Five injured in Ibadan truck accident

FIVE people on Monday afternoon sustained varying degree of injuries when a truckload of sand crushed two tricycles popularly called as Keke Marwa on Old Lagos expressway roundabout at New Garage, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The driver of the red-coloured truck was said to have lost control of the truck due to brake failure while approaching the roundabout at the new garage.

The truck swerved towards the right thus hitting a man, who was later identified Abdul Raheem Rafiu, and crushed two Marwa tricycles coming from Orita/Molete axis on the other side of the road.

The accidents caused gridlock on the dual carriageway as the police team, YES O and sympathisers assisted to remove the two tricycles under the truck.

One of the Marwa cycles had three occupants who sustained injuries in the accident while the second tricycle had only one occupant. The injured passengers and Mr Rafiu were rushed to LAD Medical Centre, Orita-Challenge, Ibadan.

The driver of one of the Marwa who had three occupants said he narrowly missed being crushed by the truck.

In an interaction with journalists, Mr Adeniji Olayiwola, claimed he purchased the tricycle over a year ago and had just changed its engine worth N280,000 few months ago.

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He said: “I was collecting money from a passenger who alighted from my tricycle when I noticed a big fast movement towards me with loud noise from the people.

“On sighting a vehicle moving towards my side, I bolted away from my tricycle. I sustained no injury but the three occupants were not so lucky and sustained injuries on their legs and arms.”

He noted that no one died in the accident, stating specifically that some petty traders who always display their wares at the accident scene including a male onion seller and two other women escaped before the crash.

When Tribune Online visited the victims at Lad Medical centre, Ibadan, Mr Rafiu said he was on the median about to cross the road when he heard a big bang.

He said the next thing he realised was that people were trying to remove him under the truck.

Rafiu who was reeling in pains on the hospital bed said: “I left my house to seek for my daily bread and was about to cross the road when I was hit by the truck which they told me had brake failure.

“I have just been told that the bone of my upper arm had broken and I have been slated for an x-ray to further ascertain the level of damage. You can see the injury on my legs, head and a deep cut on the upper arm of my right arm.”

Other victims, Tribune Online learnt were receiving treatment in their various wards.

One of them who had his two legs already padded with straightening objects was being spoonfed on the hospital bed.