The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the death of one person, while eight others sustained injuries in a multiple vehicle crash at the Ugwu-Onyeama axis of Enugu-Onitsha Expressway. The Sector Commander of FRSC Enugu State Command, Mr Franklin Agbakoba, gave the confirmation to newsmen in Enugu on Sunday. Agbakoba said that the accident happened about 10:30 a.m. on March 28. He said that nine people, who included six males and three females, were involved in the unfortunate multiple accident.
The sector Commander noted that the multiple accident involved three vehicles – a commercial Mercedes truck, a commercial Toyota Sienna car, and a commercial Toyota Hiace bus. According to him, the possible causes of the crash are wrongly over taking and speed violation.
“The FRSC personnel, who rushed for rescue of the victims of the accident, took the injured to Tex Hospital, 9th Mile Corner. While the remains of the deceased was deposited at Colliery Hospital Morgue, Enugu by the Zebra 32 Team.
“We have also cleared obstructions and ensured free flow of traffic,” he added. Meanwhile, four journalists injured in the multiple accident included crew members from the African Independent Television (AIT) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
The journalists are NTA reporter, Mr Chimaroke Ugwu, alongside his cameraman, Mr Jerry Ugwuanyi; as well as AIT reporter, Mr Kelechi Ekeledo, and his cameraman, Mr Ifeanyi Ogbodo.
Reacting to the incident on Sunday, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Enugu Council, Mr Obinna Ogbuka, sympathised with NUJ members who sustained various degrees of injury and thanked God for saving their lives.
Ogbuka, who expressed dissatisfaction over repeated loss of lives at the Ugwu-Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, called for the speedy completion of the ongoing reconstruction work on the road to reduce such unfortunate accidents.
