A pregnant woman, mother and her child on Wednesday night lost their lives alongside six others in a fatal road crash that occurred in the university community of Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State involving a cement-laden truck.
The horrifying accident occurred around 8:00 pm, a few metres from the main gate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), and the popular Holy Trinity Church.
The truk loaded with Dangote Cement, which was in transit through the community from Obajana in Kogi State, allegedly suffered brake failure before ramming into traders and other road users in the densely populated area of the community.
Infuriated by the incident, enraged sympathisers blamed that accident on the removal of the barricade earlier mounted to prevent articulated vehicles from accessing the community.
The sympathisers, who thronged the accident scene, lamented that the tragedy has brought back painful memories of previous accidents in the area, which have claimed many lives over the years.
According to one of the sources, “Some boys in the community had been using the barricade erected to extort N10,000 from the truck drivers before allowing them to pass through. The government turned blind eyes.”
While confirming the incident, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in the state, Ibitoye, stated eight people lost their lives in the accident.
He said, “The deceased persons include five males, two females and one child. The truck ran into a barricade in front of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, and lost control, resulting in the crash.”
