Whenever the year is about to close, there is a tendency that people look back reflecting on events that occurred during the course of the year in review, most especially things that were unprecedented. It is a tradition that, each year, our editorial team recaps events that were most memorable, judging from either their uniqueness or trending nature.
This year, our first memorable event directs us to the fatal car accident that took place at the RLJ Hotel junction, between Rehab and Thinker Village in March, along the Robert International Airport Road.
Lucky Smart, who began his early academic year at the African Dream Academy, an institution operated by District 6 Representative, Samuel Enders, up until he became a 10th grader, died on the scene due to severe burns, along with a kehkeh driver while on his way from school with his older sister, who luckily escaped the accident with minor injuries.
The accident occurred at about 4:10 pm on Wednesday, March 20, and according to an eyewitness, over 10 others, including six police officers, were taken to the hospital after sustaining injuries during the accident.
According to eyewitnesses’ accounts, a white truck conveying building materials was initially parked at the Rehab Junction intersection on the Robert Highway undergoing repairs, but upon taking off, following the repair, there was a sudden hovering sound, surmising that it had lost control.
Around Krishna Supermarket, the truck instantly began hitting motorcycles, tricycles, and vehicles, before approaching the two motorcycles carrying four police officers, killing one instantly, then hitting another motorcyclist, who also died, before crashing into a kehkeh and subsequently bursting into flames, leading to the death of the student and the kehkeh driver.
The eyewitness explained that, heading towards the RIA highway side, the white Renault truck with license plate number: UN-0695, and operated by one Sam Morris, a Liberian resident of Omega Community, Paynesville, and owned by UNIDO of One UN House, Pan African Plaza, 1st Street, Sinkor, Monrovia, began causing avoidable damages.
The investigation further established that the UN truck operator lost control and collided with 13 vehicles, including five cars, five tricycles, and three motorcycles, while the tricycle got stuck under the truck while on fire, leading the truck and the tricycle to burn.
11 persons, including six Traffic Police Officers, were involved in the accident; four persons were pronounced dead. Officers involved in the accident were CIP. Wolubah Moore; Sgt. William Davis; Ptr. Abraham Kemokai; Sgt. Jacob Sumo; Ptr. Milton Pewee, and Ptr. Emmanuel Gbowee, who was pronounced dead on arrival at the ELWA.
The rest of the Officers underwent medical attention at the ELWA Hospital, while the remains of the two unidentified kids were also deposited at JFK morgue, and an unidentified male victim was also pronounced dead and deposited at the ELWA morgue.
Meanwhile, Morris’ crime was reckless driving, which resulted into deaths, injuries, and property damage, and is a violation of Section 10.4 of the Vehicle and Traffic Laws of Liberia, though the outcome was not public.
The paper also recalls an incident that witnessed the death of the late Angel Togba’s family members, who died mysteriously after being in a house fire incident in the Caldwell belt.
A family that still grieved the loss of a daughter whose death was mixed in an allegation of suicide, rape, and murder, was wiped out in a blazing fire.
Mother Cecilia Togba and her three children, including a two-year-old, were charred by the fire, and till now, the cause of the fire remains unestablished.
Eyewitnesses said the fire started from the living room of the house, thereby entrapping the entire family, whose cries for help yielded no fruit.
District 15 Representative in Montserrado County, Abu Bana Kamara, expressed sorrow and called for improved safety measures in the future, with assurance that the authorities would investigate the incident further.
Henry O. Williams, Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), assured the family that the government was aware of the situation and would provide support.
