Perhaps the only emotion that can match Asante Cleveland’s uneasiness, 10 days after a driver struck him while he crossed an East Village street in downtown San Diego, the driver having yet to come forward, is gratitude.

He is still here.

The Chargers tight end practiced Wednesday for the first time since a black SUV sent his 6-foot-5, 260-pound body into the air. Between the initial collision and ensuing ground impact, he has an abrasion on his left hand and elbow. He suffered a concussion and banged up his knee.

By and large, that is it.


Not even his white-cased cell phone that traveled some 20 feet took a crack.

“I’m extremely blessed to be able to sit here and complain about what happened,” Cleveland said.

For the second time in less than four months, San Diego police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who crashed into a member of the Chargers organization. An intern was struck in August and spent 18 days in a coma. An appreciative Cleveland was able to walk away although diagnosed with his concussion the next day.

NFL players often are reminded any play can be their last.


On Nov. 20, Cleveland was reminded any day can be.

He used a marked pedestrian crosswalk to walk across 13th Street at about 9 p.m., San Diego police Sgt. Tim Underwood and Cleveland said. Cleveland was on his bye week. This was his sixth and final off-day of it, and he was headed to a ramen restaurant for dinner.

Cleveland, 24, spotted the SUV moving east on Market Street before it turned left on 13th.

“I see a car coming and naturally think they’re going to adhere to basic traffic laws,” Cleveland said. “I was already past the halfway point, and (the vehicle) still came careening toward me. Luckily, I jumped into the car because football has taught me that if something’s coming at your knees, make sure your feet aren’t in the ground because that’ll be a knee injury.


“So I jumped into the car, I blanked out for a little bit, was in the air spinning, and the next thing I know, I was on the ground, watching the car speed away (north on 13th), making a right on G Street. It didn’t hit the brakes. No courtesy honk. Nada. Just kept on going. Must have been late for something.”

Investigators have not released a further vehicle description on the black SUV, other than belief it sustained damage to its hood and front area, Underwood said. Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call the San Diego Police Department at (619) 531-2000.

Officers arrived shortly after the collision.

An ambulance followed, although Cleveland told paramedics he’d be fine without observation at a local hospital. He was diagnosed with his concussion shortly after reporting symptoms to the team the next morning; he was physically unable to concentrate in meetings, he said.


Meanwhile, he waited for the driver to come forward.

He continues to wait.

“The person is still out there,” Cleveland said. “I was in the clear, walking in the crosswalk with the light and still got hit. Not only do I get hit but the person does not have the basic human sensitivity to stop and check to see if I’m alive. Just keeps going.

“That’s what makes me most uneasy, that this person is still out there with access to a vehicle. I’m lucky because I’m a bigger guy. If this, and it hopefully doesn’t, but happens again with this person, the next person might not be so lucky. I got hit going around 25 miles per hour, and that could be fatal for a lot of people. It easily could have been fatal for me.”


It has been an odd medical year for the Chargers.

The reason goes beyond a cluster of significant summer injuries or, come the regular season, the team’s ruling a player out for the year after nine of its first 11 games.

Employees who have been the franchise well over a decade could not recall Wednesday a colleague being involved in a hit-and-run prior to this recent string, much less twice in fourth months.

On Aug. 5, public relations intern J’Ron Erby was seriously injured in an early morning crash in Pacific Beach. Police said that the driver swerved into a wrong-way lane on Garnet Avenue near Beynard Street about 1 a.m. to pass slower vehicles and, in the process, struck him.


A 24-year-old man was arrested in connection with the crash on Sept. 27, booked into jail on charges including assault with a deadly weapon.

Then, the Chargers learned of Cleveland.

“You’re always worried about the player first,” McCoy said of such off-the-field news. ”That’s the number one thing: Is the player OK? And then, how can we help him? Whether it’s health related or legally related, that’s when you make sure you use all your resources to your advantage as a player and as an organization.”

“It’s crazy. It’s sad,” said tight end Hunter Henry, whose locker is beside Cleveland’s. “I just don’t understand how somebody can just drive off. I don’t know. I didn’t believe it was true that someone could actually do that. It’s sad that something like that can happen.”


It can change one’s perspective on life.

Cleveland knows he was fortunate to land on his left hand and rear. His favorite jeans are ripped and ruined, he noted, but this could have been worse.

Far worse.

“It could all be gone in a second — as simple as just crossing the street,” said Cleveland, who missed Sunday’s game against the Texans while listed with a concussion and knee issue on the Chargers’ injury report. “Don’t take anything for granted. Cherish the people you’ve got around you. Let them know that you love them.


“Nothing is promised. Nothing at all. ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ Tomorrow might not come. ‘I’ll do it later.’ Later might not come. ‘I’ll do it in 15 minutes.’ Fifteen minutes might not come. You’ve just got to appreciate every second. A lot of people didn’t wake up this morning. You’re blessed if you do.”

U-T reporter David Hernandez contributed to this story.

michael.gehlken@sduniontribune.com


Twitter: @SDUTgehlken