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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Driver nabbed as speeding truck kills Rivers WASSCE candidate, motorcyclist

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • A truck driver has been arrested after a fatal accident involving a speeding truck claimed the lives of a student and a motorcyclist in Rivers State, Nigeria.
  • The student, identified as Juliet, was reportedly returning from her West African Senior School Certificate Examination when the incident occurred.
  • Authorities confirmed the arrest and stated that investigations are ongoing, with the bodies of the deceased taken to a hospital morgue.

The Rivers State Police Command has apprehended the driver of a truck involved in a fatal collision that resulted in the deaths of a student and a commercial motorcyclist. The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday evening along the Choba axis of the East-West Road in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

While the motorcyclist was conveying the student, the truck, which was moving at high speed, lost control and rammed into them from the opposite side of the road.

— EyewitnessAn eyewitness described the moments leading up to the fatal collision.

The student, identified only as Juliet, was reportedly on her way home from her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) when the truck, moving at high speed, lost control and veered into their lane, crashing into the motorcycle. An eyewitness, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the event, suggested that the heavy rainfall in the area on Wednesday evening might have contributed to the driver losing control.

The accident drew a crowd of distraught onlookers. The spokesperson for the state police command, Blessing Agabe, confirmed the incident on Thursday. She stated that the truck driver is in custody, and the vehicle has been handed over to the Vehicle Inspection Office for examination.

The driver may have lost control because of the downpour.

— EyewitnessThe eyewitness suggested a possible reason for the driver losing control of the truck.

Agabe further confirmed that the bodies of the two deceased individuals have been deposited at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital morgue. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident is currently underway.

Yes, I can confirm the incident. Two persons lost their lives in the accident. The driver has been arrested, while the truck has been handed over to the Vehicle Inspection Office for proper examination.

— Blessing AgabeThe Rivers State Police Command spokesperson confirmed the accident and the arrest of the driver.

This incident has reignited concerns about reckless driving and road safety on the busy East-West Road, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.

The corpses have been deposited at the UPTH morgue, and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

— Blessing AgabeThe police spokesperson provided details on the status of the deceased and the ongoing investigation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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