Three Killed in Truck Crashes in One Week in Kakata

Published: May 15, 2026

KAKATA, Margibi — A pregnant college graduate, a young motorcyclist and a private security guard are dead after two separate truck crashes in Kakata within one week, and residents of the Margibi County capital are demanding that authorities crack down on what they describe as a pattern of reckless driving by heavy-duty truck operators on the city’s main roads.

The deadlier of the two crashes occurred Saturday, May 9, when a container truck sideswiped a motorcycle in front of the NP Gas Station around 1:30 p.m., forcing it under the vehicle’s rear tires and killing both riders instantly. The victims were identified as Hawa Conneh, a recent graduate of Cuttington Junior College who was six months pregnant, and Abraham Zor, a motorcyclist in his early 20s. Witnesses described the scene as emotionally devastating, with residents gathering at the site to express shock and frustration.

The Liberia National Police identified the truck driver as Varflay Kamara, 25, and said preliminary findings indicated he was liable for negligence. The truck was traveling toward Ganta at the time of the collision. Police have not announced formal charges or confirmed whether Kamara remains in custody, saying investigations are ongoing with the matter headed for adjudication before the traffic court.

Four days later, on the evening of Wednesday, May 13, a Scania truck collided head-on with a motorcycle on Kakata’s main street, killing the rider, Mulbah Harris, a private security guard. The Guinea-registered truck, operated by Barrie Mamadou, was reportedly transporting frozen food to N’Zérékoré, Guinea at the time of the collision.

The three deaths in less than a week have sharpened long-standing grievances among Kakata’s motorcyclists, who share the city’s main corridors with heavy commercial vehicles and say they feel increasingly exposed. Several riders called for speed monitoring systems and tighter regulation of container trucks passing through urban areas. Community members are also pressing for coordinated action among law enforcement, transport authorities and trucking companies to establish and enforce minimum safety standards before more lives are lost.