Dangerous turn: Underage motorcyclist dies in Muslim Town flyover accident

Parents blame flyover design, lack of cat eyes.


Rameez Khan May 25, 2012

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)

Critique | 11 years ago | Reply Only incidents like this will help people realize the hazards of under-age driving. As for the kid and father - no sympathies. you choose to blame the flyover design for your own and your son's negligence
Khurram | 11 years ago | Reply Wow now they are blaming the road design. Anyone in lahore know how these teens really drive. These underage teens drive bikes like crazy and according to eye witnesses this underage driver was actually in high speed and was doing stunts and lost control and then died. The parents are blaming the design of the bridge after a local Anti PMLN party approached them and tell them to blame the government for that reason and now the same party is actually supporting the parents to lodge complaint against Shahbaz Sharif. Such a Pity that even parents are Politicizing the death of their Child.
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