Two Niger Delta University students have been confirmed dead, while several others sustained injuries, in a tragic auto crash in Bayelsa State, plunging the academic community and families into mourning.
The incident occurred when a truck and a commercial tricycle collided head-on along the Yenagoa–Amassoma Road.
Residents in the area attributed the crash to the absence of road signs and excessive speeding by drivers, noting that it occurred at a bend along the road.
A trader, Godspower Okilo, who witnessed the crash, explained that the tricycle had no chance of escaping as the tipper was already too close when the danger became apparent.
He said reckless driving by truck operators on that road has been a long-standing issue, with community complaints going unaddressed.
“The dangerous impact left the tricycle damaged beyond recognition. Good Samaritans rushed to the scene, pulling survivors from the wreckage and transporting the injured to the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa. The bodies of the deceased were later evacuated to a nearby morgue,” Okilo stated.
“This incident has renewed calls for stricter traffic enforcement, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the State Police Command should intensify patrols, introduce speed breakers, and conduct regular safety checks on heavy-duty vehicles,” the trader added.
Confirming the accident which took place on Thursday, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Musa Muhammad, disclosed that a thorough investigation is currently underway to determine the precise cause of the crash.
Musa assured the public that the outcome of the investigation would inform concrete measures aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future and enhancing road safety across the area.
