By Rick M 
A gloomy day in the city today as three people were killed in a terrible road accident today. It happened on the East-West Highway; the news spread like wildfire and raised awareness of current troubles with road safety in the area.
An analysis of primary data gathered from eyewitnesses that included the police and prognostications from police accounts suggested that the accident was a motorbike pickup truck crash. The crash was fatal, and the three people inside the car died instantly of their injuries.
Local officials did not fail to respond to the accident as most of them relocated to the scene in their cars. Nevertheless, having arrived early, there was nothing that could be done for the victims anymore. The identities of the deceased have not been released yet as the police wait for the next of kin to be informed.
The section of East-West Highway where the mishap took place is always congested as it has been acknowledged as the black spot on the highway. This latest tragedy has again elicited pertinent demands by residents of this region and safety activists for better road safety interventions in this important transport corridor.
Local traffic police have opened a very intensive investigation on the circumstances that led to the accident. Preliminary findings indicate that it maybe caused by speeding but the authorities say that more should be expected in the coming days. Cops are trying to study the cars involved in it and talking to other parties present at the time of the mishap to reconstruct the way it happened.
The incident has created an awareness of road safety among the people in Itahari, together with the folks in the neighboring communities. Leaders of the regions are under pressure to apply more strict measures on the roads and improve the measures against violations, which could lead to such catastrophes in the future.
The governors have said sorry to the families of the deceased and encouraged people to consider leadership on the roads. Most are calling for more awareness programmes to be conducted to both drivers and the public in an effort to enhance safe road practises.
The case has also raised awareness on the poor evacuation plans that exist in that area as well as the poor disaster response capabilities. Although, first responders moved with ingenuity, some of the residents complained of ill-equipped ambulances and adequate trauma centres to treat critical incidents.
When word got out of the accident, local hospitals made arrangements to accommodate any survivors or victims. Thus, treating personnel continued to observe the increased level of readiness, which was not needed for this particular case.
The community of Itahari has woken up to bury the three who lost their lives in such a brutal and sudden manner. People close to the victims are already coming around specifically; people with similar tragic losses are getting together in order to support each other.
There was a movement for about 2 kilometers along the affected stretch of the highway as police contained the scene of the incident. This not only has a human angle more important than the economic one, but the effect arising from such incidents represents a risk to small business owners.
In this regard road safety crusaders have seized this opportunity to call on motorists to observe speed limits and restraint while on the roads particularly the highways which have become congested’. They point out that majority of the accidents happening in the present day could have been prevented if only drivers were more careful and cars in the right mechanical condition.
The municipal government of Itahari, situated in Sunsari, has committed to devising new road safety measures as a result of this incident. Measures that are being planned to reduce the risk include police escort, patrols, use of speed cameras, and better signposting, among others.
Also, as the curtain falls on this sad story in Itahari, the society will wake up this morning to the saddest news of having buried three members of their society. It is a sad event that needs to take life close to us to remind us how fragile and vulnerable we are and how significant the road safety issue is. The strategy of positive change is expected to be brought into action by regulating the current hazards to avoid further loss on the roads of Itahari and other parts of the world.