Wild boar causes four-vehicle pile-up in Islamabad

Motorists demand installation of mesh fencing

ISLAMABAD: Passengers of four vehicles were lucky to escape with their lives, after being involved in a pile-up on Expressway near Zero Point, caused by the first car crashing into a wild boar, killing it on the spot.

The incident, which occurred in the small hours of Wednesday, resulted in a bitter argument among the commuters.

One of the frustrated drivers involved was appalled at the destruction of her brand new Honda City, for which she had just applied for registration.



Arshad Majeed, another driver, who escaped the incident by inches, said, “It appeared like a bolt, out of the blue. Nobody was prepared for it, and every vehicle was moving at almost 100km per hour.”

He said the boar was huge; it smashed into a Suzuki Wagon and died on the spot. Every victim of the incident was lucky to have escaped serious injuries.

The issue was finally settled peacefully between the commuters, after which everybody left for their destination. The victims were however, angered at the lack of safety measures taken by the authorities to prevent the boars from coming onto the highway.

Motorists have cited an unusual rise in the number of boars in general, especially along the roads of the capital and the Expressway’s Zero Point - Faizabad section.

Many motorists, while talking to the APP voiced their concern, fearing the threat this poses to them, in case of a collision, particularly at night.

One motorist said that a couple of days ago, he saw a speeding car hit a boar wandering in the middle lane of the Expressway, near Zero Point.

“Immediately after its impact with that car, I saw another vehicle coming from behind and striking it again. Though I cannot say whether those inside these vehicles suffered injuries or not, I’m sure both the vehicles must have been badly damaged, since boars are very tough animals,” he said.

Many motorists demanded that the concerned authorities put up mesh fences along the Expressway from Zero Point to Faizabad, to keep boars off the road.

Meanwhile, Ghulam Ali, a resident of I-8 remarked that the boar population seemed to be soaring at an alarming rate.

“A few years ago, boars used to roam in our area after midnight, but now they come out in herds as soon as night falls. We are scared to come out of our homes or go for a walk in the nearby parks in the evening. The Capital Development Authority needs to launch an operation to contain these animals,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29^th, 2016.