Baby, mother, seven others die in Ogun auto crash

AN auto crash on Thursday morning claimed 10 lives along Abeokuta-Siun-Sagamu Expressway, leaving five others critically injured.

The accident involved a white Mazda passenger bus travelling from Sango Ota end of Ogun State to Ijebu-Ode and a Mack truck at Ibara area, due to alleged reckless driving on the part of the truck driver.

The incident was confirmed by the Public Relations Officer of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Babatunde Akinniyi, to newsmen in Abeokuta.

According to the PRO, the ill-fated truck loaded with granite rammed into the bus which was parked on the traffic corridor to allow one of the passengers to answer the call of nature.

Four males, five females and a toddler lost their lives on the spot while three of the victims were reported to be prospective students of the state owned Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, who were said to be going to the school to formalise their admission process.

Akinbiyi said, “The Mazda with registration number TRE 556 XA was coming from Sango going towards Ijebu Ode and Ijebu Igbo before the accident.

“We learnt that the bus parked by the traffic corridor to allow one of the passengers, a female, answer the call of nature, when the trailer from nowhere rammed into the bus from behind.

“The trailer with registration number LND 564 XP dragged the bus along until it fell on it.

“Three of the dead victims were prospective students of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), who were going to the school to formalise their admission requirements.

“The baby who died among other victims, was two months old and she died with her mother.”

The remains of the dead had been deposited at the morgue of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Ago Iwoye.

He, however, said that the driver of the trailer that caused the fatal accident escaped.