Erin Harding was riding her bicycle near Camp Foster when the accident happened. From Stars and Stripes-

Okinawa police are questioning an Okinawa man who allegedly left the scene of an accident that severely injured the wife of a Marine.

According to Okinawa prefectural police, Erin Harding, 36, was riding her bicycle about 5 a.m. Thursday heading south along Highway 58 near the commissary gate to Camp Foster when she was struck by a car that sped away.

Harding was on her way to the Camp Foster pool to train for the Half Ironman Contest on Izena Island in October, her husband, Maj. Todd Harding said in a telephone interview Monday evening.

She was rushed to the U.S. Naval Hospital on Camp Lester, where she is in the intensive care ward being treated for several serious injuries, including a fractured pelvis, fractured left hip, three fractured vertebrae and a sprained right shoulder, her husband said.

She is scheduled to be transferred to the Balboa Medical Center in San Diego* later this week. Harding said he is having his tour curtailed after five years on Okinawa and is being reassigned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to be near his wife during what is expected to be a lengthy recovery.

“Our lives have been turned upside down in a matter of seconds,” said Harding, 40, assigned to Headquarters and Service Battalion, Marine Corps Base.

It can take a year to recover from a fractured pelvis and Mrs. Harding will need many simple things done for her.  I hope the Hardings have a good support network. God bless them.

Did the Stars and Stripes headline writer read the entire article? The headline read- Okinawa man held in alleged hit and run.

The last paragraph of the above article read- The driver of the car turned himself in Thursday evening at the Okinawa City police station, where he was questioned and released.

Oops!

Back to the accident. It took place early in the morning and in darkness. It is possible the driver didn’t realize what happened.  He could have also fled the accident scene. Down here in Florida, automobile drivers will take off after hitting a bicyclist. It happened to both my father and brother but fortunately both were no where as near as badly as Erin Harding was.

*- I was assigned to Balboa for two years back in the mid 1980′s.