No fewer than nine people have been reportedly killed in road crashes in Imo and Delta states.
One of our correspondents learnt that three persons were killed in a road accident in the Ubulu-Okiti area of the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha Expressway, Delta State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident, which occurred around 7am on Wednesday, left 12 others injured.
The crash involved a white Toyota Hiace bus with number plate, KSH 688 ZF, and a truck with number plate, UWN 368 XT.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that the dead victims included two males and one female, while seven males and five females sustained injuries.
“The accident occurred around 7am; both vehicles were heading towards the same direction when they crashed,” he added.
The Delta State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Udeme Eshiet, who confirmed the accident, attributed it to night travel and speed violation.
He said, “Both commercial vehicles were said to be coming from Agbor and heading towards Asaba when the crash occurred.
“My men said 15 persons, comprising nine males and six females, were involved in the accident.
“Operatives of the FRSC rescued the injured victims to a hospital at Issele-Uku, while the corpses were taken to a morgue.”
In a related development, a driver suspected to be drunk on Wednesday reportedly rammed into many people in a community between Amafor and Obosima, in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.
While six persons died between Wednesday and Thursday, others were rushed to various hospitals for treatment.
Dominic Okpor, a relative of one of the victims, Mrs Chidiadi Ogu, told our correspondent that the driver hit his cousin while she was on a motorcycle.
He said his cousin was rushed to a hospital where she was rejected and referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, where she died on Thursday.
Okpor noted that the driver had been arrested and detained at the Ohaji divisional police headquarters.
“The reckless driver believed to be drunk has been arrested. As we speak, six persons have been confirmed dead and others hospitalised,” he added.
