Eight killed, four hospitalised in Oyo auto crash

Eight persons have been confirmed killed, while four others are currently receiving treatment at the Oyo State General Hospital in Oyo town.

An investigation by our correspondent revealed that the incident occurred on Tuesday in front of the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education on the Oyo/Ogbomoso Expressway.

It was further gathered that the victims were travelling from Katsina State to Lagos State before the unfortunate incident happened less than three hours to their destination.

An eyewitness said, “The accident involved 18 passengers. A Mazda bus, Reg. No. (Kano) GWL 687 XB, swerved and hit a stationed Howo trailer with Reg. No. (Lagos) LSR 340 XW from the rear, and the trailer caught fire.

“The accident was a result of speeding and the careless parking of heavy trucks along the highway. It was reported that the trailer was faulty and had been abandoned in the middle of the road for the past three days,” the eyewitness added.

When contacted, the state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mary Alo, confirmed the incident to PUNCH Metro in Ibadan, the state capital, on Wednesday.

She said, “The accident occurred on Tuesday. Nineteen people were involved. Eight persons died, while four people are receiving treatment at the state hospital in Oyo town. The corpses of the victims are also at the hospital morgue.”

The state Fire Service also confirmed the incident.

In a statement authorised by the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reform and Chairman, Fire Services Agency, Moroof Akinwande, in Ibadan, on Wednesday, the agency said: “The agency received a distress call at exactly 06:21 hrs on Tuesday through a telephone call by Mr. Funmilayo regarding a trailer on fire at the above address.

“The agency’s officers, led by PFS II Makinde, promptly responded and deployed to the scene. Upon arrival, it was discovered that an 18-passenger Mazda bus, Reg. No. (Kano) GWL 687 XB, had swerved and hit a stationed Howo trailer with Reg. No. (Lagos) LSR 340 XW from the rear, causing the trailer to catch fire.”

The chairman urged road users to always observe road safety tips, especially during the ember months.

He also emphasised the hazards associated with the nonchalant attitude of many trailer drivers who park their vehicles by the roadside.