20 Years Later, Stephen King Reflects on the Day He Almost Died
Josh Millican
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Not all anniversaries are joyous.
We’re in the midst of a Stephen King Renessaince, ignited by the mega-success of 2017’s IT. In 2019, we’ll be getting three cinematic adaptations (Pet Sematary, IT: Chapter Two, and Doctor Sleep) in addition to new seasons of Mr. Mercedes and Castle Rock. It won’t stop there as there are probably, literally dozens of King-based projects in the works.
But King’s reign could have ended two decades back. Yesterday, the undisputed Master of Horror reflected on the day he almost died. Here’s what he shared with his Twitter followers:
“On June 19th, 1999 I got hit by a van while taking a walk. As I lay unconscious in the hospital, the docs debated amputating my right leg and decided it could stay, on a trial basis. I got better. Every day of the 20 years since has been a gift.”
On that fateful date, driver Bryan Edwin Smith (distracted by a dog in his backseat and possibly speeding) struck King from behind, shattering his hip. The author spent years suffering the aftereffects and even announced a retirement from writing in 2002. Simply sitting upright was painful for the writer.
Thankfully, King did recover; he’s been writing with conviction for years and participating in various capacities on the projects based on his works. Hopefully, we’ll be thrilled and inspired by the Master of Horror’s offerings for decades more to come.
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