- A pickup truck from President Joseph Nyuma Boakai's escort convoy on Saturday struck and killed a commercial motorcyclist and his passenger, a local businesswoman, on the Kakata-Monrovia highway near Cooper Farm, according to eyewitnesses.
The collision involved the last vehicle in the convoy -- a Liberia National Police (LNP) escort pickup bearing license plate 249 --, which reportedly crashed head-on into the motorcycle operated by Peter Kamara. Onlookers described the scene as "pathetic" and raised concerns about the speed and safety procedures of presidential motorcades.
"Imagine, one of the escort cars even climbed on the sidewalk while driving through Kakata just before the accident happened," an eyewitness, who asked not to be identified, told reporters.
Witnesses said the police vehicle appeared to be trailing behind the main convoy, which had passed moments earlier, and was traveling at a very high speed before striking the motorbike.
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Kamara was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, Charris Bigma Momo, 42, a mother of eight, was taken to the Kakata Health Center and pronounced dead on arrival.
Police and medical authorities have not released official details about the crash. A security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said personnel fear reprisals because the vehicle involved was part of the presidential escort.
Similar incident happened on October 24, 2025, two women and their motorcycle rider narrowly escaped death near the same location when a pickup believed to be part of President Boakai's convoy nearly collided with their bike while traveling to Kakata for the United Nations' 80th anniversary celebration. Eyewitnesses said the plate-less pickup, marked GSA-LNP-05-8, struck the motorbike, and the victims were rushed to a nearby clinic in Kakata. The Executive Mansion or the Liberia National Police issued no official statement.
Deadly Motorcade Crash in 2019
The highway has a history of motorcade-related crashes. In August 2019, one person was instantly killed several with life threatening injuries when the pilot vehicle of then-Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor's motorcade collided head-on with a taxi near Firestone15 Gate on the Kakata Monrovia highway. The EPS pilot car, marked EPS 78, overturned, and the taxi, marked BC-1, was severely damaged.
No Official Response
As of press time, neither the Executive Mansion nor the Liberia National Police has commented on Saturday's fatal crash. Residents and commuters are calling for stronger oversight of motorcade safety protocols to prevent future tragedies.
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