My hometown is a good two hours away from the nearest airport, TRV or Thiruvananthapuram. Often we Chandanapallikar hire local drivers to pick us up from the airport in our own (parental) cars, which is often a little cheaper than an airport taxi. For women travelling alone, a known local driver is better (safer/more comfortable) than an unknown airport cabbie.
One such passenger met her death on her way home from the airport today. She had reached the Kerala capital on a dawn flight from Dxb, and she was promptly picked up by her regular driver from the village. Unfortunately, the car hit a divider (the driver is suspected to have dozed off) and the lady doctor who was sitting in the back seat was fatally injured. A cardiac arrest followed and the news of her death reached us by 10 am.
This has been one of the most tragic news for us Chandanapallians. The gyn's husband had passed away two years back, and she single-handedly reared her two children - one a UG student here, and the second who recently got admission for MBBS in Kerala. The fate/future of the children hangs in the balance now. I hope there is a way forward, and they will have adequate support.
It is ironic that someone who had passed her UAE driving test in first attempt -- a feat here -- should lose her life in a road accident elsewhere. She had gone to get her new house ready for housewarming and possibly also meet her son.
The death is a reminder for us expats to be more mindful of our future, our savings and not to waste money on palatial mansions back home. And of course road safety, which is a big issue in Kerala despite its world-class roads - what is the use when people on the roads dont know basic rules or etiquette?
#drbinduphilip
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