Liberia: Tragedy on the Campaign Trail

Three members of an auxiliary support group for President George Weah’s reelection campaign lost their lives on Tuesday, August 22, in a gruesome car crash in Gbarnga, Bong County.

The accident, which occurred in the afternoon hours, happened after the vehicle in which the ‘Girls for Weah’ were reportedly lost control and collided with a truck that was parked on the side of the highway for police inspection. 

The impact of the collision left the commercial vehicle, in which the ‘Girls’ were traveling for a campaign rally severely mangled, making it difficult for emergency responders, who had to spend considerable time extracting the vehicle’s six occupants.

Three of the auxiliary members, however, succumbed to their injuries, according to doctors at the Phebe Hospital, while others are reportedly in critical condition. 

The police have however begun investigating the circumstances that led to the vehicle losing control at a high speed before colliding with the parked truck. 

In a statement, the Chairman of the Weah-Taylor 2023 campaign committee, Lenn Eugene Nagbe, said that the President was deeply sorry for the loss and had suspended campaign activities for two days.

According to Nagbe, the ‘Girls for Weah’ had been on the campaign trail when the accident occurred, which led to three of its members’ “untimely deaths.”

“The President expresses his deepest condolences to the families of three members of the Girls for Weah auxiliary who lost their lives in Bong County due to a terrible motor vehicle accident,” the statement signed by Nagbe added.

“In the wake of this tragedy, the President is suspending his campaign for two days effective immediately, and he is returning to Monrovia tonight [yesterday] to mourn this terrible loss.” 

Nagbe pointed out that the President has appealed to his supporters and all Liberians to pray for the victim’s families as well as join him in grieving for the “lives lost” at the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) headquarters today at 2 pm.

“The President also calls on all supporters to join him in praying for the speedy recovery of all team members who sustained injuries,” Nagbe said. 

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for former Vice President Joseph Boakai, who stands as Weah's primary rival, expressed condolences on behalf of the Unity Party for the "heartbreaking loss of their supporters."

"With great sadness, our team has learned of a tragic accident sustained by members of the Girls of Weah on their way to participate in political activities of their political party," Mohammed Ali said.

The “devastating accident,” according to police authorities, occurred at 4pm around the St. Moses Funeral Home and the Gbarnga Iron Gate.

“The incident took place as the speeding taxi collided with the parked truck, resulting in the fatalities,” Fasu Sheriff, Bong County Police Commander noted.  “Three individuals were taken to Phebe Hospital in critical condition, but I cannot tell if they have since been transferred to Monrovia for further medical treatment.”

Sheriff noted that most of the accidents on the Monrovia-Gbarnga highway are the result of overspeeding by commercial taxi drivers without any regard for their passengers’ lives. 

According to statistics, the Monrovia — Gbarnga highway has claimed the lives of dozens of people in the past few years. These accidents have not only caused loss of life but have also resulted in economic setbacks and emotional distress for the victims’ families.

The route is one of the deadliest as it is known for its narrow lanes, and sharp turns, making it prone to accidents, especially during the night hours and in adverse weather conditions. 

Meanwhile, a lady named Tina Wamah, who claimed to be a member of the ‘Girls for Weah’ group, said that the accident victims were traveling for a groundbreaking ceremony in one of Bong County’s several towns.

Wamah explained that other members of the ‘Girls for Weah’ CDC campaign team were not involved in the crash as they were in the back of a commercial pickup, which was not far away from the vehicle involved in the accident. 

“Some members of the group were in the taxi because the pickup could not accommodate all of them,” Wamah explained.