2nd September, 2011
A truck whose brake failed crushed two persons to death inside a roadside kiosk yesterday evening in Obantoko along Abeokuta-Ibadan expressway in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State Southwest Nigeria.
The truck loaded with beer lost control as a result of brake failure and killed the two persons on the spot and severely injured two other victims said to be of the same family.
The incident which occurred about 4.30 pm, according to eye-witnesses’ accounts, happened when the driver of the truck lost control at Obantoko-Total junction and rammed into a steel kiosk owned by Mrs. Adebayo, a petty trader popularly called Iya Seyi and claimed two lives while leaving another two seriously injured.
The owner of the kiosk, her son and the other two victims who were together in the kiosk were trapped in the kiosk by the fallen truck.
It took the joint rescue team of police, Federal Road Safety Corps, TRACE and some passers-by several hours before they could remove the victims.
Seyi Adebayo and Mrs. Adebayo, his mother, had been taken to Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta by the joint rescue team.
The remains of the two victims were, however, said by a source to have been deposited at the nearest, but undisclosed morgue in Abeokuta metropolis.
When our correspondent visited the hospital, family and relatives of the injured people were seen wailing and no one was willing to speak with our correspondent.
A nurse in the hospital who pleaded anonymity said doctors were battling to save them.
When our correspondent visited Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Idiaba, Abeokuta this morning, family members and friends of the Adebayos, were seen at the hospital.
A medical doctor working at the FMC Abeokuta who did not want his name mentioned, told P.M.NEWS that the injuries they sustained were very serious and the doctors were still battling to save their lives.
It was gathered that the woman, Mrs. Adebayo sustained injury on her left leg, forehead and a fracture on her right hand while her son had a deep cut on his head and another deep cut on his left tigh.
Speaking with our correspondent, Mrs. Adebayo’s younger sister called Iya Kofoworola, disclosed that the woman had decided not to go to her shop and was indoors until one of her friends called her on phone to come to the shop.
She said: “My sister called me yesterday morning. She told me she would like to rest at home. She asked me to come to her residence for a discussion in the evening. But when I called her about 6 p.m. I was told to meet my sister in the hospital.
“We have been here since yesterday. The only information we could gather from the medical personnel is that doctors are still battling to save their lives.â€
—Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta