Family of five, others die in Awka road accident tragedy

By Jude Atupulazi



Tragedy struck Monday evening around 8 o’clock in Awka, Anambra State, when a truck, coming down the UNIZIK slope, apparently lost its break and smashed into three vehicles at a police checkpoint, opposite the Parktonian Hotel. The accident led to the death of seven people, including a family of five.

According to an eyewitness, the green-coloured IVECO truck, was speeding down uncontrollably, having lost its break, and despite the shouts of the conductor that the truck had lost its break, the road could not be cleared on time by policemen whose checkpoint caused a long line-up of vehicles.

One of the vehicles it smashed into was occupied by a family of five, including a 3-month old baby, who had just been dedicated at the church the previous Sunday. The other victims were one of the policemen and the driver of the truck. The remains of the victims were deposited at the nearby Amaku General Hospital, Awka.

Other vehicles involved in the accident included a 504 Peugeot saloon car with registration number ANSG43, a Toyota Hilux van with registration number AN33A03, and a red Nissan car with registration number BB589PP. The Peugeot was badly damaged, with the driver said to be unconscious, while the driver of the Toyota escaped unhurt. The dead family was traveling in the Nissan car, which was damaged beyond recognition.

When NEXT arrived at the gory scene of the accident on Tuesday morning around 8am, the body of one of the victims, believed to be the driver, was still lying there. Those who gathered at the scene were weeping profusely and blaming the police for the accident.

The state police boss, Philemon Leha, described the accident as unfortunate. He, however, said it is regrettable that people had given in to sentiments and were blaming the police. According to Mr. Leha, the checkpoints had greatly helped in curbing the activities of kidnappers in the state.

No end to checkpoints

On the issue of the continued mounting of road blocks, the police commissioner said there were no plans to remove them, owing to their advantages in preventing crime.

“It is very difficult to remove them because if you do, the kidnappers will come and carry even me in this place,” Mr. Leha said.

Speaking to NEXT on the phone, the secretary to the state government, Paul Odenigbo, described the accident as unfortunate, but advised that it should not be politicised.

“What happened could have happened to anybody and anywhere. It is very sad,” he said.

Meanwhile, the injured persons were said to have been taken to the Regina Caeli Hospital, also in Awka.

The accident, which occurred on a federal road between Enugu and Onitsha, is another in a series of regular accidents on the busy UNIZIK axis, which led the state government to build a pedestrian bridge at the UNIZIK junction, but most pedestrians have refused to use this bridge.

Source: Punch