Drive carefully, please

THE EDITOR: Driving on the winding, hilly terrain of the Las Lomas roads on my way to Kelly Village recently, I was forced to stop when spotting an erratic, speeding vehicle coming towards me. Being on a narrow road, I stopped to allow this madman to zoom past me.

A woman and young child, walking on the side of the road, also stopped. All three of us stared at the madness that just passed us in the form of that speeding driver. To my horror, I saw another vehicle following the first, only this one was drifting towards the mother and son.

I sat paralysed in my seat and watched for what seemed an eternity, helpless as the broad side of the car collided with mother and child. I remember holding the child who was covered in blood and the mother lying unconscious in the bushes. The child was crying in my arms and asking, “where my mommy?

I remember the child's father arriving on the scene screaming, "where meh child, where meh wife?" Looking at the driver, who could be around 28, who was shaken but unhurt, I wanted to hurt him for his irresponsibility and carelessness. A passerby who noticed the cars racing, only to come across the accident scene, he too wanted to hurt the driver.

The police officer, tears in his eyes and struggling with his emotion, surely wanted to hurt that driver. The wounded woman's older son, seeing her in that state, wanted to hurt the driver. Where was the driver's friend who was in the first car? He never returned to see if his "partner" was okay after getting into an accident.

Later that day, at the police station, waiting to give my witness statement, I felt the heavy stare of a woman who sat nearby. I assumed she was the mother of the errant driver. In her tear-stained eyes, I read the question: "What will happen to my child?” Who is punished in this scenario? As far as I can see, everyone, on both sides. Why do this? Why cause all this pain and hurt to victims, to yourself and your own family? Please, drive safely and responsibly.

DEV SINGH

Kelly Village