MONROVIA – A five-month pregnant woman has lost her baby as a result of being hit by one of the vehicles in Speaker Bhofal Chambers on Tuesday morning near the John F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center.
This is the second time in less than a year that the Speaker’s vehicle has been involved in an accident.
The victim’s husband, Mr. Geegba Williams, told reporters that the incident occurred at about 6:15 am.
“They got down from a car and were crossing the road to go to the hospital, because she was bringing her mother to the hospital to see the bone doctor. So, while they were crossing, the jeep came from the way of town going to the way of Paynesville and ran in them,” he said.
He continued, “For my wife, she is hurt badly and her mother, too, is complaining about her foot and her arm. Looking at it, I am not doctor to say it is broken or not, but we’re waiting for the result of the X-ray. From result of the ultrasound yesterday, the doctor said for my wife, who is five months pregnant, the baby is dead and so they have to bring the pain down before they can do any operation on her.”
Speaker Chambers could not be reached for comments. However, Mr. Williams said, the Speaker has intervened in the situation by ensuring that his wife and mother-in-law are placed in a private ward for proper medical attention.
In June last year, the Speaker’s convoy was involved in an accident with a cab while driving on excessive speed on the opposite lane around in front of Palm Springs Hotel in Congo Town.
The Speaker is clothed with the privilege of driving with sirens on the opposite lane.
But in recent time, there have been several debates on the abuse of this privilege.
Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon is one of few lawmakers who have condemned the use of the “third lane” by members of the three branches of the Liberian government, including the 54th National Legislature during traffic congestion.
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on February 3, Senator Dillon pointed out that the third lane law passed by members of the 53rd National Legislature is “bad”.
He observed that Liberia does not have a “third lane” and as such, granting such a privilege to state officials and others does not make any sense.
“The 53rd Legislature enacted a new Law that now grants rights to certain category of public officials, including Lawmakers, Associate Justices, Cabinet Ministers, etc., to use the “3rd Lane” in the vehicular traffic. I am here wondering whether we have any “3rd Lane” in Liberia or the said Law simply allows the privileged public officials the right to intrude into the free movement of the opposite traffic”.
“I hold strongly that this new Law is bad; it is against the public good and against public safety. We will be reviewing this latest Law to make sense of it, and where necessary, submit a Draft Act to assess, adjust and or repeal the same”.
Inspector General Sudue recently informed the House that the amended traffic law now gives members of the Legislature and other VIPs the right to ply opposite lane during times of emergency, but advised that they should use a single license plate assigned to them and an official vehicle, not multiple plates and cars as currently used. He also called on the lawmakers to install emergency lights and sirens on their vehicles to be easily identifiable.
Since the passage and subsequent signing into law of the new vehicle and traffic law of Liberia, there has been limited knowledge on its printing into handbills by the Liberian government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The public, especially motorists remain unaware about the existence of the law since in fact; no adequate information has been provided on the existence of the law by the government.
For this reason, citizens and other foreign nationals residing in the country are either novice or half-informed of the existence of the law exempting lawmakers, members of the judiciary, executive and others from traffic congestion.