Still embarrassed about jaywalking 24 years ago
Woman who broke leg in accident when she was 12 reacts to recent case
When she was 12, she jaywalked and was hit by a car.
That incident 24 years ago has stayed with her, and she still feels guilty over what she had put the driver who hit her through.
When she read a report in The New Paper on April 6 about a 12-year-old boy whose legs were run over by a car when he jaywalked outside his school, it brought back bad memories.
But what upset her more was the boy's mother blaming the driver, saying children should be allowed to make mistakes.
In October last year, Ravi (not his real name), then 12, jaywalked outside his school in Woodlands Circle to catch a bus.
He fell on the road, and a car ran over his legs. He suffered a fractured left ankle, and skin was torn from his right calf.
Ravi's mother told TNP she was upset the Traffic Police had told her they would not be taking action against the driver.
Her reaction drew the ire of netizens, who said she was sending the wrong message to her son, and he might not understand the severity of his actions.
After reading the article, the reader who wanted only to be known as Miss Wong, 36, contacted TNP to share the experience she had when she was 12.
In 1993, she was on her way to Serangoon Gardens when she crossed a road.
Traffic was relatively light, and she - assuming the drivers would stop for her - stepped onto the road without looking. A car which did not stop in time hit her.
Miss Wong said she suffered a broken left leg, which was trapped under the tyre.
She told TNP: "Until now, I am still embarrassed about what I did, because I was not five, I was 12. I should have known better.
"During my three-month recovery at home doing nothing, I really reflected on it. It was a stupid move on my part, as the zebra crossing was only 20m away."
Miss Wong's father was nearby, and he drove her to the hospital, where she was warded for two days.
The driver offered them compensation and his contact details to stay in touch with her.
Miss Wong, who has been driving for 14 years, still has flashbacks of the accident .
She said: "I feel sorry for inflicting (the trauma) on the driver, and I do not blame him at all for what happened."
On Ravi's mother's comments, she said: "Just because kids are expected to make mistakes does not mean it is not his fault... No matter what, a mistake is still a mistake that should not be trivialised.
"He is responsible for himself, and (Ravi's mother), as a mum, she has to teach him."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now