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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Hit-and-run driver kills pedestrian in Anambra

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A tipper truck driver, allegedly driving against traffic, killed a pedestrian on the Onitsha-Awka Expressway in Anambra State.
  • The driver fled the scene immediately after the incident but was later tracked and intercepted by the Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA).
  • The vehicle was impounded, and the case has been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution, highlighting the dangers of one-way driving.

A pedestrian was killed on the Onitsha-Awka Expressway in Anambra State by a tipper truck driver who was allegedly driving against traffic. The driver fled the scene immediately after the fatal collision.

The incident, coming few days after the agency launched the ‘See It, Video It and Earn’ initiative, occurred on July 25 when the driver of a tipper, while driving against traffic, allegedly knocked down the deceased.

— Emeka Konti-OkonkwoARTMA's Managing Director provides details about the incident, including the date and the alleged traffic violation.

The Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA) confirmed the incident, stating that its operatives tracked and intercepted the tipper truck at Upper Iweka in Onitsha. Emeka Konti-Okonkwo, MD of ARTMA, expressed regret over the loss of life due to the driver's recklessness and violation of traffic regulations.

A father, a brother and a promising young man, lost his life because a motorist chose to violate traffic regulations instead of driving a short distance to make a lawful turn.

— Emeka Konti-OkonkwoKonti-Okonkwo laments the preventable nature of the pedestrian's death, caused by the driver's disregard for traffic laws.

"A father, a brother and a promising young man, lost his life because a motorist chose to violate traffic regulations instead of driving a short distance to make a lawful turn," Konti-Okonkwo stated. The vehicle has been impounded, and the matter has been transferred to the police for investigation and potential prosecution.

The suspect fled the scene immediately after the incident, but the vehicle was eventually tracked and intercepted at Upper Iweka in Onitsha by operatives of the agency.

— Emeka Konti-OkonkwoThis quote describes the driver's actions after the accident and the subsequent interception of the vehicle.

Konti-Okonkwo highlighted that 'one-way' driving is a significant cause of avoidable road crashes in the state. He noted that despite awareness campaigns and enforcement, some motorists, particularly those driving heavy-duty vehicles, continue to engage in this dangerous practice. ARTMA's determination to eradicate one-way driving remains firm, despite officers facing insults and intimidation while enforcing the law.

The latest tragedy has reinforced the Agency’s determination to sustain the campaign against one-way driving until the menace is completely eradicated from roads across the state.

— Emeka Konti-OkonkwoKonti-Okonkwo reaffirms ARTMA's commitment to combating one-way driving following the fatal incident.
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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