Last night, my housemates and I were in the kitchen preparing dinner when we heard a large boom. Seconds later, our guard was knocking at our door. Apparently, down at the main road, there had been a big accident. He wanted to go down and see if he could help any. We could already hear sounds of wailing and yelling, so we knew the accident had to have been a big one.
We ate dinner while we waited for Richard to come back. The background noise to this meal was sounds of sorrow. It was an almost eerie experience. About 45 minutes later, Richard came back with a report. A large logger truck and a big cargo truck were passing each other on the road. There wasn’t enough room for both vehicles, and one of the giant logs on the truck swiped the side of the cargo truck. Neither driver was injured, but the cargo truck was loaded with about 30 people who were returning from a wedding. The cage on the truck was destroyed by the log, and all of the passengers were knocked out of the bed. Three people were dead on impact; several others were rushed to the hospital. What a drastic ending to a day of celebration for those people.
Incidents such as this one are handled much differently in Cameroon than in the States. The injured were not rushed to the hospital via ambulances and paramedics. Instead, taxi drivers offered their services to bring the wounded to the help they needed. The driver of the logger truck instantly fled the scene. To the American, a hit-and-run is a big “no-no.” In Cameroon, hit-and-runs are actually recommended. If the person responsible for the accident does not flee the scene, he will probably face mob justice. Instead, it is recommended in such situations that one flee the scene and turn himself in to the police. There, he will experience a more legal form of justice.
When our guard arrived back home with the update, the police had not yet appeared on scene. Richard had taken pictures of the accident in case they were needed in the investigation. What a reminder of the brevity of life. We don’t know the number of days that God has allotted to us. But, with each day that God has given me, I want to use it for his glory.
