head-on collision between a Mack truck and a commercial tricycle on the Yenagoa-Amassoma Road in Bayelsa State has claimed the lives of two students of Niger Delta University (NDU).
The accident, which was reported to have occurred on Wednesday, also left other passengers of the ill-fated commercial tricycle critically injured.
According to witnesses, the truck was travelling at high speed when the driver lost control and rammed into the tricycle, causing a multiple-vehicle crash.
A witness reports that the truck driver was moving too fast, and by the time he realised the danger, it was already too late.
He said: “The Keke (tricycle) had no chance of escaping the danger because the tipper was already close to it.
“We’ve been complaining about reckless truck drivers on this road for years, but nothing changes.
“The dangerous impact left the tricycle damaged beyond recognition.
“Good Samaritans rushed to the scene, pulling survivors from the wreckage and transporting the injured to the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa.
“The bodies of the deceased were later evacuated to a nearby morgue.
“This incident has renewed calls for stricter traffic enforcement, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the State Police Command should intensify patrols, introduce speed breakers, and conduct regular safety checks on heavy duty vehicles.”
The Yenagoa-Amassoma Road is, without a doubt, the most dangerous road in Bayelsa State due to the number of accidents that occur on it every year.
The reconstruction of the stretch from the Etegwe Roundabout to Tombia Community resulted in several turns, which motorists do not consider as they often drive at dangerous speeds.
The Federal Road Safety Corps usually dispatches an ambulance to the road, which is stationed at Tombia Community and sometimes at the roundabout leading to Agudama-Ekpetiama Community.
The Spokesperson of the Bayelsa State Police Command and a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP Musa Muhammad, who confirmed the accident, said investigation was ongoing to unravel the cause of the accident.
“Yes, an accident happened there, and we are investigating the causes of the accident,” Muhammad stated.
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