Wherein I almost run over a small child with my truck

I am sick to my stomach.

This morning when I dropped my kids off at school, I was sitting in traffic waiting to leave the parking lot. I was making a right into the driveway to leave the school from the pickup/drop off zone. A bus driver to my left waved me on.

I saw two kids walk in front me, I waited, looked back at the bus driver to make sure he hadn't changed his mind about me taking too long to pull out, and took my foot off the gas.

Suddenly, two more kids ran out in front of me, around the front of my truck and I didn't see them.

I wasn't accelerating, my foot was off the brake and I was rolling forward. I didn't hear any noise, I looked up and both kids were at the far front left end of my truck and the taller one looked over his shoulder at me while running and he continued to run.

I thought nothing of it and I went to work.

This afternoon the principal stopped me when I went to pick the kids up (normally my neighbor does pick up when I drop off but she didn't send her daughter to school today). She asked me if I realized that I'd hit a child this morning.

My heart exploded in my chest and I thought I was going to puke right there. I explained to her what happened, that it looked to me that run out in front of me to presumably catch up with the other two taller boys who had walked in front of me while I was waiting.

She told me that my tale was consistent with the younger brother's version of events (not sure what the older brother, the one I hit, had to say). I asked if he was okay, the principal told me the school nurse looked him over and he was perfectly fine but she told me she had to call his parents and explain what happened.

Holy shit, I totally know he's going to go home and his parents are going to call the cops and I'm toast.

I'm going to get arrested for leaving the scene of an accident.

I'm going to get sued.

I'm going to lose my license, which luckily I remembered to renew last night (I forgot it expired on my birthday).

The principal said there's nothing for me to worry about, but I swear this isn't the first time this family has heard that phrase and it hasn't turned out that way.

I'm so upset right now and it's all I can think about.

He looked perfectly alright when I made eye contact with him... he's got to be in about fourth grade or something. I am so glad he was with his younger brother because that kid was too short for me to see over the front end of my truck. I can't believe that instinctively I didn't just roll down the window and say something to him or ask him if he's okay, or put the damn truck in park.

Whenever I drop Geoff and Jess off at school, I wait until they're up on the grass by the bus circle before I leave. I think these kids are walkers from up the street from the school. I see them every day.

god I'm freaked out.

I have a shitload of stuff to do. More later.