Martins Owoseni
Ibadan – No fewer than 16 persons died in an accident involving multiple vehicles at the Ojoo-Iwo Road axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said Tuesday.
The spokesperson, FRSC, Oyo State Sector Command, Mayowa Odewo, said in Ibadan that 17 other people sustained varying degrees of injuries in the accident.
Mr Odewo said two people were injury-free among the 35 passengers comprising 14 male adults, 10 female adults, six female children and five male children involved in the accident.
He attributed the cause of the accident, involving four vehicles, to the brake failure of a Mack truck, with registration number ‘AKM 548 ZY’.
According to the FRSC spokesman, the other vehicles include a Nissan commercial bus, MUB 20 LG; a Nissan Micra taxi, BDJ 520 YC; and a private Honda Accord SUV, KRD 707 ER.
Mr Odewo said the 17 injured victims had been taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention while the corpses were handed over to the police.
“The accidented vehicles have been taken to Irepodun Police Station, along Agbowo-Ojoo Road, by the police. Sadly, no victim was saved by seat belts or other defensive gadgets.’’
The FRSC official called for more cautious driving and proper vehicle maintenance to prevent loss of lives from avoidable road traffic crashes.