Interesting story. I don't see the point in any second guessing; reading it, I just place myself in the cyclist's position, wonder what would I have done differently? Answer is, of course, I don't know. Maybe something. Maybe nothing. It might have turned out better or worse, I won't speculate.

I do ride with a mirror (helmet mounted), and am uncomfortable when I'm without it. Sometimes I'd tell you that periodically checking the mirror becomes second nature. But occasionally I zone out and don't check the mirror, and then a car surprises me by zooming past closer than I was expecting. So I wonder if having the mirror might give me a false sense of security. Dunno. Nonetheless, I do recommend a helmet mounted mirror. It's a useful tool when you use it.

Thanks for sharing, [MENTION=448852]kim43235[/MENTION], I hope your scrapes and bruises heal quickly!