A 52-year-old Balinese woman survived what could have easily been a deadly accident yesterday after a speeding fuel tank truck hit her motorbike on Jalan Raya Batubulan in Gianyar.
Her improbable tale of survival has amazed many in Bali. Amid the attention, the woman claims that a spiritual entity spared her as she still serves a purpose in this life.
“[When I was under the truck getting dragged], I felt like I was in a dream. Someone whispered to me, ‘Child, your time on earth is not finished yet. Please continue helping others,’” said Ni Made Ladri Yanti, a traditional healer who works with herbs and niskala (Balinese word for “the unseen”).
Ni Made then recalled that the invisible entity (who spoke to her in the dream in Balinese) “carried” her body away from impact and gently put her down. The next thing she knew was people were surrounding her.
“I was shocked, like, ‘what’s with the fuss? I was ‘flying’ just now,’” she added.
Whether you believe her claim or not, to say that she was lucky after the freak accident would be an understatement.
Ni Made only suffered minor wounds from the incident when witnesses were sure she would have at least been severely injured. While she was immediately rushed to the Premagana Batubulan Hospital’s Emergency Unit, the medical workers only found some scrapes and she was allowed to return home after some treatment.
That said, her motorbike is now in pieces. She is now on a quest to hold the truck driver, identified as I Ketut Sutarka, 48, accountable.
“I want to find his phone number. Will he assume responsibility [for the incident]?” she said, adding that she feels pain in her back and is planning to get an X-ray scan soon.
Separately, Ketut said that he would pay for Ni Made’s losses. He conceded that he was sleepy and that his brake malfunctioned when he saw Ni Made’s motorbike in front of him.
Ketut’s truck reportedly also hit two small warung (traditional stores) nearby. Ni Made Suarini, 48, an owner of one of the stores, said that she was lucky her business was closed at the time.
“We do have to be careful in this area,” she said, revealing that the location is prone to accidents.
The Sukawati Police are still investigating the case.
