The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Anambra Sector Commander, Bridget Asekhauno, on Thursday confirmed the death of two persons after an articulated truck conveying a container fell, crushing three passengers in a tricycle and trapping occupants of three other tricycles beneath the container along the Owerri–Onitsha Road in Anambra State.
Mrs Asekhauno told reporters in Awka that the container dislodged from the trailer and fell on the tricycles due to a failed portion of the road.
She said the accident occurred at about 8:20 a.m.
“The fatal crash involved two unidentified drivers of a red tricycle with no registration number and a trailer, also without a registration number,” Asekhauno stated.
“Eyewitnesses reported that the cause of the crash was a poorly maintained section of the road, which caused the trailer’s container to fall on the tricycle.
“A total of four men were involved in the crash, and two were killed. The FRSC tow van was deployed to lift the trailer off the tricycle, allowing for the clearance of the obstruction.
“The team, in collaboration with the police, took the victims who were trapped under the trailer to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead on arrival,” she added.
The Sector Commander urged road users to exercise caution and adhere strictly to traffic regulations to prevent similar incidents.
Eyewitnesses, however, blamed the tragedy on the state government’s neglect of the road despite months of public outcry over its deplorable condition.
The accident caused a total blockade of the Onitsha–Owerri Road, as tricycle operators withdrew their services in protest, while residents demanded urgent government intervention to repair the failed portions.
