Marie Carmelle’s near death accident

After the roguish actions of the Mayor and his staff fraudulently causing us the loss of our Head Quarter in Morne a Bateau, we temporarily settled in Leogane where we continued to establish ourselves as advocates for the needy.  It was indeed a demanding time for us especially after we suffered this great financial undeserved defeat.  This was also a time to realize that we were surrounded by loyal volunteers whom stood fast despite the calamity we endured.

On a search for a larger property one evening, accompanied by four of our staff members, we were driving eastward on the National Route # 2.  Our Tap tap hired driver apparently did not estimate the speed of the vehicle that was behind us when he made that heartrending left turn that could have caused us our lives.  Like all experienced driver, I immediately looked at the upcoming traffic for clearance and I saw that car coming straight at us like a bullet and had time to only scream “hold on” as I quickly grabbed with both hands the ceiling hand rails of the tap tap.  It was unfortunately too late for the other volunteers as they had no ideas what was about to happen.  Within seconds we were violently side strike with a big “bang, skidding tires and screams”.  Luckily the taxi did not overturn but severely bounced from both sides and was literally shoved into the opposite side of the road.  I was dazed and confused while I was trying to assess everybody’s condition.  Marie Carmelle was missing and some twenty feet away, a crowd was forming around an inert body in the street.  That was her, our Welcome Committee Director who was propelled out onto the street and whose body was   miraculously landed in a not so forgiven dirt road.

She was not responding, not breathing and apparently lifeless.  Something had to be done quickly.  In the mean time the crowd was getting larger and larger and nothing was making sense.  I called for help in an inaudible voice and began to hear the muffled mixed sounds of a non sense horde of curious people.     I began mouth to mouth resuscitation with the assistance of someone whom I do have a very hazy memento.  It was a man, someone from the neighborhood who thereafter helped us transport her in a pickup truck to the nearest hospital.  “Nearest hospital”, I said.  I was, facing with my own tragic case on a pickup truck, looking for a non existing “Nearest Hospital”, here I was experiencing what every single Haitian faces every day; the need for a near urgent care that we will never reached.

The driver of the pickup stopped at the Commissariat of Gressier and sadly announced that’s as far he will go, the police should take it from there...  In the mean time, I was watching this lady’s life fading away, caught in Haiti’s struggle for development and a better life for all.  Lucky should I say we were when couple policemen suggested taking us to Port-au-Prince conditionally.  By now, I understood all innuendos and was not about to discuss ethics.  Once again we moved her still body into the police pickup and began the emergency trip that apparently would have saved her life.  At mid way, with the siren blasted, going through in and out traffic in pot holes, on sidewalks and back onto the streets, her lips budged and few seconds later her eye lids began to release.  I looked at the sky, grateful and beseeching.

We arrived in Martissant where I noticed a hospital “Doctors without borders”.  She was quickly admitted and stabilized. I was thankful to these police officers, despite the unethical condition under which I had to accept their assistance.