As the menance of Road Traffic Accidents continue to wreck havoc on Gambian roads, a truck driver has hit and killed an elderly man riding on a scooter bike, and injuring a boy riding behind the deceased. The incident happened between Brufut and Tanji at about 8:15pm on Wednesday, 12th October 2022.
According to eye witnesses, the said truck barely had any working headlights when the driver veered away from his side of the road, hitting the biker and killing him on the spot. Eye witnesses further revealed that the man who is said to be tiler was travelling back from work with his apprentice riding behind him on the scooter who is also badly injured, but evacuated away for medical attention.
The driver of the truck is said to be one Salifu Kujabi. He lives in Tanji. The identity of the victims are not yet adentified as we file this report.
Speaking to GunjurOnline’s Alhagie Ebrima Jatta who arrived at the scene shortly after the incident, an eye witness told him that he was riding in a commercial vehicle on his way back from Sukuta going to Batokunku. On the road behind them, he saw the said truck behind them as it approached a police checkpoint. According to him, the truck passed them at the checkpoint and was ahead of them as they approach Ghana town.
According to the eyewitness, the truck driver was seen veering towards the left hand side of the road colliding with the scooter which was coming from the Tanji end of the Coastal Road.
Concerns were raised as to how the truck could have passed at least two police checkpoints between turntable and Ghana town and been taken off the road because it had no headlights and it was already dark. Bribery and corruption continue to play a major park in the endless rod traffic accidents in The Gambia causing untold misery on families up and down the country.
We urge the Police high command in mounting a swift and full investigation on this incident and how the said truck was allowed to ply the road in darkness with no proper headlights.