Several injured in tragic accident in Bong

More than fifty people on board a truck, on Wednesday morning, narrowly escaped death in a tragic motor accident at the Foequelleh junction, northwest of Bong County.

Victims of the accident- many of whom sustained serious wounds, including broken legs, hands and deep injuries on other body parts, are currently being treated at the Phebe Hospital in Suakoko.

The accident occurred after the driver of the truck, Karlo Kamara, lost control following several attempts to apply the brakes while climbing a hill at the Forla Junction.

Driver Kamara, who reportedly drove at an excessive speed, claimed he was unaware of an ongoing road works by the Chinese Company, CHECO.

Not observing the road block  set up by the Chinese company at work and a taxi cab upon climbing the hill, his only option was to direct the truck into a dish as a result of his inability to control his speed.

Our Bong County Correspondent quotes Kamara as putting the number of passengers in his car at forty, but some of the victims said they were about sixty.

At the accident scene, victims were seen screaming in tears as ambulances and other commercial vehicles convey them to the Phebe Hospital Wednesday morning.

Our Bong County correspondent, who visited the Phebe Hospital, could only count about thirty persons on admission in the emergency session. But health workers at the hospital said they had earlier discharged many others who were not in critically injured.

Bong County’s Police Chief of Traffic Augustine Kenneh said though investigation was still ongoing, he was of the strongest conviction that the accident occurred due to excessive and uncontrollable speeding, noting that most of the drivers were always in the habit of violating basic traffic rules.

He said Karlo Kamara has been constantly advised, given tickets for a number of traffic violations and sent to court.

The Bong County chief of Traffic urged the government to enforce the traffic laws, through the court system.

Superintendent Selena Polson Mappy, who visited the Phebe hospital shortly after the accident, described the accident as very terrible.

Madam Mappy, who expressed regret over the situation, urged the police in the county to go beyond manning check points and properly monitor traffic on highways.

Family members of victims filled the emergency session of the Phebe Hospital to see the conditions of their  severely injured relatives and friends.

Gbarnga marketers are seen every morning in overloaded vehicles, especially trucks and pickup trucks, for trade and commerce in various weekly market towns in the county.

During the heat of the Ebola crisis, there were many calls from the public for marketers and commercial drivers to stop overloading vehicles, but such calls made no impact.

By Papa Morris from Bong County