People saying near hit shits me off. Its a near miss! Just because a comedian made a joke about it does not mean that he's correct. Yea, sure its funny, but leave it as a joke.
near
1. close; to a point or place not far away: Come near so I won't have to shout.
2. at, within, or to a short distance.
3. close in time: The New Year draws near.
4. close in relation; closely with respect to connection, similarity, intimacy, etc.
miss
1. to fail to hit or strike: to miss a target.
2. to fail to encounter, meet, catch, etc.: to miss a train.
3. to fail to take advantage of: to miss a chance.
4. to fail to be present at or for: to miss a day of school.
A near miss is in other words a "failure to hit or strike within a short distance"
Near hit, what a load of tripe.