“And that was your last ‘Goodbye, Miss’ yesterday?” My friend’s Facebook post grabbed my attention.
Reading further, I learned from comments that my friend’s student, who was riding a motorcycle on her way to school, was fatally injured in a crash with another motorbike rider.
Snapped were the dreams of a breadwinner, a future teacher and a forthcoming beauty pageant bet, leaving behind her family, friends and mentors in anguish.
Further information I gathered showed that it was the second accident she encountered. About two months ago, she was also in a motorcycle mishap – her mother, who was riding with her, reportedly badly injured.
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Ironically, her accident this week occurred as the global community is observing the May 12-18 celebration of the United Nations Global Road Safety Week, a biennial event.
The 8th UN Global Road Safety Week is an occasion that “offers an opportunity to spur action at national and local levels to make walking and cycling safe.”
This is done, proponents say, “by highlighting concrete and specific interventions that can be taken by different stakeholders, which include governments, international agencies, civil society, businesses and schools.”
UN said that road traffic injuries are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide.
Here are some facts from the United Nations:
• Nearly 1.2 million people are killed due to road accidents each year.
• As many as 50 million people are injured annually.
• Road accidents are the leading killer of young people aged 5-29 years.
• Globally, more than one of every four deaths occur among pedestrians and cyclists.
The focus of the celebration is “Streets for Life #MakeWalkingSafe #MakeCyclingSafe”.
UN said consciousness of road safety “will help promote and facilitate a shift to walking and cycling, which are more healthy, green, sustainable and economically advantageous modes of transport.”
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Sad, indeed, that on the celebration of a the road safety awareness week, the family and loved ones of 21-year-old Rahsel Tayco of Barangay E. Lopez in Silay City are grieving over their loss.
She was the fourth among six siblings.
She would have represented her barangay in the Lin-ay sang Silay pageant slated on June 4.
Also feeling the sadness are her classmates, mentors and friends at Bacolod City College, where she was an Education junior student.
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Yesterday, my teacher-friend, Honey Grace Cabangbang, posted on her Facebook account a message that sums up the depth and breadth of their feelings on their loss:
“You may not have been able to defend (the thesis) today, but your group carried the torch beautifully. It was clear they gave their best – for you, and because of you.
“Still, I know in my heart that with you standing there, it would’ve shone even brighter.
“Your voice, your presence, your heart – would make the defense whole. You’ve already made us proud.”
Another life lost on the road, a painful lesson learned.
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The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18) | NWI
