Tragedy struck on New Year’s Day in Rivers State as a man and his daughter lost their lives in a road crash at the Obiri-Kwerre flyover in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
It was gathered that another occupant of the vehicle also died in the accident, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, when a saloon car rammed into a stationary waste collection truck parked along the flyover.
The deceased were identified as Ahmed, Aziz and Sheilla.
Other occupants of the car sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
The victims were said to be returning from a crossover service when the crash occurred, allegedly due to the absence of any warning sign indicating that the waste truck was parked on the road.
A brother to one of the deceased, who identified himself as Ajiboye Amaho, blamed the crash on the alleged indiscriminate parking of the waste collection truck without caution signs.
Amaho described the incident as unfortunate and called on the government to curb what he described as increasing negligence by drivers of heavy-duty vehicles in the state.
He said, “It is so unfortunate that a waste collector truck stationed on the Obiri-Kwerre flyover caused this accident. The truck was parked without any sign of caution, and my brother, Ahmed, rammed into it while returning from a crossover service.
“The incident claimed three lives — Ahmed, Aziz and Sheilla. Other occupants of the vehicle are still unconscious in the hospital. This kind of indiscriminate parking has taken many lives in Rivers State.”
He also urged the government and waste management agencies to investigate the incident and ensure proper monitoring of contractors to prevent further loss of lives.
Vanguard gathered that while Ahmed died later in the hospital on Thursday evening, the other two victims died on the spot.
The survivors include Ahmed’s son and sister, who sustained injuries.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said an investigation had commenced to determine the exact cause of the crash.
“Yes, I can confirm the incident. The vehicle rammed into a stationary truck. Our hearts go out to the victims, and investigation is ongoing to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the accident,” she said.
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