By Agbafo Ijeoma
Four persons have been confirmed dead while another sustained injuries in a road crash at Straight Gate, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State. The accident occurred at about 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
The crash involved a blue Mitsubishi Canter truck with registration number FGE 753 XA and an ash-coloured HOWO truck with registration number T-695 KT. According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), eight persons were involved, with four male adults killed, one injured and three others escaping unhurt.
The FRSC Chief Route Commander and spokesperson in Ogun, Mr Afolabi Odunsi, said preliminary investigation showed that speeding and wrongful overtaking caused the crash. He added that the Mitsubishi driver, who was reportedly travelling at high speed, rammed into the moving HOWO truck while attempting to overtake.
Odunsi also identified fatigue as a contributing factor, saying the driver was reportedly tired during the journey. He said the FRSC received a distress call at about 4:33 a.m. and arrived at the scene six minutes later, after which the injured victim was rescued and taken to Victory Hospital, Ogere, for treatment.
The bodies of the deceased were deposited at FOS Mortuary, Ipara, while the damaged vehicles were handed over to the Police Motor Traffic Division in Isara for further investigation. The FRSC Sector Commander, Mr Oludare Ogunjobi, urged motorists to avoid speeding, fatigue and unsafe overtaking, particularly during early morning and long-distance journeys.
