Culprit free as Pinay in Happy Valley car mishap still bedridden

By Vir B. Lumicao

Gandalera lies in pain after being hit by the wayward Jaguar

A Filipina helper is still bedridden in hospital with a fractured pelvic bone and a hip injury after being hit by a runaway car in a Happy Valley carpark on Oct 16.

Police say no arrest has yet been made, and no charges filed against the unidentified driver of the wayward Jaguar sport utility vehicle that caused the accident.

Sally Midriano Gandalera was injured when the SUV hit her employer’s car which she was cleaning at the time inside the carpark on Broadwood Road. The impact threw her to the ground, where she lay bleeding and in pain until paramedics took her to Queen Mary Hospital in Pokfulam.

Gandalera was visited at the hospital on Nov 2 by officers of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Hong Kong after The SUN relayed information obtained from the police about her case.

Welfare officer Virsie Tamayao reported to Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre that Gandalera was undergoing therapy from the hips down after sustaining a left hip dislocation and pelvic bone fracture.

She showed a medical report indicating that Gandalera also suffered a lacerated scalp.

"She is undergoing therapy from the hips down," said Tamayao.

She said the patient still can't walk or get up but can already talk.

Tamayao said Gandalera’s employer is pursuing the case, which is still being investigated by the Police Traffic Accident Bureau. However, claims for employee compensation and from the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance scheme have yet to be filed.

Gandalera has two sisters who are also working in Hong Kong but are reportedly unable to help in the filing of claims because they can only go out on Sundays.