Raymond Dolin Shot While Writing 'Kindness of Americans,' Saved by Strangers
Not everyone is a pessimist. Raymond Dolin wasn't feeling pessimistic when he set out on a journey to write a book titled the "Kindness of America." His travels entailed hitch hiking across America, a seemingly less popular thing to do when compared to the number of hitchhikers in Europe.
But it appears that Dolin was on a mission. To prove that it was possible? That you really could encroach upon your fellow Americans enough to ask for a simple ride in the same direction? Perhaps. However, if that was Dolin's hypothesis upon strapping up for his journey, his experiment may now be considered an official let down- or not.
Saturday at 6 p.m., Dolin was shot in the arm by a passing car in Glasgow, Montana and while that wasn't the very nicest thing that happened, there were a few great things that happened after. Dolin was able to flag down another passing vehicle, whose driver actually pulled over to help.
While the shot fired at Dolin wasn't lethal, the 39-year-old hitchhiker may have been in far worse shape had it not been for a second set of hands.
Charles Lloyd Danielson III was later arrested and charged with shooting Dolin, although officials are uncertain why the man pulled a gun on Dolin according to KRTV.
"It appears to be an absolutely random event," Sheriff Glenn Myer told KTVQ. "He just drove up there and shot him. We're unclear as to why."
Dolin, though, is doing fine and recovering in Glasgow hospital. As for Dolin's book of the "Kindness of Americans" well, it sounds like it's going to be a real glass-half-empty, glass-half-full kind of tale.