Douala: Two Die in Wouri Bridge Accident

Two people, a commercial bike rider and a female passenger, died this Monday afternoon in a tragic accident on the Wouri Bridge in Cameroon’s economic capital Douala.

An eyewitness reported that a heavy-duty truck crushed the bike while it tried to dodge a malfunctioning bus parked by the roadside.

A male passenger of the bike, reported to be the deceased woman’s son, survived the accident. He reportedly jumped from the bike as he sensed the risk of an accident.

A woman who witnessed the accident said, “An Avensis bus had a problem and parked by the roadside, but no sign indicated that it was parked.” The bike approached the bus and only noticed it was parked when it got very close. In an attempt to dodge the bus, a truck ran over them. The boy who was sitting behind his mother quickly jumped from the bike but the truck ran over his mother and bike man and they died on the spot.”

Police officers controlled traffic at the accident scene and facilitated the transfer of the bodies to the mortuary.

Traffic accidents claim dozens of lives in Douala and other major cities in Cameroon every year. People have blamed many of the accidents on recklessness, poor state of roads, and vehicles. The authorities in Cameroon have discussed taking action, yet little has been done about the terrible road conditions.