"...A Hard Thing to See."

It's shaping up to be a tough week for those of us beneath the glass. First, grief-stricken cretins assault the first photog they can find; now a veteran cameraman lies hospitalized after being hit by a car Tuesday night. It happened in Toronto; that's where 58 year old Bill Atanasoff was responding to the scene of a Special Investigations Unit probe. Fellow photog Tony Smyth watched Atanasoff pull up to the scene, but looked away just before the point of impact.

“There was this horrific smash,” Smyth told CBC Radio. “There he was on the ground. There was debris flying around, a hard thing to see.”

Several journalists did see Atanasoff fly through the air after being struck by a 1985 Lincoln Continental. The area was well lit, but the veteran Citytv photographer was wearing dark clothes. Police believe the camera on his shoulder obscured his view of the oncoming car. Police have yet to charge the 68 year old driver of the Lincoln but they're still investigating. Meanwhile, Bill Atanasoff remains in critical condition with severe head trauma, a broken neck, broken pelvis and broken legs. Chances are he may feel alone, but that's simply not the case. The Photog Nation is holding him close in their thoughts and using his undeserved plight as one more reason to keep both eyes open. Godspeed, Bill.