SUV crushes limbs of 15-year-old in Delta

AN SUV jeep on Christmas Eve crushed the limbs of Onoharigo Queen at Udu road in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State.

Tribune Metro gathered that the SSS 3 pupil of Elily Group of Schools in Ughelli was on yuletide holiday in Warri when the incident happened.

The 15-year-old victim, while speaking with Metro on Tuesday on her sick bed at Syracuse Clinic in Warri, said: “I and my sisters were on our way home from Udu road on Saturday December 24, just after the bridge, the keke (tricycle) we were was hit by another keke that was trying to overtake a jeep.

All of a sudden, it hit us; we were five inside the keke and I was the only one who sustained injury.

Immediately, the other keke driver that hit us ran away while I was bleeding seriously.

Then I was taken to a clinic within Udu road where they directed us to come here.

I’m in SSS 3, I attend Elily Group of Schools, Ughelli, I will be writing my WAEC next year.”

When asked what she came to do in Warri, the teenager said: “I came to Warri for holiday, I reside at Ughelli, but am an Indigene of Orogun community in Ughelli North Local Government Area.

With much effort, she added: “I do feel pains, but the doctor is doing his best to make me well.”

A witness, who was in the keke with the victim, Purity Dafe, corroborated the account of the victim on how the incident happened.

Mother of the victim, Mrs Margret Itedjere, who spoke to Metro on the incident in pidgin, expressed shock at the magnitude of injuries her daughter sustained.

“When my elder daughter call me that very day, when I come reach here, as I see the leg, I shock, my blood pressure increase.

“She tell me wetin happen say na keke hit her leg oh! But wetin I happy for na God when use doctor take save my daughter without deposit, he get pity for my pikin, I dey happy.”

Dr Victor Oraegbu, the medical director of Syracuse Clinic, whose humane gesture mitigated the life-threatening injuries expressed satisfaction for being able to save the life of the teenager.

“Well, what am most happy about is to save the life of the little girl.

She is just 15, we have been able to save the leg, and again the organ, we operated on the leg, we bought bloods to ensure her health is stable.

She suffered various injuries, as she was seriously hit, but my concern is that we are able to save her life, we’re doing more to save the leg, avoiding infection, and to ensure it will begin to function again.

We will be doing it on to ensure she is alright, though they are making effort in the deposit, but my happiness is her life is saved,” the US-trained submitted.