Many people consider Stephen King to be the modern master of horror, and for good reason. He has written hundreds of novels, novellas, and short stories that have frightened millions of people. Dozens of his stories have been turned into films, such as the 1984 novel Thinner, which was later turned into a 1996 film of the same name.
If you aren’t familiar with Thinner, it is the story of an obese and greedy but well-connected lawyer who is cursed by a Gypsy. The main character’s trouble begins when his wife gives him a blowjob while he’s driving. Distracted behind the wheel, he hits and kills an elderly Gypsy. The main character uses his connections to beat the manslaughter charge, but is subsequently cursed by a Gypsy who touches his face and whispers “thinner.” The obese man quickly starts to lose weight. By the end of the story, he has all but withered away.
As interesting as the plot of Thinner may sound, what happened to Stephen King on June 19, 1999 is even more interesting.
Around 4:30 p.m. that evening, King was walking along the shoulder of the state highway near his home in Maine, as he had done countless times in the past. A man named Bryan Smith, who was distracted by a dog in his van, was driving along the same route.
Smith hit King and sent him flying about fourteen feet. King was rushed to the hospital where he stayed for nearly a month and had to undergo five operations. He had a collapsed lung and one of his legs was so badly shattered that the doctors considered amputating it. King’s status was touch-and-go for a couple of weeks. Even after he was released from the hospital, it was a long road to recovery for the horror and sci-fi writer.
Smith was charged with the felony of aggravated assault due to his negligence. But, just like in Thinner, he later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was given a suspended jail sentence.
Then things got really strange.
Smith was found dead from an apparent fentanyl overdose on September 21, 2000. The death was ruled a suicide by the authorities, but the date is important because it happened to be Stephen King’s birthday! When asked about the death, King said in an interview, “I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Bryan Smith. The death of a 43-year-old man can only be termed untimely.”
Untimely, or something from another world?