A fatal collision on the Olooru-New Jebba Road has claimed the lives of 19 people, including 5 children, due to excessive speed and improper overtaking.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed the devastating accident, which occurred at Kanbi village in Kwara State on Thursday, June 13, 2024. The crash involved a blue Iveco trailer and a white Toyota Hiace bus, resulting in a tragic loss of innocent lives.
According to a statement by the corps spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, the crash happened around 5:30 PM.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the accident was caused by excessive speed and wrongful overtaking. The FRSC reported that a total of 25 people were involved in the crash, comprising 13 male adults, 5 female adults, 2 female children, and 5 male children.
“From this number, 5 people were injured (3 male adults and 2 female adults), and 19 victims killed (11 male adults, 3 female adults, 3 male children, and 2 female children),” the statement read.
The injured victims were rushed to Orisun Ayo Hospital for treatment, while one corpse was deposited at the hospital’s morgue. The remaining 18 bodies were claimed by the families of the deceased.
FRSC Corps Marshal commented on the incident, emphasizing the ongoing efforts to reduce road accidents.
“You would recall that in recent times, apart from setting up an Inter-agency Joint Task Force to tackle the excesses of trailer drivers, the Corps has enhanced its enlightenment campaigns and ensured robust engagement of stakeholders, especially the various transport unions, all in a bid to curb these ugly occurrences.”
Despite these efforts, the Corps Marshal lamented that some drivers continue to disregard safety standards, compromising the safety of innocent road users. In response to this tragic incident, the Corps Marshal has directed Commanding Officers to intensify special patrol operations against identified traffic violations as part of the 2024 agenda to drastically reduce road carnages.
