25 injured as truck crushes seven vehicles

Mudiaga Affe, Calabar

No fewer than 25 persons have been seriously injured after an overloaded truck belonging to Dangote Cement rammed into seven vehicles at the Odukpani Junction in Cross River State.

The truck, which was reportedly overloaded with bags of cement, was said to have lost control due to  the recklessness of the driver.

The unregistered truck, which had the number ICT-11F-050 inscribed on it, crushed seven vehicles, including a Toyota Sienna (Abuja: HZ 719 ABC); Volkswagen Golf (Akwa Ibom: AE 900 TTU); Suzuki (Cross River: DUK 17 XA); Mercedes Benz 190E (Abuja: AS 774 RSH); Toyota Highlander (DUK 273 AA) and a motorcycle.

A survivor told PUNCH Metro that the accident occurred around 7.45pm on Sunday, adding that no life was lost as of the time of the crash.

The victim, who asked not to be named, explained that no rescue agency was in sight hours after the incident, alleging that a team of policemen fled the scene as soon as the accident happened.

He said the cement-laden truck was heading towards Calabar.

He said, “It (truck) first hit the Toyota Highlander, which was heading towards Calabar. After that, it hit the Toyota Sienna, and then the Volkswagen Golf. It then crushed the Mitsubishi car before the Mercedes Benz.”

An eyewitness, Matthew Michael, said it took the intervention of other road users to bring out the injured victims from their vehicles and convey them to various hospitals in Calabar.

A motorist, Mr. Ayuba Kunle, who joined in the rescue operation, said a total of 25 persons were taken to  hospitals.

Kunle lamented that the exercise took over four hours as motorists were reluctant to render assistance.

He said, “Motorists were reluctant to convey the injured victims to hospitals. A few of us had to use our vehicles to convey the victims to the hospitals.

“Some policemen, who were in a patrol vehicle, left the scene as soon as the accident occurred.”

The state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Ikechukwu Igwe, said his men later joined in removing the damaged vehicles from the road.

He noted that the accident was caused by reckless driving.

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