Six people are feared dead along the Ganta-Gbarnga Highway about 197.7 km away from after a truck collided with a taxicab.
Liberia Public Radio understands that many occupants onboard the taxicab were business people who usually trade between the commercial city of Ganta and the Liberian capital Monrovia.
A day of mourning has been declared in Ganta to remember to victims who died in the tragic accident around the Tomato Camp in Bong County.
The green heavy duty truck, according to accounts, attempted to escape a parked vehicle when it got on the opposite lane (the taxi lane) thereby resulting in the tragic accident.
Their corpses are currently being deposited at a local funeral home in Ganta pending proper identification by family members. Two persons including the driver of the vehicle have already been identified by family members.
Our correspondent says all six passengers including their driver, a popular taxi driver died instantly in the car crash on Tuesday at about 20:00 GMT( 8:00 PM Liberian time) (4:00PM EST).
One of the identified victims is said to be a lady in her early 40s who works with Winner Inc. while the other, is an elderly woman from the Catholic Community in Ganta who was a local merchant.
The bodies of the remaining three victims (one man, two women) are yet to be identified.
Mournful scene in Ganta
As news about the tragic accident hit Ganta during the late evening hours of Tuesday, family membes, well-wishers, and friends of the victims took to social media (Facebook) to express shock, total disbelieve and sympathy over the news.
Prominent among those who expressed their feelings about the news are Nimba County Superintendent, Nelson Korquoi who wrote on his Facebook page:
“This is to inform the Ganta business community in general to please stay home as we mourn the death of our beloved friends and family members who had died in a tedious accident which occurred on the 14th of July, which constitute the total death of six (6) persons.”
Mr. Trokon Cooper, a close friend of the deceased Taxi driver also took to Facebook writing, “our brother we miss you, why at this time.”
Ganta is in a total shock over the news, as all of those who died in the accident are believed to be residents of the city and members of the Ganta Business Community.
Local media told Liberia Public Radio that accident of similar nature since there the paving of the over 200 kilometres road from Monrovia to Ganta there have series of road accidents along the highways especially during the night hours due to excessive speeding by vehicles sometimes-running 160 mph.
This story was contributed to by LPR national Correspondent based in Sanniquellie Daniel Garteh, Sr.
