Truck rams into school

GASABO - School children of Remera Catholic II Primary School yesterday had a lucky escape when a Fuso truck lost control and rammed into some school buildings destroying property worth Rfw30m.

Monday, February 23, 2009

GASABO - School children of Remera Catholic II Primary School yesterday had a lucky escape when a Fuso truck lost control and rammed into some school buildings destroying property worth Rfw30m.

The school was empty because it was a weekend

Efforts to talk to the school’s Headmistress Hyacinthe Mukantabana were futile as she could not be reached on phone, but sources revealed that the school has over 800 pupils and over 100 could have easily died had the incident occurred on a school day.

The destroyed property includes the school fence, seats and bags of cement which were kept in the two blocks hit by the ill-fated truck.

The accident which occurred at around noon was attributed to mechanical failure of the vehicle as it was in poor technical conditions.

According to Daniel Kamali an eye witness, the truck registration number RAB 148G was being pushed to enable the engine start when its unidentified driver failed to keep it on the road.

The driver who is currently on the run is believed to have gone to a hospital after sustaining injuries from the accident.

Traffic Police officers who rushed to the scene after the incident cautioned reckless drivers against using vehicles in poor mechanical conditions.

"Vehicles with no proper technical control should be discouraged on the road because this account for most of the road accidents and deaths,” said an officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

He emphasized that some drivers also get involved in accidents as a result of excessive consumption of alcohol and illicit drugs.

Last year the department of Traffic Police blamed 15 percent of all road accidents to careless driving and improper use of the road.

A statement released by the Commander of Traffic Police Supt Robert Niyonshuti showed that most heavy vehicles involved in collisions caused death of people in great numbers.

Ends