You read, I read.: The Accident

The Accident

It's been a year and 3 months since it happened. I wouldn't say that it changed my life or anything exaggerating, but it definitely made me much more cautious on the road and how humbling the world can make one to be.

4th August 2009 - 5 days to my 23rd birthday

It was a bright morning in Esperance. I woke up and not to my amazement, the guys were still sleeping. A look at my handphone and hm, 8am. What a bright sunny day, I thought to myself.

I freshened up and got down to preparing breakfast for everyone. By the time I was frying the bacon on the pathetic small pan provided by the caravan park, Teck Soon got woken up by the sizzling sounds and my shuffling around the cabin. He then contributed by poaching eggs for all of us and Wee Kian pan-fried the buns (which was absolutely delicious) that we bought from IGA. I fried more onions and assembed everything into a mega burger.

Other than the eggs benedict than we had the day before, I would say this burger was the best breakfast I ever had in Perth.

We took a shower and started to pack up. It was the last day of our road trip and we were scheduled to return to Perth city. 800km's drive back to the city and time was crucial during winter. Short daylight hours probably unnerved us a little but we took our time to pace everything.

Closing the boot after stuffing everything in

We set off. Nothing could be better, with our stomachs filled and a bright sunny day ahead of us. We decided to take the coastal drive and take in some last moments of the Esperance beaches. The white sands and turquoise seas - when would we see them again?

Breathtaking.

Our last happy moments before it.

We grabbed lunch (much-raved about fried chicken) in town and started the drive. I took first leg of the drive and got behind the wheel for about 250km.

Nice drive on the tarmac

It wasn't unfamiliar as Teck Soon and I drove down the same route that we took in 2008.

The only difference was, we were rushing for time and decided to take up the suggestion from the GPS, which showed a shorter route. So we reached a fork and decided to enter - the Holt Rock Road.

It was muddy. It was gravel. We stopped by a huge bend for some photo-taking (take note that we were still in a rush for time to get back to Perth before sunset at 5pm).

The Yaris covered in mud

Where we came from

Where we were heading to

After the photo-taking, Wee Kian took over the wheel. There were a couple of reasons why we made that decision.

1) In my previous trip in 2008, I drove the last leg of the journey from Esperance to Perth and boy, was that stretch of road treacherous. It contained many turns, up-slopes and downhills and was extremely winding, compared to other legs of that journey. We had yet to reach that part hence we thought letting Wee Kian (being a relatively new driver in Perth; not that I was experienced, but I was a little more experienced than him at least, having done 480km each time I drove) take the middle baton was a wise move and Teck Soon could have the last leg.

2) It would be a short journey before we eventually meet the tarmac road and gravel didn't seem to cross our minds as the major factor that would lead to what happened next -

I sat in the backseat, reading my Harry Potter and it was 40 minutes after Wee Kian took the wheel. Teck Soon, sitting in the passenger seat beside the driver's seat, turned around and looked at me.

'Baby, can you wear your seat belt please?'

I gave him a disgruntled face and grudgingly obliged. Little did I know that this reminder, saved my life.

And then it happened.

I was so engrossed into the book that I didn't know that the car was already cruising on 100km/h on gravel. It started off as being a little shaky as I noticed that I could not concentrate on reading anymore. I looked up and saw the digital speedometer hovering between 100 and 101.

Teck Soon spoke up first. 'Wee Kian, can you slow down a bit?'

As soon as he finished that sentence, the car fishtailed, I could feel it from behind and the car suddenly gained speed and the next reflex Wee Kian had was to brake.

That was it. Braking caused front tyres to lock slightly and the back tyres to lift and further aggravated the fish-tailing. Then the car veered off course and Wee Kian tried to steer it back but he overshot and we were all going towards the left side of the road - soon to be crashing into a huge soil dump.

Teck Soon shouted 'Wee Kiaaaaannnnn!!!!!' and it felt like a car-washing experience for me - the trees were flashing by me so fast, I screamed and we felt the car rose and hit the floor, continued to dash through what seemed like shrubs and bushes, before crashing into a tree.

Both the air bags blew and I hit my face against the head rest in front. A sudden burst of smoke filled up the interior and the next thing was on our minds - explosion, run.

I looked around and remembered that the car was a 2-door car and I had no door on my side. Teck Soon kicked his door and could not open it as it was blocked by yet another tree. Wee Kian turned around and said in panic, 'Here cannot open either!'

I shouted 'Kick it! You're wearing your army boots right?! Kick the door!' That was our only way out. And so he did, scrambled out, followed by Teck Soon, and then me. We ran all the way to the main road which was about 50 metres away and waited for it.

Nothing came. After what seemed like three minutes, there were still no sound.

After checking if I suffered any injuries, Teck Soon started to hurl abuse at Wee Kian. He was so mad that he could only say 'What the fuck were you doing?! What the fuck were you driving so fast for!?'

I was helpless as I pulled Teck Soon away from charging at Wee Kian and Wee Kian looked like he was in a state of shock, not saying anything.

'Guys, we need to calm down. Let's go back and check the car.'

I walked back into the bush and along my way, was the front bumper of the Yaris. 10 metres away, I saw the right sports rim of the rear tyre lying on the floor. There it was, the Yaris, halted right in front of a small tree.

We looked at each other and I walked to the driver's door and did the first thing instinctively - to start the engine. It came on, not smoothly, but it came on alright.

A glimpse of hope. We could get out after all. I got into the driver's seat and engaged the reverse gear, hoping that the car could move - but it wouldn't budge. After 3 attempts, I gave up. We took out all our valuables and tried to use our GPS but there was no reception. We tried our handphones but there were no reception in the suburbs as well.

Is that it? Are we stuck? I was freaking fucking scared but I did not say it out. The distressed looks on the guys were already enough for me.

The guys walked to the front of the car and tried to push the tree away from the Yaris. It dawned upon me how ill-prepared we were. There were no knives in the car so we had nothing to cut the trees. They were breaking the stems bare-handed and Teck Soon leaned on the tree that we crashed into, with his feet on the bonnet of the Yaris. This time, I reversed while he pushed with his feet with all the might against the tree, Wee Kian was at the left side of the car and pushed against the window and yes, I swore the Yaris moved. I almost died of relief. The car can start, the car can start, I told myself.

We had to do it foot by foot, so as to not lock the wheels into the soil. This went on for a few rounds. The guys would break whatever that was obstructing the Yaris and I would veer the car in the right direction that we were going. All these while, no one spoke except for giving directions and how much to move. I kept checking for reception on the GPS and my handphone but there was nothing. It was pretty much hopeless.

As we reversed, we saw a way where we could veer the car out to the main road. Careful to not let the engine cease, I put on my manual driving skills to the test by controlling the half-clutch biting point to the best of my ability. We were all, or at least I, did not know if the engine would run again, if it stalled. The car was in such a pathetic state that it seem almost like a miracle that we could still drive it.

Finally, the car was on the main road. I did not dare to turn off the engine. I opened the door and that was when I realised that my frustrations of being helpless were so pent up and I started crying. I was seriously back to being a girl among the three of us. They were so apologetic that they squatted in front of me and just watched me cry, but did not say anything.

After I was done with crying (it was a stress relief), we discussed our next course of action. Which direction to go? Towards Perth or back to Esperance? There was a town at Lake King before we reached Holt Rock Road but it was a 60km drive away. We could get back there, contact insurance and have a mechanic take a look at the car. That seemed like a feasible so we tracked back.

And finally, 10 mins into driving at 40km/h (did not dare to go any faster than that at all), we aw a car. We stopped and caught their attention. It was two Australian guys who tried to offer us fuel but we had enough. They informed us that in the direction towards Perth, there was a town called Kulin, where there would be a hotel and hopefully a mechanic to check our car. That suggestion replayed in our heads. Kulin, closer to Perth and in the right direction where we wanted to go. But 100km, can the Yaris take it? At 40km/h, we would need two and a half hours to reach Kulin. It was 4pm and the sun was about to set. We had to make a decision fast.

Kulin, it is. We decided to take the risk of Yaris failing on us and the prospect that we might have to camp out in the wild during winter, without a tent, without food and transport the next day. We stopped another car, a mother and her two daughters, gave her Teck Soon's mother contact number and pleaded the lady to make a call to that number and relate the message - we've met with an accident but we're all okay. Contact RAC and we'll be at the next town, Kulin. She agreed and off we went.

That was the longest and most excruciating two hours' drive of my life. While Teck Soon was on the wheel, I was constantly looking out for cars in the opposite direction with my head out of the window from the passenger seat. The windscreen was completely soiled, the wipers were useless and the sun was setting on us and in our direction, causing the drive to be extremely blinded.

Several times I turned around and saw Wee Kian looking away, with tears stains on his cheeks. That sight brought tears to my eyes, even till today. I looked at Teck Soon, he was trying to concentrate on driving, albeit being helpless, hungry and angsty all at the same time.

Weird noises emitted from the car as it was being driven. That was when we noticed that the headlights were smashed and not working properly, the left side signel dropped and was scrapping the tyre as the tyre turned. The left passenger door could not open fully without a big clanking sound and we were driving the Yaris without a front bumper so it was as bare as it could be. The radiator from the front was hitting against something but that was too technical for me to grasp.

We finally reached Kulin in darkness and stopped by a shop. It was a furniture shop and the owner, an old man, was closing. We asked for his assistance and he kindly helped us check our car, lent us his phone to make a call to Teck Soon's mum who must be worried-sick by then. He also pointed out to us the nearest hotel that we could stop by for the night.

We checked in, spent about 30SGD in coins at the nearest phone booth, each calling our parents and telling them that we're fine, we're safe.

We sat by the road that night in silence, not wanting to think what happened but all it came to our minds were just flashes of the accident.

We talked, we hugged, we ate the last meal of the day, kindly provided by the hotel, and thanked Yaris that it saved our lives by being able to move even after such a crash, and the fact that we were still alive.