Lokeren ( Brussels Morning Newspaper)-A moped rider suffered heavy injuries after a fall on the towpath along the Durme in Lokeren. The incident occurred around 20:30 when a man in his thirties found the victim, a man of fifty, and immediately called for an ambulance.
The first responders tried to revive him and took him to Ghent University Hospital, where he was on a ventilator in a dangerous state. During the preliminary investigations, it emerged that there was no third-party involvement in the accident, possibly because the path had an icy patch.
A moped rider in Lokeren, a man in his fifties, was badly injured in a fall on an unlit towpath due to ice. He was discovered by a vendor and was taken to Ghent University Hospital, where he is currently socially and medically sedated. The incident involving the moped has left questions as to the safety of the towpath, especially since the area was not lit at the time that the accident happened.
Police are looking into additional factors that may have played a role in the accident to decide whether the man’s injuries were worsened deliberately. It can be derived from witness testimonies that the tendency for icy conditions indeed could contribute much and indicate the risks of cruiser riding in winter. Officials in that region are expected to take time to evaluate that area for changes in features such as illumination and path maintenance to ensure no such occurrences happen again in the future.
Safety concerns on local pathways
This unfortunate incident raises questions about other existing threats to safety that cover moped and cycling roads in Lokeren & Environs. Since winter creates slippery roads in many areas, county councils have been advised to increase protective measures in corridors commonly travelled by bicycle riders and moped operators.
Lack of adequate lighting in some of the paths also increases risk, especially during the evening when there is poor visibility and fruitful previous mishaps; residents have been urging local authorities to consider increasing spending on infrastructure developments, including lighting, for more effective path maintenance.
These are necessary if all travellers, but especially those in vulnerable positions like cyclists and those on mopeds, are to be safe on the roads. While work is still being conducted to determine what exactly happened in this latest case, it is expected that regular lessons that stem from incidents provide learning points that lead to safer practices that ensure accidents in local roads and paths do not occur again.
