The Federal Road Safety Corps has blamed route violation for the accident involving the Anambra State Special Anti-Tout Squad and a tipper in the Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.
Reports indicate that four operatives from the Anambra State Special Anti-Tout Squad have died, and several others were injured after their vehicle collided with a tipper truck fully loaded with sand.
The accident involved three vehicles, including a private Toyota Hummer bus with registration number UWN763XA, a government-owned Toyota Hummer bus without a registration number, and a Mercedes Benz tipper.
According to reports, the incident occurred along the Onitsha-Owerri Road at Oba, near the New Road Junction, on Friday.
It was gathered that the driver of the Toyota bus collided with the tipper as it was pulling out of a junction during their daily stop-and-search operation.
Reacting in a statement on Friday, the Sector Public Education Officer for the Sector Commander, Anambra State, Margaret Onabe, attributed the cause of the crash to a route violation, resulting in a head-on collision.
Onabe disclosed that five male adults were involved in the crash, while four males lost their lives, and one was injured.
She said, “The rescue operation was carried out by Anambra State Anti-tout personnel. The Federal Road Safety Corps team is currently managing traffic, and the crashed vehicles have been cleared from the road, allowing for a smooth flow of traffic.
“It is important to note that the FRSC rescue team was initially hindered in performing their duties due to an attack by local youths from the Oba community who claimed the crash was caused by certain people and insisted on representatives of those people before any rescue could be done. The team had no option but to leave but returned after the police and other armed agencies arrived.
“The Sector Commander, Anambra State, Corps Commander Joyce Nnennaya Alexander, has expressed condolences to the families of the deceased victims.”
Onabe advised motorists against dangerous driving and route violations, especially on the expressway.
She also appealed to the public to allow FRSC teams to rescue and clear obstructions as any delay could cause loss of lives.
