By Ellen Samura
The morning sun had barely climbed over the hills of Makoth village on Saturday when the stillness of the community was shattered by the screech of tires, the crash of metal, and the cries of bystanders.
A Nissan taxi, carrying dreams and destinations, collided head-on with a Mercedes Benz Sprinter van along the busy Makeni–Freetown Highway. By the time the dust cleared, three lives had been lost—each leaving behind a story unfinished.
Among them was Kadiatu Koroma, 27, a young woman from Wilberforce whose friends remember her as ambitious and full of laughter. Samuel Turay, just 20 years old from Waterloo, was described by his family as “the hope of the household,” a young man eager to build a future. The youngest victim, Patricia Jalloh, 12, was a bright-eyed schoolgirl with a love for drawing, her life’s canvas tragically left incomplete.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with villagers rushing to assist to pull survivors from the wreckage, while others tried to comfort the wounded. “It was terrible. People were screaming, and we tried to pull them out, but for some it was too late,” said one of the residents who lives nearby.
Police confirmed that a pedestrian and both drivers sustained injuries and were taken to the Magburaka Government Hospital for treatment whilst the deceased were transported to the Connaught Hospital mortuary in Freetown for postmortem examinations.
The accident has left Makoth village reeling, with residents calling for stronger road safety measures along the highway, a stretch notorious for speeding and reckless overtaking.
For the families of Kadiatu, Samuel, and Patricia, the absence of their loved ones will be felt in silent at home, with dreams that never realized.