LAHORE:
An underage motorcyclist lost his life on Friday after falling from the new Muslim Town Flyover while turning towards Ichhra.
His parents however blamed the flyover’s design for the accident. Shakeel, 17, and Mohsin, 15, both residents of Garden Town, were travelling towards Ichhra on the Muslim Town Flyover when Shakeel appeared to misjudge the curve and hit the concrete barrier on the right-side. The boys were tossed off the barrier onto the pavement 30ft below.
They were taken to Services Hospital where Shakeel passed away while doctors treating Mohsin said that he had fractured an arm and a leg and suffered severe head injuries.
Ahmad, who runs an easy-load shop nearby, told The Express Tribune that he saw the two boys fall from the bridge at around 8:20am.
“A motorcyclist driving in the other direction told me that Shakeel had lost control of his bike after taking the turn at high speed,” he said.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Shakeel’s father Saleem Masih said that the design of the Muslim Town flyover was responsible for his son’s death.
“There is no traffic sign indicating the turn,” he said.
He said that eyewitnesses had told him that his son had failed to judge the distance and slow down in a timely manner. “He had gone to drop off his elder brother, Ashir, at his school at Jeevan Hans and picked Moshin there,” Masih said. Some of the residents of the area told The Tribune that the lack of cat eyes on the bridge meant commuters were unable to time their approach to the curve. They also said that the flyover was attracting motorcyclists who performed stunts from late night to early morning.
CTO Dr Usman Anwar told The Tribune that he will write to TEPA to suggest the installation of small cat eyes or lights to indicate that traffic must slow down for the turn.
“Traffic wardens have been told to register cases against one-wheelers,” he said. He said that patrolling officers had been instructed to stop pedestrians from using the bridge.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2012.
COMMENTS (5)
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Should I feel sympathy for the lawbreaker and idiot of a father? no.
Sad incident indeed for the family, but parents shouldn't allow their teenagers to drive motorcycles specially
How typical! People don't take responsibility for their driving and activities but instead blame others. The parents should show decency instead of blaming others.