Buea night accident leaves car badly damaged

Though no life was lost, the aftermath drew a huge crowd to the scene

A young man, on a night spree from abroad, narrowly missed death in front of the General Certificate of Education, GCE Board office in Buea in the night of July 15, 2016.

The man, whose names we could not immediately get, lost control of his red sports car with Chassis number plate 115669 and ended up on a fence, knocking down a tree, an electricity pole and the signpost of the GCE Board.

Crowds rushed to the scene of the accident the following morning, with many wondering what happened that the accident left such an impact on the car driving on flat land to Bonduma Hill from the bottom-end of Molyko.

Two hypotheses were suggested by bystanders to explain the incident – sleep, drunken driving and the resultant overspending. The accident happened at about 3.30 am as testified by night watchmen, suggesting that both hypotheses could be right.

Fortunately for the driver and the passenger, they were saved by the new technology of airbags before being rushed to hospital for quick medical attention, the watchmen said. Those who visited the scene found it difficult to believe that there were any survivors, given the heavy impact on the car that left a tyre completely cut off.

The GCE Board entrance at the bottom of the Bonduma Hill has taken many lives in recent times since the celebration in Buea of Cameroon’s independence two years ago. Preparations for the event led to the scraping of the middle ridge that divided the Buea Avenue into two lanes.

It was also a weekend of accidents in the South West Regional capital, Buea, as fire broke out in a line of shops opposite the Molyko Police Station, causing material ruins to occupants. As at 6 pm on Saturday, July 16, 2016, there were still no details about the fire, except visible material damage.