A trailer conveying goods on Saturday night crushed a child to death along the Rumuosi axis of the East/West Road in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
An eyewitness told PUNCH Metro on Sunday that the truck’s driver who was at a high speed lost control when he approached the Rumuosi Junction.
He said the driver was trying to avoid ramming into people when it climbed the median, fell on one side and crushed the toddler in the process.
He added that the deceased’s mother and two other children were injured and were rushed to the hospital.
The source said, “You know there is always a traffic jam at the Rumuosi Junction on this road.
“The truck driver was at top speed and he could not apply break suddenly when he sighted the traffic jam. So what he did because of the speed was that he climbed the median.
“If he went straight he would have crushed all those people by the side. There were people on the median too, a woman and her children. So as they heard the trailer lost control and people were shouting.”
Continuing, the eyewitness who did not give his name said, “They ran to one side, but the trailer fell on the median. All the goods it carried poured out.
“From there, the trailer fell on one side, hitting the woman and the children. But only the two-year-old boy died.”
He stated that after the incident, the driver immediately fled the scene for fear of being mobbed by residents and passers-by.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, adding that investigation was ongoing.
“We are aware of the incident. It is very unfortunate. We are on the trail of the driver that ran away to ensure he is arrested. An investigation is ongoing to that effect,” Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, stated.
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