In 1997, a young man got in my car, held a knife to me, and told me to drive. And I did. We were headed toward the highway, but I told him I didn't have enough gas to get anywhere. He told me I "better have gas, bitch." And kept calling me "bitch" like it was my name.

He told me to take a left on a residential street, and I did. There was a softball game getting out, and a dozen or so people lined up on the sidewalk. I wasn't wearing my seatbelt. I bailed. I hit the pavement, tearing a roadrash across my legs and stomach and breasts. Pieces of gravel, rocks were stuck in my leg. I thought I broke all my bones. I couldn't move.

He got into the driver's side and took off.

There were cops playing that softball game. They caught him within a few minutes. They brought him up to the ambulance and I identified him.

He served five years in Walpole.

He told his lawyer and the judge that I was just a crazy person, that he was just hitchhiking and I went crazy.

There's no reason anyone should believe me over him. I have a long history of mental illness including suicide attempts. But they believed my word over his.

I have an odd relationship toward eyewitness testimony. Everyone believed me. I could have been a crazyperson who jumps out of cars. I'm grateful that they believed me.

Christ, Allyson. I'm glad they believed you too.

I know that was hard to write, Allyson, but thank you.

For what it's worth, even without knowing you personally I'd believe your story too. There were other eyewitnesses too, and your story fits with what they saw, fits better than his story. Because what would I do if the driver of the car suddenly jumped out unexpectedly? I'd stop. Even if I were scared, I'd stop and ensure the driver was safe, I'd call an ambulance.

I agree. And did that man really have a clean criminal record?

Allyson, how fucking horrible. I am glad you came out on the other side.

Troy Davis: former wardens are getting in the act.

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Plus, a story about you picking him up hitchhiking is pretty easy to take apart. Where were you picked up hitchhiking? Where were you going? Why were you going past the softball field? Where were you before you started hitchhiking? Who saw you leave?

He had a sealed juvenile record. I know all of that logically, Tom. I swear. During the whole mess with hearings and such, I kept thinking, "what if they all think I'm just crazy?"

Not many people jump out of the driver's seat of their car without good reason, Allyson.

I'm glad he went to prison.

I dunno. There was that whole astronaut that strapped on a diaper and drove to Florida to go bananas on a woman she figured stole her boyfriend. There's a lot of crazy out there!

I can't imagine how terrifying that was, Allyson. All of it, including criminal proceedings. I am glad, too, that it all went your way, which is to say, the right way.