A tragic accident on the Gabriel Tucker Bridge in Central Monrovia early Wednesday morning claimed the lives of a motorcyclist and a passenger after a speeding sewage tanker lost control and veered off course.
The fatal crash, which occurred on February 19, 2025, has sparked outrage among motorcyclists and residents, who blame the Liberia National Police (LNP) for the growing number of checkpoints across the capital. These checkpoints narrow the road, and create congestion.
According to eyewitnesses, the sewage tanker was traveling from Johnson Street towards Bushrod Island when the driver lost control, allegedly due to excessive speed. In an attempt to avoid further catastrophe, he swerved--but instead, fatally struck the motorcyclist.
"The truck was coming downhill at high speed. It lost control and swerved in the same direction as the motorcyclist. The impact was so severe that it crushed his head," a witness recounted.
The victims, whose identities are yet to be confirmed, were reportedly heading in the same direction when the collision occurred. They were later transported to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, while the truck driver was taken into police custody.
Angry residents of the Slipway community and commercial motorcyclists have attributed the accident to the increasing number of police checkpoints in Monrovia, which they say create unnecessary roadblocks and force drivers into sudden, risky maneuvers.
"There's no war, yet police checkpoints are everywhere--even near people's homes," one resident complained.
Motorcyclists claim that a checkpoint near the Gabriel Tucker Bridge may have played a role in the accident, arguing that without it, the truck could have continued without the need for sudden braking and swerving.
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"If that checkpoint wasn't there, the truck wouldn't have had to swerve. The police are setting up too many checkpoints for reasons only they know," an aggrieved motorcyclist said.
Kelvin Eben Reeves, a witness to the crash, described the horrifying aftermath: "Two men were assumed to be dead by those of us close to the scene, based on how lifeless they were lying. Probably one survived."
In the wake of the incident, motorcyclists accuse the police of prioritizing roadblocks over traffic safety.
"These unnecessary checkpoints cause daily traffic congestion, disrupt people's movements, and threaten livelihoods," one motorcyclist lamented.
They are calling on Police Inspector-General Gregory O.W. Coleman to order a significant reduction in checkpoints throughout the city.
"We didn't vote for this government to endure this kind of suffering, especially from the police," one rider emphasized. "The IG must instruct his officers to remove unnecessary checkpoints because we are suffering."
Minutes after the accident, a truck carrying riot police arrived at the scene. Eyewitnesses reported that police forcibly removed some motorcyclists from their bikes, confiscated their motorcycles, and transported them to LNP headquarters. "Why are they taking our bikes as if we caused the accident?" one frustrated rider questioned.
Motorcyclists cautioned the police against what they describe as harassment and unlawful confiscation of their motorcycles, warning that such actions could provoke widespread resistance.
