By Andrew Ikehi in Agbor, Delta State
It was a black Wednesday of sorts in Agbor, administrative Headquarters of Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State as two separate accidents claimed the lives of no fewer than 10 commuters.
The accidents which occured at less than 600 meters apart, involved separately, a Mack Trailer with a Motorcycle and a Man Diesel Truck with an 18-seater computer Hiace bus, all plying the ever busy New Lagos/Asaba road.
While the former, involving a mack trailer and a motorcycle occured around 9:15 AM, crushing all four occupants of the motorcycle to death, the latter which occured around 3:10 PM, involved an 18-seater commuter Hiace bus belonging to a prominent transport company – Peace Mass Transit and a Man Diesel Truck
At the former incident, scores of sympathisers who stormed the accident scene, wept uncontrollably at the sight of the four young men whose bodies were mangled by the truck that crushed them to death in the crash.
The incident, which happened at the foot of Orogodo bridge along the New Lagos/Asaba road in the area, involved a Mack Trailer and a Motorcycle.
The four victims, believed to have hailed from the Northern part of the country, were all occupants of the motorcycle which, as at press time, was still stucked at the base of the trailer haven dragged it over a distance of 400 metres.
Although no official, either the police or the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) have arrived at the time The Pointer visited the scene, eye witness account blamed the accident majorly on the pothole which is already cutting the bridge apart.
The witness, who spoke to our reporter on the condition of anonymity, also, blamed the accident, as well as previous ones within that axis on the existence of the “Illegal” motor park by Mr. Biggs axis of the road.
He said, “I saw the trailer racing down the road towards the motorcycle. When I saw it coming, I started shouting at the motorcyclist who was trying to avoid the pothole to give way, but he didn’t hear me.
“Before I could say jack, the trailer had ran over the motorcycle, killing all the four occupants” the eye witness said, subbing.
Meanwhile, as residents in the area were gradually easing off the pains of the previous accident, another and more serious one occured in less than seven hours later along same route killing several commuters.
The accident which occured less than 600 meters from the former, involved an 18-seater commuter Hiace bus and a Man Diesel Truck.
All occupants of the truck were roasted to death, just as the driver of the bus and few others died on the spot.
Other occupants of the bus who sustained varied degrees of injury, were rushed to a nearby Clinic – Nkeonye Clinic for prompt medical attention.
An eye witness who spoke with our reporter at the scene of the accident, said the trailer which, was coming from the opposite direction towards Benin, veered off the road, crossing a culvert and had a head-on collision with the bus which was believed to be an Onitsha-bound bus.
He said, “Immediately the accident occured, the truck burst into flames, killing and roasting all occupants”.