25th April, 2023
The Police are in manhunt for the driver of an articulated truck (trailer) who crushed a two- year- old boy to death, injured his mother and siblings at the Rumuosi junction axis of the East-West Road, Obio-Akpor local government area of Rivers state over the weekend.
However, there are different accounts about how the accident occurred.
Some eyewitnesses said the driver was on high speed when he lost control of his vehicle while approaching a popular Rumuosi Junction. They added that in his bid to stop the vehicle, he crashed into the median of the road and fell on the two-year-old boy, killing him on the spot.
However, another account indicated the driver who was speeding suddenly saw a mass of vehicles and pedestrians at the Rumuosi Junction and in a desperate attempt to avoid ramming into them, veered off the road and hit the median. The trailer tumbled and fell on a woman who was at the median of the road and her three children.
Rescuers who were mainly people around the vicinity were able to drag out the mother and her two children with multiple injuries and they immediately rushed to an undisclosed hospital.
However, the two year-old boy was taken out dead.
The driver driver was said to have taken advantage of the commotion that followed the accident to flee from the scene.
PM NEWS gathered that he has not reported himself to any Police station.
However, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, Spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command assured that detectives are in manhunt for the hit-and-run driver and he will eventually be arrested to face justice.