From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
A tanker conveying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), yesterday, rammed into a commercial cab, popularly called Micra, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and crushed all the six occupants of the mini vehicle.
The accident occured at Celica Junction, along Ibadan-Ife Expressway, where many of such road accidents had taken place in the past.
A resident of Alakia, who introduced himself as Kayode Sunday, said: “This Celica Junction has become a dreaded place for us because of the the high rate of accidents that have occured here. The incident that happened this (yesterday) morning is one of such.
“A fully loaded truck carrying petrol, I think, suffered brake failure, and veered off the road, in a bid to avoid ramming into many vehicles at the Celica Junction. In the process, the truck hit a taxi and both of them plunged into a stream by the road side.
“At that time, the occupants of the taxi had not died, though some of them might have sustained injuries based on the impact of the hit. The driver of the cab then attempted to get his vehicle out of the stream, but the tanker fell on the taxi and finished the job, killing the six occupants on the spot.
“I must confess to you that the Celica community in Ibadan is not happy that the Federal Government has not completed the rehabilitation work on the new Ibadan-Ife Expressway, which began more than one year ago. So, we appeal to the federal government to, please, ensure timely completion of the road, in order to save our lives and those of other road users from preventable deaths through accidents.”
Men of Oyo State Fire Service and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were deployed to the accident scene, immediately. The fire brigades were able put off the fire and effectively prevented it from spreading, while officers of the road safety also controlled the traffic and prevented logjam at the Celica Junction.
Assistant Director, Oyo State Fire Service, Moshood Adewuyi, who confirmed the incident, said the truck fell on the cab and killed all the occupants on the spot. He added that his men from Gbagi Station were deployed to the scene for the rescue operation.