By: Aruna Kamara (BO)
A vehicle(Tanker) belonging to the Socfin Agricultural Company(SAC) with the registration number AOQ 441 that was heading for Freetown with 36 Tons of Palm Oil was on Tuesday evening involved in a gruesome road accident at Shelmingo along the Bo Koribondo Highway in Bo. Tanka summersaulted before finally landing into a ditch.
Police officers in Bo led by Inspector Mangay upon receipt of the report of the accident went to the scene to stop the people from scooping the leaked palm oil on the ground and to prevent further damage to the tanker.
According to Inspector Manga, upon visiting the scene, they enagaged the driver and found out that he was allegedly dead drunk and was taken to the Bo West Police Station for investigations.
Speaking to A-Z Newspaper, the head of the drivers of Socfin Agricultural Company, Thomas Bendu explained that the driver, Kapri Kargbo involved in the accident was among the drivers with the tanker that loaded the palm oil at the SAC in Malen Chiefdom in Pujehun District.
He confirmed that they were heading for Freetown and when they arrived at Tippa ground in Bo, the vehicle developed a problem and could not move.
Bendu said that his own vehicle was ahead of the tanker but later noticed that the tanker could not move at Tippa ground in Bo and he came down from his own vehicle and helped the driver to start the vehicle by touching the battery, and the vehicle started and they continued with the journey.
Bendu said all the Tanker drivers that were moving in a convoy agreed to have a brief stopover at New London in Bo to repair their tyres, adding that they were at New London when they heard their colleague was involved in an accident.
He pointed out that the apprentice of the tanker involved in the accident told him that while their vehicle was on the way to new London, it hits a stationery vehicle including a woman, and landed into a ditch after it summersaulted.
The accident according eye witness report left the woman in a critical condition and was taken to the Bo Government Hospital for medication.
