Timely help would have saved Jyothi

Friends recall the last minutes of the accident victim

Precious time was lost owing to the insensitivity of many motorists who passed by the scene of the fatal accident on the Kowdiar- Ambalamukku road on Thursday.

“We pleaded with many who stopped to enquire what happened. But no one was ready to take Jyothi to hospital,” recounts an emotional Shalini, who lost her dear friend in the accident.

Forty five-year-old Jyothi Lakshmi of Nedumcaud was killed after being hit by a speeding motorcycle near Narmada Junction at 1 p.m. Shalini, who had suffered fracture in the right leg, was discharged from the Government Medical College here a day ago.

Greviously injured

Thulasi, another of her colleagues who suffered serious multiple injuries, continue to battle for her life at the hospital.

Kudumbasree workers

The trio were part of a group of 10 Kudumbasree workers, all of whom hailed from the same neighbourhood.

They were on their way to secure a loan for their fledgling catering business, an endeavour that enabled them to make both ends meet. The deceased was a mother of two children.

After getting hit by the two-wheeler, they fell on the road with Jyothi, who had stood on its path, suffering serious head injuries. With one of her legs being partially severed, transporting Jyothi in an autorickshaw was not an option.

“We tried stopping several vehicles that passed by. Some people stopped but left after asking what happened. There were others who said they were busy and sped off. Sadly, they did not think it was important to save a life,” Shalini said.

Some help

After waiting for 15 minutes, a family who had come from Kottayam offered to transport them to the General Hospital. However, the group had to stop and enquire for directions many times as they were not familiar with the routes.

They had also stopped before traffic signals, losing precious moments.

Jaya Binu, who was also among the group, said they saw a police jeep on the way. Shockingly, their requests for help were turned down.

“The police officers asked us to continue our journey in the same car. An ambulance driver we saw on the way also refused to assist,” she says. After reaching the General Hospital after around 25 minutes, they were soon shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital in an ambulance by 1.45 p.m.

Her last words

Jyothi kept muttering ‘Ponnu,’ her younger son Sudin’s nickname, many times on the way in a subconscious state. “However, she did not respond to calls when we had reached the hospital. The doctors later said that she could have been saved had we managed to get her there at least half-an-hour earlier,” Jaya recounted.

Family

The deceased is survived by her husband Suresh, a welder, and two sons, Sravan, who has recently completed Plus Two, and Sudin, a Class IX student.