Chefchaouen to…, Morocco
Raining still this morning but it has slowed considerably. Never fun taking your tent down in the rain however and I just stuffed my filthy ground sheet and soaked rain fly into a plastic bag. The target stop today was L’Ocean des Bleus north of Casablanca.
Given the rain, the group opted to skip breakfast and get on the road early with the intention of stopping for a coffee and breakfast once we were beyond the rain. The other truck conveniently had a flat tire around 10 AM and we used that as an impromptu opportunity for our coffee and breakfast stop.
Back on the road and heading south until about 12:45 when the trip took an ugly turn. The truck I was traveling in, with 9 other passengers and the driver, was involved in a very ugly accident. The driver struck a concrete jersey barrier with the right front tire. The tire immediately went flat and the truck veered off the road which included another 1-2 foot drop. The truck was in the process of going over when it struck a large tree. The tree prevented the truck from rolling but it also ripped the roof off of the truck on the right-hand side and took out many of the upright supports. The ground beyond the shoulder was quite soft and between that and the tree, the truck was finally brought to a halt.
Of the nine individuals in the back of the truck, two sustained what are life threatening injuries. As of the writing of this post (November 3), both are still in chemically induced comas and both are intubated. Both are scheduled to be repatriated to their home countries (USA and England) and are getting what appears to be excellent care in a teaching hospital in Kenitra, Morocco.
Most of the others in the back sustained minor injuries but nothing that required hospitalization. My injuries include some very sore ribs, cuts and scrapes on bridge of my nose, both arms and legs, and a bruised knee. Uncomfortable but manageable.
The company and the travelers have taken the last four days in Kenitra and Mehdya to decide how to move forward. After considering all of my options, I’ve decided to stay on the tour and we will be leaving the Kenitra area tomorrow, November 4, with a very full truck. The two injured travelers and one’s wife will stay in Kenitra until repatriated. Two other passengers in the damaged truck have decided to leave the tour.
A couple of photos of the damaged truck are below as well as the beach in Mehdya.
