No fewer than three persons have been confirmed dead by the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Anambra State, Adeoye Irelewuyi, in an accident that occurred on Sunday when a truck lost control and rammed into two tricycles at Oba on the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway, Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
WUZUPNIGERIA had reported that the fatal crash occurred at about 9 am when the victims were said to be on their way to attend a Sunday church service.
It was gathered that the fatal crash involved no fewer than five vehicles, including the tricycles and the truck.
Unnamed sources at the scene blamed the accident on some agents of the state revenue collectors who they said stopped the two tricycles and were demanding loading tickets from them.
Also, in a statement issued later in the evening, the state acting Sector Public Education Officer, FRSC, Margaret Onabe, said the probable cause of the fatal crash was the loss of control as a result of brake failure.
Onabe said, “According to eyewitnesses, tax collectors were stopping tricycles collecting taxes when the driver of the Mack truck failed brake, lost control, and rammed into the other vehicles.
“Fifteen people were involved in the crash, five persons, comprising three males and two female adults were injured while three persons comprising two males and one female child died and seven people were rescued unhurt.
“Passerby took casualties to the hospital before the arrival of the FRSC rescue team from the RS5.36 Oraifite Unit Command, Anambra State.
“The scene was tense as hoodlums came with machetes protesting towards the revenue collectors for orchestrating the crash.”
She added that the state sector commander had sympathised with the families of the dead victims and wished the injured victims a quick recovery.
‘The sector commander seriously warned motorists to desist from disobeying traffic rules and regulations by servicing their vehicles to minimum safety standards before plying the road, avoiding speed, and driving with full concentration.
Emphasizing that traffic rules made were to avert crashes, she enjoined road users to drive to save their lives and the lives of others on the road.
