Recently, Stephen Okeke has emerged as an advocate for traffic safety on the early part of the Northern Highway, between the City and the Haulover bridge.
In August he made a public call for the installation of "thumb-bumps" to slow down traffic in this residential area. One month later, an elderly man on a morning jog was knocked down and killed.
And last night, the hazards of that stretch of road literally went knocking at Okeke's front door. He lives on the stretch of road at mile three and was awakened by an all too familiar crashing sound. But nothing could have prepared him for what he found in front of his fence. He explained:
Steven Okeke - One of the First Respondents
"I believe it was yesterday at around 12 midnight. At around that time, the accident happened. We heard the big bang as usual, and we believe that somebody must have been killed again like always. And, when I came around, the police was around helping the man out of the vehicle. And that is how he survived, I believe. But, if it was in the daytime, we would have been looking at another fatality. The speed here on this stretch of the road is unnerving, at least one speed control. I must congratulate the guys who are building a pedestrian walk up the road, but we need at least one speed control between the Haulover Bridge, and the Benny's Apartment. You can see the vehicles here probably racing around here. It is just unnerving."
Jules Vasquez
"He could have easily crashed into your property."
Steven Okeke
"Well, if he would have crashed into my property, I would have been able to repair it, but somebody else's life could have been lost. That's the problem. You can hear the speed at which the vehicles are passing here. One speed control, you don't need to lose another life. It is preventable. Every accident is one accident too much. And this is one of them that can be prevented."
Jules Vasquez
"What was the condition of the driver when they took him out?"
Steven Okeke
"I believe that he was pretty okay because I watched him from around here. The police helped him out. They broke the glass, and help him out. And that's how, I believe, that he survived, if not, it could have been another fatality that could have been avoided. It's like a race track around here. It is not a matter of 'if'. It's a matter of 'when' and 'how many more'."
Okeke tells us that a nearby school has called to register their concern on the need for a school crossing - and expressed their willingness to contribute towards its construction.
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