By Peter Kuol Kuch
Traffic police in Jonglei State have confirmed that two people died in a tragic road accident in Baidit Payam of Bor County earlier this week.
According to the traffic police, the collision involved two motorcycles and occurred on Monday as they were traveling from Bor town to a village.
Maj. Gen. Johnson Thon Reng, the Director of Traffic Police in Jonglei State, stated that the two young riders died instantly at the scene, while one person sustained severe injuries.
“Well, this incident took place on Monday at a place called Pagook. We were informed by phone,” Maj. Gen. Thon said. “Four young men were riding two motorcycles, but there was a truck with a low base that came from Twic East County. The truck collided with the motorcycles, and two people were lost on the spot.”
Maj. Gen. Thon attributed the cause of the accident to negligence and reckless riding by the motorists.
“Well, I can say that the cause of this accident is negligence,” Thon explained. “Again, that road has a lot of dust (maraam), but due to over speeding, it normally causes poor visibility, in which one can’t see the other vehicle.”
Maj. Gen. Thon noted that the road linking Bor town with Baidit and Jalle Payams is quite narrow. He cautioned riders and drivers to always drive responsibly to avoid further potential road accidents.
He further warned motorists and drivers to refrain from riding under the influence of alcohol and from speeding excessively. “The road is very narrow, and it needs people to be serious when driving or riding, so that’s what has happened,” he added.
According to traffic police, there has been a significant reduction in the number of road accidents in Bor over the past two years.