John Harter's Hard "Road Test"

Seventeen years ago this morning, my first daughter was born.  In that instant, I first truly and fully understood what it is to place someone else's existence ahead of my own.  Who knew it would be John Harter?

A few hours following baby's arrival shortly before 9:00am, I made a mad dash out to the Sibley Hospital parking lot to retrieve something from my Isuzu Trooper.

Crossing the lot, I saw a figure exit his own car with coffee in hand and head straight for me.  I recognized ABC 7's ace reporter John Harter, crack automobile reviewer in WJLA's 5pm block, whose "Road Test" reports I always enjoyed.  He was fearless: not afraid to take any new car and spin out at top speed.

It was sunny but bitter cold.  Harter ran with one hand clutching the collar of his sharp looking 3/4-length topcoat against the frozen air; his other hand held the cherished Starbucks latte.  At 20 paces ahead of me, Harter caught his toe on the pavement and bit the dust, the coffee flying out ahead of him and his face and (gloved) hands taking the brunt.

"Hey, you're John Harter!" I blurted as I scrambled to help him to his feet.  He brushed himself off, shouted "That's the end of that coffee!" and quickly pulling himself together, brushing the gravel off his pants and coat, and resumed flight.  "I just had a baby!" I yelled after him, and he shouted back over his shoulder "That's great!  Congratulations!" 

My baby is seventeen today, and recently acquired her "Operator's License."  She's a careful driver - no spin-outs allowed!  Harter covered a lot of pavement for WJLA, but on Christmas Eve morning in 1993,  the rubber met the road in a whole new way for Gentleman John.