By MUHAMMED S BAH & NELSON MANNEH
On the 10 October, 2016, a state guard vehicle claims the lives of two (2) people and left one person seriously injured at Lamin village on the Lamin/Brikama highway.
According to eye witnesses, the accident which occurred around 18:30 pm claims the lives of one Fatoumatta Bah, a 12 year old from St. Peter’s Primary School in Grade 3 and a 65year old woman by the name Jabou Buwarro.
The vehicle, which is a four wheel vehicle with tinted glass, has no number plate to show its identification.
Speaking to Foroyaa, Saikou Camara, the owner of the compound where the vehicle finally hit said he was sitting in his wife’s shop when he heard the sound of the accident then he rushed there and found that the vehicle had destroyed his fence where a shop is built.
According to Mr. Camara, this is the second time an accident of such nature is happening. “The last time a government vehicle hit my fence and it was not rebuilt. I spent my own money to rebuild it, this time around when the incident occurred; some people came to my house and said that they will rebuild the damage made,” he said.
Mr. Camara added, “They told me to give them a draft of the cost to erect the fence which I did but since that day they did not come back, I have to spend my own money to erect the fence. I spent an amount of D4,850 to rebuild the fence,’’ he lamented.
He explained that other damages experienced as a result of the accident include the bed of the shopkeeper in the shop who is trying to make ends meet with his small business.
“I am not working anymore, and none of my children are, the little money I get is from my in-laws, which cannot sustain me,” he remarked.
According to him, he still owes about D1,500 from the money he spent the last time he was erecting his fence.
Alagie Karafa Jawara, said his car with the registration number, BJL 1885M, was also hit by the State Guard vehicle. He said the vehicle destroyed his new car on which he spent a lot of money to clear it at the Gambia Ports Authority. He said other expenses were incurred with the hope of selling it to recover the money.
He added that his intention was to sell it at nothing less than D400,000 but with this incident he is asking the one who damaged his car to pay him D350,000. “I have to get my money back because this is business; I have spent a lot so I cannot lose it like that,” he asserted.
According to Mr. Jawara his car is totally damaged and can no longer be used by anybody so he is expecting his money in order to continue with his business.
He said the vehicle is currently under police custody in Banjulunding and he is patiently waiting for them to pay him back his money.
Visiting the home of Fatoumatta Bah, her brother Ebrima Bah, lamented the sudden death of his sister.
“Fatoumatta Bah left home for school on that very Monday morning and we were informed in the evening that she got involved in an accident and passed away. It was a very sorrowful accident, my sister is among the lovely sisters of our family, and we have really lost a friendly sister,’’ he said.
These reporters also visited the home of Jabou Buwarro, in Lamin Daranka. The 65 year old woman victim is survived with nine children, 5 female and 4 male. She was laid to rest on Wednesday, 12 October, 2016. An in-law to the deceased Sedat Fatty explained that he was called on Tuesday, 11 October and was informed that his mother in law did not spend the night in the house on Monday. He said he then rushed to the Banjulunding police station to make enquiries about her.
“At the police station, I was told that an old woman and other people were involved in a car accident and were rushed to the Serrekunda Hospital,” he explains.
According to him, he then rushed to the Serrekunda hospital and was later referred to the mortuary in Banjul where he found the dead body of his mother in law.
“Before we left, delegates from the state house met us there and said that they will be assisting us with other expenses concerning the funeral arrangement of our lovely mum, but we were there with our own vehicle which we used to transport the dead body to her residence in Lamin Daranka’’ he noted.
He said the president of the Supreme Islamic Council Muhammad Lamin Touray, the vice president and other delegation from the state house witnessed the burial on Wednesday, 12 October, 2016.
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relation Officer through mobile phone proved futile. Foroyaa will further make efforts to reach the Police Public Relation Officer.
