CALDWELL – Scores of unknown aggrieved motorcyclists in the township of Caldwell, outside Monrovia have set ablaze a ten-tyre Mack truck after the driver instantly killed a 28-year old man in a tragic accident and ‘escaped’ the scene.
The incident occurred during the early evening hours of Saturday, April 7. The victim was identified as one Enoch Weah.
He was a graduate of the Assembly of God Mission High School in the Borough of New Kru Town, outside Monrovia and a resident of Caldwell.
Eyewitnesses told FrontPageAfrica that the victim disembarked from a tricycle that took him from the Caldwell Junction to Dixville junction.
While crossing the road, the victim was smashed by the truck, leaving him with broken legs, waist and hands.
“The boy (victim) just got down from the kehkeh (tricycle); he paid the kehkeh driver and he was crossing the road. But the driver was looking on the other side because he was trying to bend in. He hit the boy and the truck walked over him” a pedestrian who was on the scene when the accident occurred stated.
Following the incident, the unknown driver reportedly drove the truck involved in the accident from the scene to the Samukai Town junction after he was being chased by the aggrieved motorcyclists.
He later abandoned the truck on the main road and ran to an unknown destination for fear of being attacked by the commercial motorcyclists who were pursuing him after the incident.
The action of the driver later compelled the aggrieved commercial motorcyclists to set ablaze the truck in revenge of the cold-blooded killing of the young Liberian.
Officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) later arrived on the scene to curtail the escalation of the situation.
Enoch met his untimely demise just few minutes after he and several others had returned from “cutting contract” on a house construction project.
Over speeding
Residents of the township of Caldwell have persistently complained over the over speeding of trucks on the road.
The road serves as a main route for the transporting of crushed rocks and sand to nearby areas and faraway places by commercial truck drivers and owners.
But residents continue to express grave concern over the alleged “reckless driving and over speeding” by these truck drivers who most often endanger the lives of students, pedestrians and the valuable properties of others.
“When you see the way the trucks can be speeding on this road, you will be afraid my brother. They can be carrying heavy load and still be running on the road like that. No speed breakers on the road and instead of them taking their time to drive, they will be running just like they are on the highway”, mother Alice Anderson stated.
Mr. Anthony Wisseh states: “As for me, I want for government to remove this sand mining and crushed rocks people from here. That’s the only way accident on this road will cease small”.
Normal routine
Reported reckless driving and over speeding by truck drivers appear to be the root cause for the increase in the number of accidents on the Caldwell road, outside Monrovia.
According to the residents, the situation has compelled them to take their kids to school by themselves regularly, instead of trusting their older children or others to carry them to and from their respective insrtitutions of learning.
Commotion between commercial motorcyclists and these truck drivers continue to be the order of the day in the terrain as a result of the situation.
“This morning people can’t go to work on time because, you are forced to come on the road to make sure that your children cross the road, or you crossed them to go to school before you go to work or go sell in the market. Even to the various main junctions leading to the school, you can’t even find a single police officer on the road directing the traffic for the students to even cross”, an elderly woman who preferred not to be named stated.
She continued: “I foresee citizens instantly reacting every day if the situation is not handled”.
Condemnation
For his part, William Delyue condemned the mob justice, but underscored the need for LNP authorities to assign officers on the Caldwell road, especially during the morning and afternoon hours.
He noted that though the aggrieved commercial motorcyclists “took the law into their hands”, it is prudent that government sees reason to take the necessary actions to avoid the reoccurrence of the incident.
He, however, observed that most citizens will continue to loss their lives and other valuable properties would be damaged if government sits supinely and watch.
Mr. Delyue called for the installation of speed breakers and limits on the road to help prevent the increase in accidents on the Caldwell road.
He wants the perpetrators of the latest mob violence to be brought to justice to end the growing wave of ‘jungle justice’ in the community, but calls for the arrest and subsequent prosecution of truck drivers and others found guilty of reckless driving to serve as deterrence to those who “drive recklessly without any feeling or value for human lives”.
Meanwhile, the family members of victim Enoch, including his father, Mr. Dennis Weah-who just returned from Greenville, Sinoe County upon hearing the news-are calling on government, especially the Liberia National Police (LNP) to bring the truck driver to justice.