Auto Crashes Claim 18 Lives In Ebonyi, Cross River
- 14 people narrowly escape death in Bauchi
- FRSC cautions motorists against over-speeding, commiserates with victims’ families
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the unfortunate loss of 18 lives in recent auto crashes that occured in Ebonyi and Cross River states.
According to the Ebonyi State Sector Command of the FRSC, 12 passengers lost their lives in a road accident on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at the Ezillo end of the Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Highway.
The Sector Commander, Uche Chukwurah, told journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital, that the accident involved a white Ford Shuttle bus and a pink articulated vehicle.
Chukwurah, while identifying the vehicles involved in the accident, said; “The registration number of the Shuttle bus is EBJ 350 XA while the articulated vehicle has no registration number.”
She further disclosed that; “Fourteen persons were involved in the accident with 12 dead and two seriously injured”, adding; “The dead persons consist of 10 males and two females, and the accident occurred around 10am.”
The Sector Commander also said the injured passengers were evacuated to the Alex-Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki for treatment.
While commiserating with the families of the dead and praying for the repose of their souls, the FRSC Commander said; “We urge motorists to realise that life has no duplicate and drive to stay alive.”
An eyewitness, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the two vehicles collided due to overspending.
Similarly, reports from Calabar, the Cross River State capital, indicated that six persons also died on Tuesday in an accident involving a truck and Sienna vehicle along Calabar-Ogoja Highway.
The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Mr Abdullahi Hassan, who told NAN that one person was also injured in the accident, disclosed thus; “We have eight male adults and one female adult in the vehicles. One male adult was injured, while six persons, five males and one male, died.
“The registration number of the Siena vehicle is AFM 810 NK, while the truck has no number. The probable cause of the crash is wrongful overtaking and speeding.
“Both the injured and those who died have been taken to the General Hospital in Ogoja by officers of the FRSC.”
Commander Hassan pleaded with motorists to be extra careful and desist from wrongful overtaking and speeding on nation’s highways in order to protect themselves and their passengers as well as other road users.
Meanwhile, it was quite a lucky day for 14 people as they narrowly escaped death in a crash that involved three vehicles at Tashan Saleh along Bauchi-Toro-Jos Road in the Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State on Tuesday.
The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Yusuf Abdullahi, who confirmed the incident to reporters, said the crash occurred around 2.40pm with two commercial vehicles and a private vehicle involved.
He described the vehicles as Opel Vectra Saloon with number plate AA421KRF; a Blue DAF trailer with number plate GME 715XX; and a red Mercedes Benz 190 with no registration number.
Abdullahi said there were 15 male adults involved in the crash with only one of them escaping with no injury, adding that; “The remaining 14 male adults sustained bruises, deep cuts and fractures in the crash that was probably caused by dangerous overtaking.”
