Driver flees as fuel-laden truck crushes mother, child and man in Delta

An accident involving a fuel-laden truck has killed a woman, her child and one other person in the Ika North-East LGA of Delta State.

The tragedy happened around 5pm on Monday, January 24, 2022, on the Old Lagos-Asaba Road, Boji-Boji Owa, when a fuel-laden tanker had a brake failure and rammed into several vehicles and pedestrians along the road.

The three victims were reportedly dismembered in the fatal accident while the truck driver was nowhere to be found.

An eyewitness account of the accident goes “The deceased lady was riding on her motorcycle, heading towards the traffic light Junction with her three children she carried from school when the truck rammed into them.

“The lady, her child and one other person died on the spot. Some others, which included the deceased mother’s eldest child, were said to have been left with varying degrees of injury and were rushed to the Central Hospital, Agbor, for medical attention”, the witness added.

A joint team of the Nigerian Army, the Federal Road Safety Corps and the police from Owa-Oyibu and the Agbor divisions were mobilised to the scene by the Chairman of Ika NorthEast LGA, Victor Ebonka.

The council boss, who was on ground till a crane was brought to pull off the tanker, stopped angry youths from setting the fuel-laden tanker ablaze.

He sympathised with the victims’ families, describing the accident as pathetic and unfortunate, as he urged the youth not to take the law into their hands.

“The trailer is fully loaded with petroleum and if you try to ignite it, then you are practically igniting yourselves because the flame from the fuel will definitely consume you that ignited it.

“We have been able to save one of the children and handed her to her father, while others in the vehicles that were crushed along the line were taken to a nearby hospital. I have been informed that they are responding to treatment,” Ebonka added.