A female police officer and an unidentified male pedestrian were killed on Wednesday when a DAF truck lost control and ploughed into motorcycles, pedestrians and nearby shops along the New Mile 3 axis of the Gombe-Yola Federal Highway in Gombe State.
Both the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Road Safety Corps confirmed the tragedy, with investigators pointing to brake failure and route violation as the twin causes of the deadly crash, which occurred at about 11:30am.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Gombe State Command, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, said in a press release that the truck driver, while attempting to enter filling station through a one-way access, suffered brake failure, lost control of the vehicle and rammed into motorcycles, pedestrians and shops in the process.
The police identified the deceased officer as Woman Police Constable Sharifa Gaina, attached to the Communications Department of the Gombe State Command.
“As a result of the accident, two persons, namely Woman Police Constable Sharifa Gaina attached to Communications department, Gombe State Command, and one unidentified male pedestrian, regrettably lost their lives, while two other persons, including the truck driver, sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment,” the statement said.
Three motorcycles and several nearby shops were also damaged in the crash.
The Commissioner of Police in Gombe State, CP Umar Chuso, issued a stern warning to motorists in the wake of the tragedy.
“The Commissioner of Police warns motorists against all forms of traffic violations and urges drivers to ensure strict compliance with traffic regulations and proper maintenance of their vehicles to prevent avoidable road accidents,” the statement added.
The FRSC Sector Commander in Gombe State, Samson Kaura, confirmed the incident and laid the blame squarely on the truck driver’s disregard for traffic rules.
“It was caused by a trailer who took fuel at Rano filling station. Instead of taking the right route, he did route violation. He lost control. Two casualty, one male and one female. The two had injuries,” Kaura said.
He appealed to motorists to be more disciplined, adding, “Take the right lane to prevent accidents, people should obey regulations, we should organise our journey in such a way that we can take our time to comply with route regulation.”
Recall that two persons lost their lives while two others sustained injury in a fatal road accident which occurred at Ijapo area of Akure, the Ondo State capital on Wednesday.
The accident involved a Nissan car with registration number Ondo WWW 322 TA, a truck which has no registration number and a motorcycle.
Read the full article here
