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37 die in Oyo, Ogun auto crashes

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A catastrophic accident on the Ojo-Iwo Road section of the Ibadan-Lagos expressway claimed the lives of at least 25 people yesterday, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. The tragic incident occurred near the Agbowo/Ajao area in Oyo State, involving a trailer loaded with roofing sheets, an 18-seater Hummer bus, a Micra taxi, and a Honda CR-V.

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) confirmed that 12 people were burned beyond recognition, while four others sustained serious injuries. However, conflicting reports from the scene indicate that 16 people lost their lives, with 16 more injured. Among the victims were 14 male adults, 10 female adults, and 11 children, making this one of the deadliest accidents on the expressway in recent times.

Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the trailer suffered a brake failure, causing it to slam into the other vehicles traveling in the same direction. The resulting crash was so severe that several passengers were trapped in the wreckage as flames engulfed the vehicles.

Witnesses, Mr. Emmanuel Omotoso and Mrs. Funmi Adejumo, expressed concern that ongoing road construction on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway may have contributed to the high fatality rate, as one lane was blocked, forcing all traffic onto a single lane.

In response to the tragedy, motorists are urging the Oyo State government to invest in heavy towing vehicles and ambulance buses to improve emergency response times. They also called on the road construction contractor to open the blocked lane to prevent further accidents.

Private heavy towing vehicles played a crucial role in clearing the wreckage, and some of the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals for urgent medical care. The accidented vehicles have since been moved to Irepodun Police Station.

The Ogun State Sector Command spokesperson of the FRSC, Mrs. Florence Okpe, stated that the accident was caused by wrongful overtaking by the bus driver, leading to a loss of control and the bus crashing into the road divider before bursting into flames.

FRSC officials continue to stress the importance of adhering to traffic rules, urging motorists to maintain safe speeds and exercise caution while overtaking. The Sector Commander, Akinwunmi Fasakin, expressed his deep sorrow over the reckless driving that led to this avoidable tragedy and extended his condolences to the victims’ families.