I survived an accident!

A personal post from the stoked traveler - 12/17/2011

Sometimes the end comes when everything seems to be at its greatest. In my travels I’ve been thru a few mishaps: being caught by crashing waves while on a small outrigger boat in Busuanga, falling off the rubber boat while on a white water rafting adventure in Cagayan de Oro and swimming through murky waters with bat guano while on a cave in Bukidnon. None of these can compare. I, the stoked traveler, am writing this blog post still fazed by what I’ve just walked out from.

A few hours ago, I was at an office in Ayala finishing up my tasks for the week. I opted to stay late so that I can clear out the pending deliverables for me to have a stress-free weekend. Before I left for home, I even browsed thru the Giant Lantern Festival that I was excited to see back at my home province.

To travel back to my condo unit, I would either take a cab or ride a bus-jeep-tricycle. It was the weekend so I thought of just taking the longer route. I rode a bus then alighted at Robinsons Galleria. I then waited in line for the jeepney queue with a route going Rosario-De Castro. As usual the jeep was overloaded and I chose to hold back on paying my fare until I’m near my destination.

Everything was normal; nothing different from the typical Ortigas Ave scene. There were people waiting on the side streets, Traffic, dark sidewalks and of course the usual ‘sabit sa mga jeep’ for those who dare just to get home earlier.

They say that accidents happen when you least expect it. Now I know what it really meant. All the passengers on the jeep seemed to be typical. There were kids, friends, office workers and just regular people. One of the guys standing from the outside of the jeep was even playing with a toy in one hand. The behavior of the driver and his ‘assistant’ was of course just classic of greedy drivers. Nothing all that different when you are used to commuting.

Then it happened. I thought the driver was just swerving or maybe just hit a hump on the road. But it went on longer, until it seemed that the driver lost control of the jeep. It was traffic and I thought that maybe we would just hit one of the vehicles in front and take a stop. That didn’t happen. The jeep went up the side walk of Ortigas Ave. It was like being on a roller-coaster only this time all our lives depended on how the ride is going to end. Everyone knows that Ortigas Ave is downhill coming from Meralco Ave. So the jeep just went on and on; going up and down the side streets. I have no idea of what we were hitting as my mind was really blanked out. All I can think about was whether we’d get thrown out of the jeep or get squashed when it capsizes. Outside I can see big trucks on our side and the brick walls to the other. I don’t have an idea of how far we’ve gone since passing Medical City. Part of me was thinking that atleast I’ve got my family covered with the life insurance I just got. Funny that I even thought of that when them being the beneficiaries of my insurance would’ve meant the end of me. In a glimpse I saw that we already passed Tiendesitas and still with speed. Then it felt like the wheels hit something that it was dragging below. I was thinking that if we passed the intersection between E.Rodriguez and Ortigas Ave. without control we’d be hit with all the trucks coming from E.Rodriguez going to C-5. Then the jeepney stopped. One of the guys who weren’t seated got lucky and was thrown inside the jeep with the rest of us. The other guy who had a strong grip of the bars outside the jeep was not so lucky. His back, arms and legs must’ve been twisted from trying not to fall of the jeep as it hit a lot of things on the road. We rushed out of the jeep minding the injured guy. We looked for the driver and his assistant with the kid but they were already gone. Our jeep was at the middle of Ortigas Ave perpendicular to the traffic. Below the jeep was a big log that perhaps stopped us from getting caught in the intersection. We looked where the log came from and it was one of the smaller trees on the side walk. It started to rain and that just made it worse. The other passengers already left while some of us remained either because of shock, anger towards the driver or concern towards the injured guy. I was more of the former and the latter.

I couldn’t feel anger because I was still thankful that someone guided the driver to have a clear mind (although he may actually have been drunk, dozing off or just really greedy) to spare us from greater tragedy. When I started to think clearly again, first thing was I called the emergency number on my office phone. I never tried using that number and never thought that I would. There was a recorded message saying to call 117. So I did and luckily there was an attendant whom I reported the accident to. I couldn’t even remember where I was and took a while for me to say that we were at the intersection near IPI. A few minutes later a police mobile came and an ambulance followed. GMA News TV was also quick to respond. As the rain got stronger, all the rest of the remaining passengers parted ways and made their way home.

This year has been a year of changes. I’ve achieved a few changes I wanted for myself. Though there are lots that I still want to experience I’m atleast content that my life is not just all about the work I do anymore. I finally know what I wanted in life. It’s just a matter of how to get there. I am actually starting to live out my good times and then this happens.

The accident today may change me yet again. I don’t know when I could ride a jeep again especially late hours along Ortigas Ave. But I know that there is a reason why tragedy didn’t strike today. Miracles do happen. Coming from someone who isn’t an avid go-er of the church, I have to say that I do believe. Had that tree not been there, we could’ve stopped at the middle of the intersection and got hit by other self-concerned drivers. Had the driver been a little less aware of what he should have done, we could’ve toppled down or got ejected from our seats and into the road. So many things could’ve led to a bigger accident – but they didn’t.

Life is temporary. Something I learned today first-hand is that we can never be too careful or be too prepared. Regular things we do day-to-day can lead to bad things especially at the hands of less responsible people. There was a lady who talked to us at the scene of the accident and she said that her hand was hit by the jeep we were just on while standing on the side walk. It could’ve been worse for her too – but it wasn’t. Who knew that by her just being at the side walk where she is supposed to be waiting for a cab or a jeep that she’d be part of our accident?

Make everyday worthwhile. Carpe diem. Seize the day. Enjoy the good things in life and don’t get stuck by a monotonous cycle of work. Being young and living a healthy lifestyle will only protect you from not expiring too early due to sickness, an accident on the otherhand is a totally real and dreadful thing.