Car accident sends man to ICU

A truck that hit a pedestrian over the weekend sent one man to the Commonwealth Health Center Intensive Care Unit where he remains clinging to life after an emergency surgery.

Sixty-five-year-old Edmund Rabauliman, a retired Emergency Management Office personnel, was reportedly crossing the road to go to the Hemlani Apartment in Chalan Piao when the vehicle-pedestrian collision occurred last Friday at around 7pm.

According to Lin Rabauliman, the man’s daughter, her father did not die from the crash but he continues to fight for his life and remains under close watch at CHCC. She added that her father was taken into surgery early Saturday morning, for the injuries he sustained to his face.

“He didn’t die. He survived but he’s in the ICU right now. This morning he went into surgery because his face was really swollen,” she said.

Lin said she didn’t see the accident because she was in their home and cooking dinner at the time it happened. Neighbors were the ones who came to inform her that her dad had just been hit by a car.

“He was coming home from the store. He was crossing the road on his way over here. We don’t know everything because I was cooking at that time. Our neighbor came out and told us to check our dad because he was hit by a car,” she said.

Lin said the car that hit her father was a Toyota Tacoma. Lin said the driver stopped after hitting her father and got down from his vehicle to check on him. He also apologized to her and their family at the scene and told them he did not see him crossing.

Lin said she felt the accident was not completely the operator’s fault because her father is notorious for crossing the road while intoxicated.

“He said that he didn’t see my dad walking. The police were pushing me to press charges but I said no because part of me knows that my dad drinks every day and, when he crosses the street, he just walks straight out. He expects the cars to stop for him,” she said.

Lin said she wants to spread awareness about the dangers of jaywalking as well as driver safety in villages that are not well lit at night.

“I just want to say if you want to cross the street, please don’t jaywalk, use the cross walk. Also, drivers should be more cautious, especially when its dark, “she said.

Saipan Tribune has reached out to the Department of Public Safety about the incident but, as of Sunday, DPS said they have yet to compile reports from the incident to issue a press release.