A truck belonging to Tipper Owners Association of Nigeria yesterday killed a yet-to-be-identified woman at Okela area of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The accident, which occurred in front of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (Breakthrough Mega) opposite the popular Foluke Blocks Industry around 7:30a.m, also left a commercial motorcycle operator in a very critical condition.
The motorcyclist was conveyed in an ambulance to a nearby hospital by officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC). The driver of the truck, with registration number ADK 13 XA (Ekiti), was said to have lost control of the vehicle when it had a brake failure soon after leaving Okeyinmi area.
The truck hit the woman, who was being conveyed by the motorcycle. Although by the time journalists arrived at the scene around 8:30a.m, the victims had been evacuated by the FRSC officials, pieces of flesh suspected to be that of the woman were littered the place. The truck and the motorcycle were still at the spot. Witnesses said the truck driver fled after the accident.
Officials of the FRSC, the police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were there controlling the traffic which had already built up.
The FRSC Public Enlightenment Officer, Mohammed Olowo, confirmed that the body of the deceased woman had been deposited at the mortuary of the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH). He said: “The truck hit a woman on a motorcycle which was conveying her to her destination.
The woman died instantly, while the Okada rider (motorcyclist) was badly wounded. We do not know the whereabouts of the driver now but the association of tipper drivers in the state had stepped in.
The truck would be impounded by the police. “We have also rushed the Okada rider to the hospital because he was seriously wounded. We are appealing to members of the public who know the dead woman to come to the state mortuary for her body.” Meanwhile, the state Chairman, Tipper Drivers Association, Wale Adeleye, expressed sadness over the accident.
Adeleye added that efforts were always being made by the association to ensure general roadworthiness of its trucks. The chairman regretted that people usually blame every auto accident on truck drivers and operators, even in situations in which trucks were not concerned at all. He said: “We did not like what happened and no one would like it.
But we want to correct an impression that tipper drivers are killers. Other types of vehicles also often involve in accidents but the tag on us is that we drive to kill. This is wrong. “I want to advise the people, especially journalists to always find out and report exactly what has happened. Don’t name tippers when accident does not involve them.”
