We first heard that he had been in an accident but that he was all right and in the hospital recovering. Sadly, we found out later that this was not the case. We next heard that he was struck by an eighteen-wheeler in the southbound lane, but that he had been motoring northbound that morning at 5:00 AM. How could this have happened? The weather had been very bad that morning—a blinding snow on that part of the highway. The southbound lane was separated from the northbound lane by 100 feet of grass. We pieced together that he had skidded into the wide median "valley" between the lanes, had perhaps become disoriented because of the heavy snowfall, and had unfortunately walked across the southbound lane seeking help when the truck hit him. Questions remained however: Why had he been traveling from the south in the first place? (He lived much further north). Why was he traveling so early in the morning (5:00 AM)? We stood in huddled groups, speculating about exactly what had happened. Rumor was an integral part of that morning's experience.