Tragedy struck on Sunday around 8am after a truck crushed a pastor, Ojo Mattew, and a commercial motorcyclist, popularly called okada rider, to death on Oyero Road, Ijoko, in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
It was learnt that the motorcyclist, Ayo
Nugbohoyon, was taking the pastor to a church when they were crushed by
a truck conveying cement and asbestos.
The truck reportedly pushed them into
the path of an oncoming Toyota Camry car with a Lagos number plate, CF
929 MU, carrying, five members of a family, who were also going to
church.
The driver of the car, identified only
as Samuel, and his family members – wife and three children – reportedly
sustained injuries and had been rushed to a hospital in the area. The
car fell into the drainage channel by the roadside.
PUNCH Metro gathered
that the truck marked, EPE712XH, Lagos, was heading inward Oyero from
Ogba Ayo when its tyres slipped off the steep part of the road and
veered into the motorcycle, which was going towards Ogba Ayo.
The corpses of the deceased were said to
have been taken to the Ifo General Hospital Mortuary when our
correspondent arrived at the scene, as policemen from the Agbado
division and some residents of the community were seen making efforts to
clear the road. Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps later joined
them in the operation.
An okada rider and friend of
Nugbohoyon, Israel Oyewo, said he (the deceased) had wanted to travel to
Benin Republic to meet his wife who gave birth on Friday.
He said, “It is very painful. His wife
had a baby two days ago and he had planned to travel later today
(Sunday) before the incident happened. The passenger he carried, a
pastor, also died. He was taking the pastor to a church.”
Samuel’s friend, Praise Oladapo, who
spoke with our correspondent at the scene, said the victims had been
stabilised and were responding to treatment.
He, however, did not disclose the name of the hospital where they were admitted.
He said, “We thank God that none of them
died. The five of them are responding to treatment. They are still
recuperating and won’t be able to speak with anybody now. They were
going to church when the truck rammed into their car.”
A resident, Tunde Aderopo, said the family escaped death by a whisker.
“If not for God who intervened, the
fatality would have been more than two. I never believed all the family
members would survive when I saw the extent of damage to the car. The
truck slipped and rammed into the car, crushing the motorcycle between
them,” he added.
The pastor’s wife was said to have gone to the mortuary when our correspondent visited his residence in Matogun.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations
Officer, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi and the Unit Commander, of FRSC in Agbado,
Mr. Lasisi Ogundele, confirmed the accident, adding that the truck
driver was on the run.
The PPRO said, “There was a fatal
motor/motorcycle accident today (Sunday) on Oyero Road involving one
Toyota Cabstar truck driven by an unidentified driver, now at large. He
lost the control of his vehicle on the hill while descending and crushed
the motorcyclist and his passenger. Both died on the spot.
Investigation is in progress.”
Ogundele said, “The motorcyclist was
carrying the pastor to church when the accident happened. Family members
inside the Toyota Camry car that was also affected were injured. The
corpses of the deceased have been taken to the mortuary by the police.”
SOURCE: PUNCH
