The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), five persons were killed in an auto crash on the Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Road on Thursday.
The Sector Commander of FRSC in Enugu State, Mr Joseph Toby said that 15 persons – 10 males and five females – were seriously injured in the accident.
He said the two vehicles involved in the crash had a head-on collision while using a single lane.
“Twenty persons were in the two commercial vehicles; the five that died were three male and two female occupants,’’ he said.
He added that the injured were taken to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu and to a private hospital on the Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Expressway.
Toby said corpses of the deceased were deposited at the Colliery Hospital mortuary in Enugu.
He blamed the accident on a lack of lane discipline, over-speeding and brake failure.
Eyewitnesses, however, blamed the accident on the poor state of the road which compelled many motorists to drive against traffic rather than use the failed lane of the dual-carriageway.
In a related development, an unidentified private car owner died on Thursday morning when a commercial bus driver driving against traffic (One-way) collided with his vehicle around Meiran area of Lagos.
General Manager, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr Bolaji Oreagba, said this in a statement through the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Mr Taofiq Adebayo, in Lagos.
Oreagba said that a Volkswagen commercial bus driver with registration no EPE 964XX while driving one-way at high speed collided with a private Honda Civic car.
He said that the accident occurred around 9:30:a:m, and the driver of the Honda Civic car, who sustained a serious neck injury, died instantly in a pool of blood.
Oreagba said it was confirmed that the dead driver was living in Meiran Estate which was very close to the scene of the accident.
He said that the LASTMA officials who were first emergency responders handed over the corpse to his relatives who came out from the estate.
“Both vehicles were immediately removed from the road to pave way for free vehicular movement to other road users.
“The driver of the Volkswagen commercial bus that took one-way ran away, vehicles were handed over to policemen from Meiran Police Station.”
The general manager warned motorists (private/commercial) to desist from disobeying traffic laws, particularly driving against traffic (one-way).
According to him, driving against traffic (One-way) is a waiting dead trap on roads.
