19 escape death in Ogun auto crash

Damaged vehicles at the scene. Inset: Victims.

No fewer than 19 people escaped death on Easter Monday after three vehicles crashed on the long bridge along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Eighteen of the people were passengers of a Toyota Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle with number plate, JJJ 721 AU and a truck.

A Toyota Yaris marked Lagos BK 907 EPE, also rammed into the parked truck that was meant to evacuate the Highlander which had skidded into a ditch.

Our correspondents learnt that the Toyota jeep was coming from Lagos when the truck suddenly rammed into the vehicle which somersaulted and fell into a ditch.

A Highway Patrol policeman, who craved anonymity said, “The first accident involved two vehicles, a Toyota jeep and a truck.

“The jeep had three occupants, a woman and her two children. The truck had about 15 passengers. Both vehicles were coming from Lagos. The truck was going to Delta but there was no loss of life.

“The woman driving the jeep was taking her children back to school when the truck rammed into their vehicle, which immediately somersaulted and fell into a ditch.”

The tall fair woman, who drove the jeep, declined comment. She said, “I don’t want to talk to the press.”

However, one of her children who declined giving his name said, “We were all in the jeep when the truck hit us and the next thing, we saw ourselves in a ditch.”

As the men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, policemen and the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Force were busy clearing the road and evacuating the injured victims, the Toyota Yaris rammed into the packed truck that was meant to evacuate the Highlander.

Two Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps officials that were standing by the side of the road were hit and their legs might have been broken.

Some victims in the truck, the driver of the Yaris and the two TRACE officials were taken to an undisclosed hospital in Lagos. The women and her children were driven away by a relative.

A FRSC official, who identified himself as ASP Jonathan told Punch Metro that the accidents were unfortunate and could have been avoided.

He said, “The accidents were unfortunate, especially the last one because our vehicle was parked close to the scene and the young man was supposed to know something was wrong. He was on top speed and that was why he could not control the car by the time he came close to the accident scene.”




-- Punch