RIYADH, 13 May 2005 — An excavation site on King Abdul Aziz Road is turning into a death trap for those not following safe driving rules. The one kilometer trench is causing problems for motorists.
Last Sunday, many people witnessed a tragic accident that took place on King Abdul Aziz Road around 11:30 in the morning. A silver Land Cruiser was overspeeding when its driver lost control. The car drove over the pavement to the opposite side of the street where it knocked down six barricades and fell into the trench.
The vehicle was fortunately stuck between the walls of the trench.
According to Rene Segovia, an STC employee, who witnessed the accident: “Police showed up immediately but they were unable to rescue the man in the car.
“The car was stuck in a perilous position as a little movement would plunge it deep into the trench. The motorist was inside the vehicle and his life was threatened as his fall could prove fatal.”
A winch was later brought that held the vehicle while paramedics pulled the driver out of the car, Rene said. “The man seemed to be unconscious when pulled out. He was later taken to a hospital,” the witness said.
An official of the Olaya and Sulaimania District Municipality said the excavation work for sewage pipes that began some five months ago would continue till the end of the year. He said the trench was 12 meters deep and six meters wide.
“We are not responsible for the accident neither the company that is carrying out the excavation work. The company has not violated any safety regulations. The signs warning drivers of the dangers at the construction area are placed along the road. There are also barricades that are more than enough alongside the digging site,” the official stated.
He said drivers are responsible for such accidents. “Ignoring the warning signs and overspeeding are the main causes of these tragic accidents,” he added.
Director of Al-Marafeq Construction Company, Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijry, explained that the company is a contractor with the municipality.
The company has carried out excavations for several sewerage projects throughout the Kingdom. “Our workers are working two shifts to finish this project quickly,” Al-Tuwaijry said.
He said the project was started four months ago and is likely to finish after two months. After that excavation would be carried out on King Abdul Aziz Road, west Sahara Mall, for the drainage project.
“The excavation work was intended to finish earlier but we encountered several problems with the traffic police. King Abdul Aziz Road is a very busy one and because of the digging, traffic congestion has increased. Therefore, following a request from the police, we had to stop working on the project for some time,” Al-Tuwaijry said.
He also said that the safety measures along the digging site are sufficient. “We complied with the safety regulations of the traffic department and the municipality,” he added.
Majdey, head of Al-Tuwaijry’s office, said that if drivers paid more attention to the safety signs that are very conspicuous on roads and highways such catastrophes could be prevented.
