By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
It was confusion at Oja’ba area of Ibadan on Tuesday when a woman, her two children and one other were crushed to death by a truck said to be fully loaded with bags of cement.
New Nigerian gathered that no fewer than three other people including a pregnant woman sustained serious injuries and are presently receiving treatment at the hospitals where they were rushed to for medical treatment.
Eye witness account said trouble started when the driver of the truck marked AGL 883 XQ reportedly lost control of the vehicle while descending the Mapo-Oja’ba road slope after which the truck rammed into a Nissan Micra car with registration number GGE 235 DR as well as four tricycles leaving the occupants seriously injured
The eyewitness said the driver of the truck lost control of the vehicle as a result of brake failure and crushed the woman and her two children to death on the spot after which it also hit four tricycles.
One of the tricycles was said to have got burnt with all the occupants seriously injured including a pregnant woman
Contacted,Oyo state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Adekunle Ajisebutu said the driver of the truck is now in police custody while the accident is under investigation.
DSP Ajisebutu stressed that four people died in the accident and that their bodies have been deposited at the Adeoyo hospital morgue for autopsy while the other three that sustained injuries were rushed to the Adeoyo hospital as well as UCH, Ibadan, for medical treatment.
Oyo State Government in its condolence message to the families of victims of the accidents described it as unfortunate, sad and highly regrettable.
The State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun in a statement made available to journalists stated that “such deaths were needless and avoidable only if people will desist from street trading, keep vehicles in good condition and abide by traffic laws”.
“This accident is one too many, you can see the number of casualties and the victims of the accident ranging from traders, passerby, tricycle riders among others. We condole with their families. We pray to God to uphold the families they left behind and we are using this medium to call on the people to see the government’s frequent campaign against street trading as a clarion call to put an end to this kind of bloodbath. We will not rest on our oars in sensitizing the people about the inherent dangers of street trading” he said.
