One killed on Benin-Ovia highway auto crash

A commercial cab driver identified as John Inebiomanor yesterday lost his life in a ghastly motor accident that occurred at about 1:00a.m. along the Benin-Siluko Road in Iguobazuwa, the administrative headquarters of Ovia South-West local government area of Edo State.

The accident, which occurred at Obarenren village, involved an Audi saloon car, marked Edo BEN 539 JN and a white Renault mini truck with registration number Edo DEG 908 XA. The truck, which was conveying heavy goods, was said to be coming from Lagos State, while the Audi car, conveying palm fruits was traveling from Benin to an unknown destination.

Sources said the truck, in an attempt to avoid a pothole on road, rammed into the car coming from the opposite direction. According to the source, “the back tyres of the truck pulled off and hit the car which caused it to summersault several times, while the truck stopped a few metres away from the spot.”

It was gathered that due to the heavy noise from the collision, some residents of Obarenren village came out from their houses in their numbers to rescue victims of the accident.

Efforts to carry out rescue operations was done successfully and people struggled to upturned the accidented car, broke open its doors with an metal axe before they were able to evacuate the lifeless body of the driver who died on the spot.

It was gathered that the only surviving passenger in the car, a woman, who sustained serious injuries, was rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention.The deceased driver and the driver of the truck simply identified as Osaro, hailed from the same village, Iguogun. “The driver of the truck is supposed to be very familiar with the road, because this is where he takes every week when returning from Lagos,” said Shadrach, a rescuer at the scene of the accident

Chairman of Ovia South-West local government area, Comrade Destiny Enabulele, who arrived at the scene of the accident, directed the Works department of the council to immediately fill all potholes on the road, from the Ovia bridge down to Iguobazuwa to avert avoidable accidents.