The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Enugu State command, has confirmed that 10 persons lost their lives in two road crashes that occurred on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
The state sector commander, Franklin Agbakoba, disclosed this on Thursday during a briefing to journalists on the two fatal accidents that occurred on Wednesday.
Agbakoba said that the road crashes involving seven vehicles occurred at about 9:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m., respectively, within the Police Estate and Toll Gate axis of Ozalla along the ever-busy Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
“As usual, our officers and men from FRSC Ozalla Unit quickly commenced the rescue process, rescuing no fewer than 30 persons and some with major injuries were taken to the hospital,” he said.
He added that the crashes involved a total of 40 people, while nine of them died at the spot, and a victim, who was taken to the hospital, died later in the night.
According to him, vehicles involved in the first crash include a trailer, two buses and a car, while the second one involved three vehicles: two trailers and a tricycle.
He said that among the 40 people involved in the two crashes, the first crash had 22 males, 11 females and a child, while the second incident had six males involved.
The sector commander reported that 11 persons were injured in both crashes, with one male and nine females in the first crash and six males in the second.
“The major cause of these two accidents is basic Road Traffic Violation (RTV) since the motorists involved took the wrong way.
“The axis is being fraught with motorists moving against traffic, and our FRSC Ozalla Unit Command has constantly carried out road education and enforcement against this negative road habit.
“Just last month, the FRSC Ozalla Unit apprehended three drivers for RTV in the same axis where both accidents took place,” he said.
Agbakoba, however, called for road caution signs to be placed on the road so that motorists can slow down in the area as construction is still ongoing.
“I will also implore all drivers to take caution and exercise a little patience in traffic-busy areas of the road, as it is still under construction,” he added.
