BUCHANAN, Grand Bassa – After reports circulated that he was involved in an accident on Armed Forces Day, Grand Bassa’s superintendent Janjay Baikpeh has confirmed that he was not in the vehicle.

On Monday, an assigned white vehicle belonging to the superintendent was involved in an accident that saw the Jeep roll over in a single-car accident. However, Baikpeh was not riding in the vehicle at the time.

The accident occurred near the National Elections Commission’s local office on the Fairground road, just a minute’s drive from the superintendent’s compound.

Baikpeh said he was driving ahead of the white vehicle in his black Jeep when the accident occurred, en route from a beauty contest his daughter’s school had held. Passengers sustained minor wounds and were taken to the ArcelorMittal Hospital immediately.

“I drove from the school after my daughter won the queen contest,” Baikpeh said. “While trying to enter the premises of the superintendent’s compound where I reside, somebody called me on my phone and said your vehicle has somersaulted. I turned around and went back to where the vehicle somersaulted. I took some of our citizens that were on board and put them in my car and took them to [the] ArcelorMittal hospital where the Liberian Government Hospital [is] currently operating.”

He added, “Nobody’s foot got broken. Nobody’s hand got broken. Some of them [were injured] on their elbow and head.”

He said the driver on board was one of his drivers officially assigned with him by the government. Baikpeh said he could not explain how the accident occurred as he was not in the vehicle, but he suspected that the gravel may have contributed to the accident. The Fairground road is currently under construction and there is gravel on the unfinished road.

Baikpeh called on citizens not to panic, adding that he is alive and those involved in the accident are fine. He expressed disgust at a Facebook post by talk show host Henry Costa that suggested the superintendent had been racing with the other vehicle.

Lately, Monday evening when the accident occurred, Costa posted on Facebook: “I have been informed that he gave his vehicle to another person who was reportedly drunk to do a car race with him. He was driving another vehicle himself. He insulted the police officers who came to the scene to investigate.”

Baikpeh said it was unwise for Costa to mislead citizens that he was racing with his vehicle.

“It is senseless and [stupid] that I cannot respond to,” the superintendent said. “Can you race in Buchanan? Is there anywhere in Buchanan that somebody can race? A government official like me will race in Buchanan? Does it make sense to Costa? Costa is frustrated. He cannot get a dime from me. He cannot get a dime from the government.”

Police in Grand Bassa are investigating the cause of the accident.

Featured photo courtesy of Onesimus Garway