Fast Car

It was noon. You had probably just taken your lunch and were ready to doze off for a siesta. Then, suddenly, car horns simultaneously blared, and yells for justice rose in front of Naga City Police Station 3, along with a funeral march that began from a neighboring high school. How did we ever get here?

This should have been simple. It should not matter if it was past midnight. After all, what is a convenience store that is open 24 hours for? Of course, there would be customers even at one in the morning. Besides, I suppose people would still have been up and about at that time since it was the first time that the fluvial procession ran late into the night and early morning.

A pedestrian crosses the street through the pedestrian lane at a reasonable pace, not running, but also not very slowly. Vehicle drivers should drive through city streets, especially those in proximity to downtown, at a reasonable speed and not as if they were zooming down an expressway. They should slow down when approaching pedestrian lanes. I could imagine that it would be tempting to speed up at a time of day when cars and commuters are scarce. But when a driver sees a pedestrian on any of those zebra lanes, it is imperative to slow down. A driver should let the pedestrian pass through, then go on his or her merry way.

This should be easy in the spirit of sobriety. If the person holding the steering wheel and with a sole on the brake is inebriated, that’s another question.

After all, it was fiesta. With due respect to the devoted, it was party time. It was time to eat, drink, and be merry—and drink, and get drunk. But, as the saying goes, “If you’re drinking, don’t drive; if you’re driving, don’t drink,” regardless of the fiesta season.

Even if the driver is sober, he or she shouldn’t be speeding on an urban street where residents could be walking by or crossing the road, regardless of the time of day. This should be especially observed at intersections with business establishments.

But then again, accidents happen, even in sobriety, at reasonable speeds, and despite care and caution. When a pedestrian gets hit by a car, the responsible thing to do is to take the victim to the hospital as soon as possible for medical attention—no questions asked. Pull over. Get the injured person inside the car. Use that speed beneficially to take the victim to the hospital.

I remember that I myself got hit by a vehicle that turned the curve in front of the 7-Eleven in front of UNC’s first gate. I don’t think that small delivery vehicle was speeding. I think it was me who crossed the street without making sure the cars were far enough away. The driver immediately took me to Naga City Hospital, which at that time was still along Peñafrancia Avenue.

I recall that driver, whose name I have since forgotten, was so worried. After an hour or two, I assured him that it was okay for him to go and make his delivery. After the treatment at the hospital, he did take me home in the very vehicle that had hit me.

My whole body was beaten and battered. My hands were bruised. I thought the bloody scars across my face would never heal. To my surprise, eventually they did, as if nothing had happened.

But then, I guess, not all drivers are like him. (I wish I could remember his name.) Furthermore, not all victims end up merely bruised and battered. For some, that street crossing gets to be the last thing they do in their lives.

In such a case, the police should investigate the death. The investigation should determine who had the right of way at the time of the incident and establish the speed at which the driver was traveling. It should also assess whether the driver was complying with applicable traffic rules and regulations and whether the victim was crossing the road properly and at an appropriate location.

Investigators should examine whether traffic lights, road signs, or other traffic-control devices were present and functioning, as well as whether visibility and road conditions were adequate at the time of the accident. The investigation should further determine whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol or other substances and whether any mechanical defect or malfunction of the vehicle may have contributed to the incident.

It should also establish whether the driver’s actions constituted reckless or negligent driving and identify any other circumstances that may have contributed to the occurrence of the accident and the resulting death.

RA 4136 specifically provides that “If, as the result of negligence or reckless or unreasonable fast driving, any accident occurs resulting in death or injury of any person, the motor vehicle operator at fault shall, upon conviction, be punished under the provisions of the Revised Penal Code.”

At some point, this process was violated.

Proverbs 22:3

““A wise person sees danger and takes precautions, but the foolish keep going and suffer the consequences.””