‘An angel saved my life – by sticking my foot to the curb!’

Do you believe in miracles? Charlie Gobel recalls the evening he was miraculously saved from death, and how it changed his life forever 

In 1987, I was a 35-year-old businessman employed by a well-known investment firm in New York City.  

I generally worked long hours and often, after a very long day - which nearly always extended into the early evening - I would take a short break by walking across the street to a newspaper store. I love chocolate, and a quick sugar hit, as well as a stretch of my legs, would give me a much-needed energy boost for my after-hours work.  

One winters evening, right at 5 pm and the peak of the rush-hour traffic, I was doing what I had done many times before. Standing on the corner of street, I was waiting for the traffic light to turn green so I could step off the curb and cross the road to grab a chocolate bar.