No fewer than five persons lost their lives in a fatal auto crash that occurred at Oyin junction in Ilu Abo in Akure North local government area of Ondo state.
The accident which involves a Nissan Sunny car and a DAF tipper truck occurred when a they had a head-on collision, leaving five of the passengers dead while two other sustained injuries.
An eyewitness stated that the victims were on their way to the popular Ogbese Market, at the outskirts of Akure, for the weekly trading when the incident happened.
Some of the victims of the accident were rushed to the hospital for treatment while the remains of the dead victims were deposited at Federal Medical Center, Owo.
While confirming the incident, the Ondo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr. Samuel Ibitoye, attributed the cause of the crash to over speeding on the part of the drivers
‘Seven people were involved, five were killed – comprising one male adult, three female adults, and one female child – while two others were injured,’ Ibitoye said.
He added that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, by personnel from the FRSC Owo Unit Command.
Ibitoye lamented the rising cases of avoidable accidents on major routes across the state, saying the command had intensified engagements with tipper drivers and other motorists along the Akure-Ogbese axis to promote safer driving practices.
He said, ‘It is becoming too frequent. We have been engaging tipper drivers and will continue to do so. They must ensure proper vehicle maintenance to prevent crashes caused by mechanical faults,’ he said.
The sector commander urged motorists to adopt defensive driving techniques, especially during the ember months, stressing the need for road users to drive responsibly to safeguard lives and support national development.