Baby, three others die as truck-head falls into Ogun river

A three-year-old boy yet to be identified and three others yesterday lost their lives while a woman was trapped in an early morning accident after a truck-head plunged

into Isheri Olofin River in Ogun State.

The accident occurred around 8:50a.m. as the truck suffered break failure on the Kara long bridge along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. It knocked down a commercial motorcycle rider conveying a boy and mother (his passengers) before crashing into the road median.

The impact, it was gathered, forced the head of the truck to come off and plunged into the river beneath the bridge, leaving the three occupants inside truck-head dead.

Also, the little boy died at the scene, but the mother got trapped by the body of the truck while the cyclist survived with injuries.

According to eyewitnesses, the truck was on high speed and in an attempt to avoid running into a vehicle ahead, it swerved and hit the Okada rider carrying a mother with her baby, before the truck-head dived into the river.

Sympathisers and other onlookers wailed and cried aloud as the victims were recovered from the scene and taken to the mortuary.

The incident resulted in a severe logjam on both lanes of the busy highway, affecting those coming into and going out of Lagos, as movement was restricted. Emergency rescue and road safety officials cordoned off the entire road to pave the way for easy recovery of victims and vehicle.

Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the accident, blamed it on brake failure. Babatunde said the bodies of the deceased were deposited at the morgue of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.

“A container-laden Mark truck with registration number NND 133 XA, had a brake failure and rammed into a Bajaj commercial motorcycle with registration number EKY 221 QA, with the head of the truck plunging into the river, while the container it was carrying fell on a woman and the child she was carrying, who are the two passengers the motorcyclist was carrying.”

It was gathered that the head of the containerised truck detached from its body while on motion before ramming into the motorcycle. While the toddler died on the spot, his mother survived the accident, but had a fracture in the leg and has since been rushed to the hospital for treatment.

The General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, said the minor and three adult males were brought out dead.

He said: “The agency received a distress call through the emergency toll free number 112/767 concerning an accident on Kara Bridge. On arrival at the scene, the LASEMA Response Team gathered that a 20-feet containerised truck with unknown plate number was involved in the accident.

“The head of the truck that plunged into the river has been recovered from the river with the aid of the heavy-duty equipment crane with support from local divers. The bodies of three adult males were extricated and recovered from the truck’s head and handed over to FRSC officials who moved them down to the morgue.

“Other agencies on ground include the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), the Lagos State Fire Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Police Force from Ojodu and Isheri Police Division and OP Mesa.”

There was also another accident, which occurred yesterday morning when cars, a commercial bus and a trailer collided at Oworonshoki, in Lagos. The trailer lost control and rammed into several other vehicles leaving many injured.

Meanwhile, the truck driver, who killed the head teacher of LA Primary School, Igbatoro/Familugba in Akure North Council Area of Ondo State, Pastor Oluwajuwon Adebayo and his assistant, Pastor Sunday Ajenifuja, have been arrested by the police.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Femi Joseph, confirmed this to The Guardian yesterday in Akure, revealing it was a case of “carelessness, reckless and dangerous driving.”

Joseph identified the trailer driver who crushed the victims to death on Monday morning as Juwon Ariyibi, an employee of Cobil Limited, Port Harcourt. He added that Ariyibi is already in police custody and would be charged to court after investigation.

It was gathered that Adebayo and Ajenifuja were crushed to death by the trailer on their way to school on Monday while at Upele Junction in Owo Local Government Area of the state. Their school is located in Akure North LGA but the road from Akure is not motorable and the alternative route is through Owo-Ifon-Okeluse linking Familugba/Igbatoro.

According to a source, the duo were the only teachers in the school and had set out for the day’s work when they met their untimely death around 11am as the trailer rammed into them when he swerved from his lane. They were rushed to the Federal Medical Center, Owo, but later died.

The Education Secretary, Akure North LGA, Mr. Samuel Olowere, also confirmed the incident and noted that the Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has been informed for necessary action.

While reacting to the incident, SUBEB chairman, Princess Oladunni Odu, described the incident as a huge loss to the state and commiserated with the families of the deceased.

In another development, a pastor, Innocent Chinedu Amirinta, and his family have survived a ghastly accident on their way to Lagos. The family of five was reportedly travelling with a friend when their car lost control and somersaulted six times.

The pastor, who shared the story of their survival on his Facebook page, said he was travelling with his wife, their twins, his daughter and a friend identified as Tolu. According to him, they all survived without a scratch though the car was quashed in the accident and all the windows were broken.

Meanwhile, a 21-year-old girl was yesterday knocked down by a car at Liberty junction, Oru-Ijebu, Ogun State, dislocating her ankle and injuring a primary school pupil. The accident, according to eyewitnesses, was attributed to a brake failure.

Abiodun Oluloye told The Guardian the driver was coming from Okenu, Oke-Ife when he mistakenly clashed with a Dangote truck before veering off the road to hit the to persons. The driver though was not injured as he was putting on his seat belt while the truck driver immediately drove off and left the scene.