A grisly traffic accident at a busy intersection claimed two lives yesterday morning when a large truck slammed into the back of a motorbike near the Monivong Bridge in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district, traffic

police said.

According to Traffic Police officer Sin Eung, victim Suon Nari, 30, was riding her motorbike with her mother, Mao Mach, 58, on the back, and her two sons, 5 and 3, in between. Just after crossing the bridge, Nari’s moto was hit from behind by a truck driven by Ouk Dara, 34, causing the two women’s heads to be dashed on the pavement, killing them at the scene.

The two young boys rolled under the truck, and escaped with only minor cuts and scrapes.

After striking the bike, the truck went on to collide with a parked car before coming to a stop.

“After checking the bodies of the two boys, we saw only scratches, and police handed them over to their granddad to clean their wounds at home, but the two bodies were sent by an ambulance to Sambour Meas pagoda for funeral rites,” Eung said.

During questioning, Dara blamed the accident on brake failure, but an inspection revealed no problems, Eung added. Dara was ultimately taken to the police station for further questioning.

Police officer Seng Borey, who owned the parked car that the truck hit, dismissed Dara’s explanation as an “excuse”.

“This is the city centre, and one should drive carefully, and it is necessary to slow down,” he said. “The suspect has to pay compensation to those of us who are victims.”

Fruit vendor Im Kang, who works at the intersection and witnessed the accident, said that she could remember at least 10 serious accidents at the eastern end of Monivong Bridge since the beginning of the year, with more than one involving fatalities.

“I am very afraid. There are many accidents here and I think there are ghosts here that take people’s lives,” she said.