I was on my way back from the burial ceremony of my friend, Ty's mother's burial when the accident happened. At National Bus Stop, just before Ikeja Along bus stop, a Sienna car swerved sharply out of traffic and hit two bikes carrying passengers.

I don't know if the driver had been sleeping or if his car brake failed; but the car swerved and sent people into life altering conditionss. One of the bikes caught fire, a man was trapped under the left back wheel of the car...that swerve caused tears and screams....then silence before people around swung into action.

The car owners were slowing down to see what had happened, some of the pedestrians had pushed the Sienna ways from the burning bike so as to avoid an explosion. No cars stopped, the traffic became steeper as drivers wanted a peek of what caused the crowd. The LAWMA official was speaking into his walkie talkie, while the police men surveyed the extent of damage. Men and women were lifting the victims off the middle of the road, a guy who had been standing close by with his lady friend/sister/daughter/colleague grabbed her bloody body off the road too.

At this time, I had crossed to the other side and joined the man to hail cars to help take his lady in blood to the hospital. All the car owners, slowed down to take a good look at the lady in blood and drove away. Here's the conversation that ensued between I and one of the said car owners;

Driver: Where are you going to?

Me: Not I, sir. Could you please help take this lady to the nearest hospital? Please sir

Driver: *zooms off*

Of all the accident victims, it was only this lady who hadn't broken any bones as far as I could tell. One man had broken both legs and his back, another had his left leg, just below the knee, snapped through; yet another's knee and a man's ankle wasn't looking like it should. Yet there were no means to convey them to the hospital.  The pedestrians who were helping out, were waiting to get public transport so they didn't have cars available. The cars slowly cruising by were more interested in knowing what the commotion was all about. 

No one stopped to offer a helping hand. In fact, one guy got out off the vehicle he was in, calmly walked to the accident scene and picked a phone which belonged to either a victim or one of the helpers. While another tried to take a picture of the lady drenched in her own blood.. it was pathetic. 

After trying to stop vehicles to no avail, the frustrated men who knew how critical it was to get this victims to the hospital pounced on a bus. Police men stood in front of the vehicle, others were trying to get in and cause the driver to stop. When he obviously reluctantly did, blows and slaps rained on him from various directions. He was dragged out of the driver's seat and the victims were loaded onto the bus. 

Finally, help had been forced on the victims of the accident by the ones who had no means to transport them to a medical care centre. 

I applaud those unsung heroes and heroines who rushed to help even though there was a burning bike which also placed them at great risk. I pray that the health care centres attended to those victims immediately they arrived. I wish them safe recovery and pray that they regain use of the limbs that were injured.

*sighs*

This incident brought lessons to me, lessons accompanied by a lot of questions;

- Why did the car owners not stop to help?

- Who was the LAWMA official reporting to on the walkie-talkie?

- How does the guy who picked the phone feel now? How could he do that when people were in pain?

- Why was the dude trying to take a picture of the victim when he could be trying to get help to her?

- If I had a car, would I have also zoomed off?

- Has there bad experiences caused them to lose their humanity?

- If those who helped out had vehicles, would they have stopped to do so?

- There were atleast 2 police stations less than 10 minutes away. Is there no policing network number that works for the whole police force? So that the closest police force to the scene can contact the medical centres close by? Are there no trained First Aid Personnel with the Police?

- Which Emergency Call Numbers actually work in Nigeria?

Please share your opinions because people can't just die like that, more has to be done.

Don't you think so?

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Photo Credits: Google Images