Writer’s FB post sparks aid to accident victim
GEORGE TOWN: Thanks to a Facebook posting by The New York Times-Travel freelancer Robyn Eckhardt, char koay kak seller Ng Hooi Gaik, who was involved in an accident on Sunday, can now continue with her trade.
Eckhardt’s posting of the incident a few hours after it happened on Sunday morning had garnered many positive and generous response from the public in Penang and even abroad.
In her posting which she urged the public to share, she mentioned that Ng was struck in Lebuh Carnarvon by a drunk driver on her way to work in Lebuh Kimberley.
“We have delivered some of the cash to Ng and the rest will be given this week. She is physically fine,” Eckhardt replied to an e-mail from The Star yesterday.
A check on Ng, 59, at her rented home in Lebuh Melayu yesterday found that she was physically healthy, albeit with aches and pain here and there.
Lucky to survive: Ng showing a photograph of her damaged pushcart after the accident.
Her husband Ong Lay Choon, 58, said the family did not have the financial capability to consult a specialist.
He thanked Eckhardt and the public for their kind donations.
“We received RM2,040 from Eckhardt on Sunday evening. We are really grateful to everyone for their help,” he said.
Ng said she was pushing her cart against the traffic flow along Lebuh Carnarvon heading towards Lebuh Kimberley at around 7.25am when the incident happened.
“The car was coming quite fast and heading towards me. I froze and didn’t know what to do.
“The car then hit my cart and everything fell onto the ground,” she said, adding that her husband also used the cart to sell durians.
Ng said the cart had been sent for repair in Jalan Pintal Tali and would be ready by Friday.
Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng promised to help bear the cost of the repair.
