More than ten persons including drivers and commuters of both private and commercial cars have reportedly escaped death by the whiskers in multiple accidents that occurred at the weekend along Owerri-Aba and Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressways respectively.
While the accident along Aba-Owerri Expressway involving a Lexus 350 with Registration number Lagos JJJ 646 EY and a commercial Passat with Registration number Ebonyi EDA 366 XA occurred at Ngor Okpuala Local Government Area of Imo State, while accident in Aba involved a Mack Truck conveying coal tar to unknown destination and an SUV car immediately after the popular Waterside Bridge.
Our correspondent on arrival at the Ngor Okpuala accident scene saw personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) trying to control traffic while efforts were said to be ongoing on how to tow the two trucks away from the scene of the accident.
Attempts to speak with the FRSC personnel failed as they were not authorized to speak to the press, but after several attempts, one of the personnel who chose to speak anonymously told our reporter that the driver of the Lexus SUV and other five occupants of the commercial bus have been taken to hospital by the FRSC who promptly arrived the scene.
According to the FRSC official who hinted that the victims were four males and two females however attributed the cause of the accident as over speeding and impatience of the drivers also said that the drivers were dragging right of ways.
The FRSC source who stated that the driver of the SUV was heading towards Aba, while the commercial bus heading towards Owerri added that the victims until the time of filing this report were responding to medical attention in an undisclosed medical facility.
“I think that the cause of the accident is impatience and dragging of right of ways by the drivers as they approached this pothole. When we got here, we met the driver of the SUV who was driving alone to Aba or Umuahia trapped inside his car.
“Our Unit Commander who was here with us ordered us to go and get our generator and a welder who later used his filing machine to cut open the door that pressed on the driver. But because of the impact of the accident on the door, we had to bring in a crane to drag open the door and later rescued the driver who was trapped inside his car.
“His legs were badly affected and I hope that it won’t lead to amputation. But the man and other occupants of the other commercial bus have been responding to treatment,” the FRSC narrated.
The FRSC official however cautioned drivers to be cautious while driving on the expressways and respect each other’s right of way.
Meanwhile drivers using the Aba-Owerri Expressway have called on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to urgently come and carryout remedial work on the road to reduce potholes on the road, adding that they have suffered more casualties on the road because of the numerous bad spots on the road.
An eyewitness who gave her name simply as Chinwe said that the accident which took place opposite Lekota Hotel along Ikot-Ekpene Road involved a heavy duty vehicle conveying Coal Tar from the Ehere axis of Ogbor-Hill towards Bata Junction and other smaller cars that were eventually damaged in the process.
Officials of Traffic and Indiscipline Management Agency of Abia State (TIMAAS) and men of the Nigeria Police were seen at the scene making frantic efforts to bring traffic that had started building on both sides of the road to control.
The eyewitness at the scene of the accident and a police officer who said that they suspected break failure as the cause of the accident disclosed that no life was lost in the accident, but stated that many persons sustained series of injuries.
Disclaimer: infonte9ja.com shall not be liable to Opinions, Articles or Features that doesn't emanate from any of its staff and management. We also wish to reiterate that such personal or sponsored opinion, article or feature does not reflect the views of the publishers of infonet9ja.com, but the writer's
For publication of your news content, articles, videos or any other news worthy materials, please send to infonetnews9ja@gmail.com | For Advert and other info, you can call 09061217047 or send a WhatsApp Message to 09061217047
Some drivers and other road users while lamenting the spate of accident on the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressway said it was long overdue for the Expressway to have an alternative route or a fly over to ease traffic and rate of accident on the Expressway which serves as both entrance and exit route from Aba.
