A 62-year-old man died instantly and two people he was carrying on his motorcycle survived a grisly accident when he lost control and hit a tree along the Wau-Aweil road on Tuesday morning, police in Aweil said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State traffic police officer Major Yai Ater Malith, identified the deceased as Chief Chut Achien Tong and said the two who survived are receiving treatment at the Aweil Civil Hospital.
According to him, the accident was caused by overspeeding.
"The accident took place at around 11:30 am in an area between Alok and Barmayen. The driver who is now the deceased Chief Chut Achien Tong 62-year old was riding a motorbike with other two persons Dut Achiech Thiep and Maduok Thiep Deng. The driver lost control because he was riding at a high speed. He knocked a nearby tree with his head and died immediately. Meanwhile, the other two companions are currently hospitalized at Aweil civil hospital," said Malith.
Kiir Yor Lual, the commissioner of Aweil East County paid tribute to the chief saying he was a respectable and responsible chief whose death is a great loss to Abiem West community of Aweil East County.
"We received the body yesterday from the hospital and took it home for burial in the evening. And the death of this particular chief there is a huge gap left in the community because he was an executive, responsible chief who held a large area and was very strong who worked closely with us," he added.