centre -2475 Truscott Drive
Churchill Meadows - 3715 Thomas Street
Huron Park - 830 Paisley Blvd W.
Malton Arena - 3430 Derry Road East
Port Credit Memorial Park - 22 Stavebank Rd. S.