'I Am Blessed' | Keith Bailey, Man Hospitalized In Pedestrian Crash At Mondawmin Mall, Recovering From Injuries
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Keith Bailey, a chaplain and local leader who works with children and the homeless in Baltimore City, is recovering from extensive injuries after being struck by a car at Mondawmin Mall in early March.
Rev. Bailey said he still can't believe he's alive.
"I am blessed," he said. "The only thing, I could look up and tell God, 'Thank you.'"
He was one of two men struck by a car outside Mondawmin Mall in west Baltimore on March 1.
Bailey said he was at the mall that day making a flower delivery for a retirement party.
"My last memory was putting the flowers in the car, hugging the young lady and walking down the sidewalk," he said.
Suddenly, everything faded to black, and he woke up in the hospital without his shoes on.
"They told me, they said you went through the windshield, your whole head," Bailey said. "I really didn't know who I was."
Garrick Williams, Jr., a beloved youth football coach, was also struck. He was pronounced dead.
Baltimore Police said the driver was stopped at the scene. It's unclear if they suffered a medical emergency or were under the influence.
"My heart goes out to that family," Bailey said. "Just to know that a life was taken and then God spared my life."
Although the day of the crash is a moment Bailey might not fully remember, he said it taught him a valuable lesson he'll never forget.
"Don't take life for granted," he said. "When you leave home, you don't know what's going to happen when you leave."
Bailey said he's receiving an outpouring of support from the community. In the meantime, police said the investigation into the crash is still ongoing.