News Today: Woman and Her Twin Children are Crushed to Death in Oyo

Some of the vehicles and tricycles crushed by the truck (inset) in Ibadan. Photos: Dare Fasube. 

 

The latest news as it was a very pitiable sight and tears flowed freely on Tuesday as sympathisers wept uncontrollably, when a woman was killed alongside her kids in an accident.

 

Sympathisers wept when they saw the mangled bodies of the mother and her twin children after they were crushed by a truck on a bright morning at the popular Oja Oba market in Ibadan South East local council area of Oyo State.

 

According to Vanguard, the truck marked AGL883XQ lost control after it had brake failure. When the dust finally settled, it left  in its wake  blood, broken bones and attendant sorrow.

 

Though, the police confirmed the death of four people, eye witnesses said those who were crushed by the truck could not be less than 12.

 

Among those, who met sudden death was an engineer with the Ibadan Properties, Mr. Monsur Ajedayo, who was crushed while waiting for a taxi by the roadside.

 

Also, some traders, who refused to heed the warning of Governor Abiola Ajimobi to stop roadside trading were among the victims.

 

A relative of Ajedayo, explained that his late cousin had alighted from the car of one of his bosses and was waiting for a taxi when he met his untimely death.

 

“The boss was going somewhere so he dropped him at Mapo. He walked down to Oja Oba to take a taxi when he was crushed by the truck,” he said.

 

Apart from losing many people in the accident, the truck, from which bags of cement were off loaded at Beere area, also ran into waiting tricycles and commercial cars. The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) officials rushed to the scene to rescue survivors.

 

Remains of the dead were taken to the mortuary at Adeoyo Hospital, while the injured were taken to the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

 

An eye witness, Alhaja Aminat said: “The incident happened at 7.45am on Tuesday. As I was about to enter my shop here, I heard people shouting. I first of all ran for my life. Later, I noticed that a driver of a truck was trying to put the truck to rest but he could not do that without running into some vehicles parked along the road. About seven Micra cabs fully loaded with passengers and six tricycles with passengers were crushed along its way as the driver was swerving along the road to find a way to stop.

 

“The woman, with her twin children, were standing beside the road waiting for Okada (commercial motorcycles) to convey them to school when the truck ran over them,” the trader narrated.

 

Describing the incident as unfortunate, Alhaji Adeyemi Ajimati said: “The truck driver, who has killed the innocent souls has escaped. But for the intervention of the security operatives, some irate sympathisers could have caused more havoc if they had set the lorry on fire. But we thank God that it happened this early period of the day when many traders had not set their wares beside the road. Many more could have been crushed to death.”

 

One of those, who escaped being killed by the truck, Fola Omidiran, said: “The truck skidded off the road suddenly as it descended the slope, killing a woman and her two children immediately. It also injured many others. From what we heard, the articulated truck had a brake failure. Five tricycles were also crushed in the accident; one of them even caught fire while occupants sustained injuries.”

 

The South West caretaker chairman, Alhaji Rauf Folarin, who visited the scene of the accident thanked God that the road had not been as busy as it used to be when the accident occurred, noting that the casualties recorded would have been more.

 

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Adekunle Ajisebutu (SP) said: “The accident is under investigation. The offending driver has been arrested and is in police custody. Four victims died as a result of the accident. Their bodies have been deposited at the Adeoyo State Hospital morgue. Three victims were injured and have been taken to the same hospital and UCH for medical treatment.”