Woman, 23, Drowns from Motorbike in Caldwell

Residents of Caldwell went to bed Sunday night to a rude shock: a 22-year-old panic-stricken woman who was returning home from a family meeting in Monrovia jumped from a motorbike into the Stockton Creek and never regained consciousness. It all began in the late hours when Philomena Yoyo Kron, an employee of the Local Enterprise Assistance Program (LEAP) and another lady boarded a motorbike from the Caldwell junction bound for home in Caldwell New Georgia. It was getting darker when the operator of the motorbike and his passengers took off. As they approached the bridge over the Stockton Creek, linking Caldwell, a pickup from the opposite direction also got on the bridge and was moving towards them with high speed and flickering lights. “The pickup with its flickered lights jammed the motorbike against the guideless side of the bridge, prompting the frightened woman to throw herself into the creek,” witnesses told our reporter. The woman jumped out of the motorbike, leaving her sister and the motorcyclist, witnesses said. Motorcyclist Sam Cole did not run away as other cyclists normally do in similar incidents. One witnesses who claimed to have been on the scene, said the motorcyclist “parked his bike and jumped into the water in the hope of rescuing the drowning woman. He tried his best but to no avail, because he himself was unable to swim. It was then that he abandoned his rescue mission to fight for himself. When he got on shore leaving the woman behind, the water was too much in his stomach.” Hundreds of residents, including police officers flocked to the scene as news of the drowning of the woman spread into the neighborhood. As the area became darker, divers were reported to have sprung into the water in the hope of finding the woman. They flashed lights into the water in the hope of spotting the drowning woman. But she was not spotted until early yesterday when a diver saw her lifeless body floating in the water. Police homicide sleuths arrived on the scene and reportedly examined the body. But there has been no further report. Sieh Blamo is the uncle of the deceased. He told our reporter that the family was looking up to the government to investigate the incident. At the same time, the remains of Philomena Kron were taken to local funeral home for undertaking. Meanwhile, a youth member of Electoral District the area has attributed the incident to the dilapidated condition of the Caldwell road. Quoting civil engineers, Francis Johnson said the narrow bridge has outlived its usefulness, posing dangers to passengers. Residents have since decried the appalling nature of the bridge. One side of the bridge has no guide to prevent casualties such as Philomena’s. The government has ordered that no heavy vehicle should pass over the bridge. Another resident of Caldwell expressed great concern over the insensitivity of political leaders to the plight of the electorate. Lydia M. Saykay said politicians always exploit the voters without seeking development initiatives for them. “They tell us to vote for them. But when it comes to improving our communities, they remain silent,” she said referring to the deplorable nature of the bridge which lies without any visible sign of being reconstructed. Charlotte Koffa, cousin of the deceased, urged the government to construct the bridge and alleviate the dangers being posed by its deplorable nature. “The bridge continues to pose more problems for the people. It needs to be repaired to avoid further problems. This means that politicians should do their best to cater to the needs of the people,” she said.

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