Seventeen people, yesterday, lost their lives in two separate accidents in Kwara and Kaduna states, with 18 others sustaining injuries.
The accident, at Ayere, along Bode Sadu, in Moro Local government area of Kwara State that involved a DAF truck and a Toyota Hi-Ace mini bus, reportedly claimed 11 lives, with seven people sustaining injuries.
Kwara State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Stephen Dawulung, who confirmed the incident to journalists in Ilorin, disclosed that the crash occurred around 4:50am, due to wrongful overtaking and speed violation.
The FRSC boss stated that the driver of the Toyota Hi-Ace minibus, who was coming from Gombe, en route to Lagos, wrongfully overtook the truck, which resulted in the head-on collision.
He stated that his men, in conjunction with officers of the Nigeria Police Command, stationed at Bode Saadu, carried out a rescue operation.
Dawulung, however, stated that 11 passengers were found dead, while seven others sustained injuries, when the officers arrived at the scene of the event.
According to him: "Preliminary investigations revealed that the Toyota Hi-Ace wrongfully overtook another vehicle, resulting in a head-on collision with an on-coming DAF truck.
"A total of 18 people (male adults) were involved. Eleven of them sadly lost their lives while seven others were rescued with injuries and were taken to Ifeoluwa Hospital Bode Saadu."
6 dead, 11 injured in Kaduna-Zaria road auto crash
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Also yesterday, six persons died and 11 sustained injuries in a road crash on the Kaduna-Zaria expressway.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kaduna Sector Commander, Mr Kabir Nadabo, disclosed in Kaduna that the auto crash occurred at Aliko filling station on the Kaduna-Zaria expressway, yesterday, at about 06:25hrs.
Nadabo said the multiple accident was caused by speeding and dangerous driving, which resulted in the temporary halting of movement of motorists.
He noted that the rescue team of Zebra 35 Rigachikun responded promptly to the scene and conducted the rescue.
"The initial investigation of the crash revealed that 23 people were involved in the crash, 11 were injured and sadly, six people lost their lives," Nadabo said.
He said the investigation revealed that the Toyota bus was coming from Ilesha and heading to Batsari in Katsina State, adding: "The driver was at high speed, lost control and rammed into a moving vehicle, thus causing the crash."
Nadabo said most of the road traffic crashes on the highway were caused by motorists not from Kaduna State, but mostly from other states and were due to fatigue.
He stated that as the lead agency in transport management and road safety, the FRSC was saddened by this unfortunate but avoidable incident.
"The corps in Kaduna State will continue to perform its statutory duty of saving lives and properties and most fundamentally, creating awareness on the dangers of Road safety vices and unethical road culture," he said.
