25 Years Ago, Maine’s Stephen King Almost Died When Hit by a Repeat DUI Offender

Stephen King Almost Died

Maine's most famous resident, Stephen King, almost died 25 years ago (specifically June 19, 1999), when a man in a van hit him as he was walking in North Lovell, Maine, according to ew.com.  The impact was so forceful, it sent King over the top of the van and into a ditch.

The famous writer now says that every day since the accident has been a gift.

Initially, Stephen King had nothing nice to say about the driver, Bryan Smith (a repeat DUI offender), comparing him to "an empty tomato soup can," according to stephenking.fandom.com.

You Don't Want Stephen King Mad at You

Bryan Smith died on Stephen King's 53rd birthday in September of 2000.  Smith was found by his brother, alone.  It was revealed that he died of an overdose of painkillers.  King said that he, in a weird way, felt a connection to Bryan Smith.

It seems like he calmed down a bit after the "soup can" comment.

Stephen King ended up buying the van that hit him, a 1985 Dodge Caravan, for $1,500.  He initially wanted to raise money for charity by having people beat up the van, but his wife, Tabitha, talked him out of it, according to ranker.com.

Bangor, Maine

Stephen King's hometown of Bangor, Maine, was divided by how King reacted to driver, according to ranker.com.  On one hand, people were saying that the driver was a repeat offender and should not have been behind the wheel at all that night.  On the other hand, Stephen King used his celebrity status to rip the driver and his reputation apart.