Ten killed in Kwara auto crash

Ten persons lost their lives in a fatal auto crash which occurred on Monday along the Olooru-Oko-Olowo highway in Moro Local Government of Kwara State.

Newsmen reports that the accident occurred barely six days after a similar one claimed 11 persons with several others injured along the Bode-Saadu highway in the same local government area.

The Monday fatal road traffic crash occurred around a village known as Iyemoja at about 0640hrs involving two vehicles, a Volvo Truck and a Toyota Hiace Bus, according to the Kwara State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Stephen Dawulung in Ilorin.

He said, “On receipt of the report of the crash our rescue operatives at Olooru Unit and at the Help and Rescue Camp which was established at Bode Saadu to fortify rescue operations during the ongoing end-of-year special patrol operations, were immediately mobilised to the crash scene for the rescue operation.”

Stephen disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that the crash occurred due to wrongful overtaking by the driver of the Volvo truck which led to the head-on collision with the bus.

“The bus was coming from Lagos en route Sokoto and was conveying 17 passengers and goods, while the truck was coming from the North en route Lagos and had three passengers.”

The sector commander said a full investigation is still ongoing to further ascertain some details of the crash.

He said a total of 20 people 15 male adults, four female adults and one male child were involved.

According to him, “10 male adults sustained varying degrees of injuries while 10 people sadly lost their lives.”

The injured victims, he added, have since been taken to the General Hospital, Ilorin while corpses of the dead were taken to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, UITH Mortuary, Ilorin.

He sympathized with the families of the dead and wished the injured victims a quick recovery.

The commander admonished drivers to avoid wrongful overtaking and excessive speeding as they constitute major causes of fatal crashes.

The Kwara Sector Command will continue to play its part in ensuring the safety of all road users in the state with the hope that all drivers will remember to drive to stay alive, he further stated.