Three pastors lost their lives on Saturday in an accident after their driver lost control on the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway, Ogun State.
Two others sustained injuries, while three were rescued unhurt.
The spokesman for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the tragedy, said it occurred around 9.44am near Day Waterman College, a private school at Kobape, inbound Abeokuta.
He noted that the crash involved a black Rio car with the number plate, AKD 827 DV, and a white Sino truck, with the number plate, WDL 466 XA.
According to Akinbiyi, the cause of the crash was sleeping behind the wheel, coupled with speeding and loss of control on the part of the Rio car driver.
The TRACE spokesman, while quoting eyewitnesses, said the Rio car was occupied by a driver, a passenger and “three men of God” who were dressed in white robes.
He noted that the car was coming from Oke-Iragbiji in Osun State, where the clerics had held prayers and a deliverance service.
“Suddenly, the driver lost control due to speeding as he was also dozing behind the wheels. He ran over the median, hit and uprooted the streetlight on the median before having a head-on collision with the Sino truck, which was loaded with cement and was outbound Abeokuta.
“Instantly, the three men of God died due to the impact of the collision, while the driver and the passenger in front were injured,” he added.
While commiserating with the victims’ families, Akinbiyi warned motorists to stop speeding and take adequate rest, at least six to seven hours, before setting out on a journey.
