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An apprentice died instantly on Thursday afternoon after slipping under the wheels of a moving commercial vehicle he was attempting to board. The accident occurred in the congested Eastern Police business district of the capital.
According to Road Safety Officer Abu Bakarr Sannoh, who witnessed the incident, the apprentice was chasing the vehicle after it had already pulled away. When he caught up and tried to climb aboard, he slipped, fell, and was fatally run over by the vehicle’s wheels.
Dauda Alimamy Kargbo, a supervisor for the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), stated that Thursday’s tragedy closely mirrors a fatal 2023 accident at Mile 38. In that incident, a driver’s mate wearing foam slippers slipped while trying to jump onto a moving bus departing a checkpoint and suffered fatal head injuries.
Kargbo highlighted that these accidents are the result of deeply ingrained, risky habits within Sierra Leone’s public transport sector:
Jumping on moving vehicles: Apprentices frequently load passengers, signal the driver to leave, and then run to jump onto the vehicle while it is in motion.
Standing during transit: Apprentices often surrender their seats to paying passengers, choosing instead to stand or hang from vehicle doors during the journey.
Improper footwear: Wearing loose foam slippers instead of secure shoes increases the risk of fatal missteps.
To prevent further loss of life, the SLRSA is urging both drivers and apprentices to adopt stricter safety measures.
“Drivers should always ensure that their apprentices are provided with a seat and are seated before they move,” Kargbo said. He also strongly advised apprentices to wear proper footwear, such as sneakers or safety boots, to avoid slipping.
