Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Four persons were confirmed dead while 10 others sustained various degrees of injuries in a motor accident involving an 18-seater commercial bus and an articulated vehicle on the Benin-Ekpoma-Abuja expressway.
The crash occurred about 11:30a.m. yesterday near Obagie community in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State.
The 18-seater bus, it was gathered, was heading towards Ekpoma and was trying to avoid a pothole when it suddenly had a head-on collision with an articulated truck laden with baskets of tomatoes.
A passenger who was travelling in a Sienna bus directly behind the ill-fated bus disclosed that their own vehicle narrowly escaped running into the wreckage. The eyewitness explained that following the crash, the bus fell on the driver’s side along the road.
The Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Henry Benemesia, when contacted, confirmed the incident.
The FRSC boss, however, attributed the crash to over-speeding and dangerous overtaking on the part of the commercial bus driver.
Benamaisia warned drivers to be cautious while driving during this period, adding that the best way to avoid accident was to drive defensively.
“Drivers should be patient when driving, especially this period. They should maintain the rules and regulations. One of the problems we have on highways is indiscipline. If you are disciplined while driving, you will not overtake wrongfully.
“Let us be tolerant of this period. If you observe that a driver is wrongfully overtaking and approaching you, try to avoid that person. People should learn how to drive defensively.
Always believe that the other driver is a ‘mad’ person and by so doing, you will be conscious,” he warned.
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