At least 12 family members perished in a grisly accident after a Noah vehicle collided with a truck along the Juba-Nimule highway last Saturday.
Four people survived the fatal accident at the Amee Junction and they are receiving treatment at a hospital in Nimule, South Sudan’s Police Spokesperson Maj. Gen Daniel Justin told Radio Tamazuj.
“It was around 1 pm or 2 pm when a minibus was knocked by a truck. It is at the junction of Magwi in the village called Amee. 12 people lost their lives and four people were injured; 3 children and the driver,” Justin said. “The bodies were taken to Nimule and even the injured ones were escorted to the hospital in Nimule.”
Justin adds, “These accidents use to happen but for us from our side, we have deployed our highway traffic to monitor the speed of the vehicles, we have some devices to control this.”
Meanwhile, traffic police officer Capt. Juma George said the accident was caused by overspeeding.
“The small car was carrying a family; the whole family died and only three people remained. Three children remained. Actually, it is caused by overspeeding. The mistake might have been from the truck driver because it happened at the corner. The family was going to Uganda; they are South Sudanese,” Capt. Juma confirmed.
The officer disclosed that the truck driver, who escaped unharmed was arrested and is in police custody.
Juma urged drivers plying the Nimule highway to strictly observe traffic rules and regulations to curb accidents.
“The driver of the truck has been arrested and he is in custody. What I can tell the drivers coming from East Africa is let them move slowly especially during this season of festivities where many people are traveling. We also tell our drivers to follow their sides very well because these drivers coming from East Africa can sometimes forget their sides and come towards the right-hand side. So drivers should be very careful,” he advised.
A relative, Nyankuach Gabriel said, “We have buried like ten children here at burial place in checkpoint but the elderly have been taken to the village in Mayom, Unity state.”
Source: Radio Tamazuj