The Peace mass Transit accident which occurred last Sunday was indeed a tragic one. Of the 15 passengers involved in the accident only 2 survived. They were: Mrs. Chidinma Eze, a 32-year-old widow and businesswoman from Ubakala in Abia State and a 33-year-old dealer in cosmetics simply called Nwodo.
The tragic auto crash occurred at the Umuahia end of the Enugu/ Port Harcourt Expressway. It involved a MAN-Diesel engine truck, with registration number Plateau JJN 782 XB and an 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus, with registration number, AKL 895 YA, belonging to Peace Mass Transport company.
According to the Sun, the people involved recounted their experiences.
Mrs. Eze who is receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Center, Umuahia spoke about her ordeal, “I live in Port Harcourt, but I had to come out to join the bus because I could not catch a direct bus going to Lokpanta where I do my diesel business. I was trying to catch sleep when the accident happened. Our bus crashed into the trailer head-on and the people inside the bus started screaming; some calling the name of Jesus, others calling their fathers and mothers. I think I fainted because I became conscious on the way to the hospital. When the Federal Road Safety Corps officials were taking us to the hospital, I had regained consciousness, but I did not open my eyes because I was feeling pains all over my body.”
She stated that the windows were shut and the Air Conditioner Unit was turned on. She also explained that the weather conditions were bad.
“Immediately the bus crashed into that trailer, I lost consciousness. Whether the bus sommersalted or not, I didnot know. I can’t even remember the side through which I was brought out. All I can remember is that I was on the back seat with three other passengers.
“We had passed Abia Tower and heading to Okigwe. The driver was driving on a very high speed inside the rain. We entered the bus about 9am, but I did not check the time when we arrived at the spot where the accident occured,”
She was also grateful that God spared her life with almost everyone else dead. “I can’t thank God enough. If human beings were the ones that select those who died in that accident, definitely, I would have been one of them. But just look at me, a poor sinner and God, in His infinite mercy, decided to save my life. God gave me life on top of life; brought me back from the land of the dead. You could see children, the elderly, the young and the handsome and beautiful, all stone dead. But God decided to keep me. It amazes me each time I look back at my life. I will remain grateful to God for the rest of my life.”
The other survivor, Nwodo, was in a bad state and was unable to talk. It was reported that he was travelling from Aba to Enugu and had even had food prepared for him at home. He was counted among the dead as at the time of the accident, but he jerked his body while in the ICU to indicate that he was indeed alive.
According to the Sun, his brother who was at the hospital to be by his side was grateful that he was alive.
“I am very happy because the information that was given to them was that everybody died in the accident except two people. I thank God that my brother is among the two survivors. I thank God who knows the reason why he brought him back to life; this is somebody who had already been counted among the dead.
“The doctor told me that he has injury in his spinal cord and on the head.”
Not everyone was so lucky though.
Obidiegwu Udogu, the first son of Chief Donald Udogu (SAN), an Aba-based legal practitioner along with his 2-year-old daughter Jasmine died in the tragic accident. Also among the dead was a 9-year-old boy. Their bodies were meshed with the body of the bus.
Four people made it alive to the hospital, but two died. Hospital staff could not believe their eyes, one said “Blood flowed like river that day. It was a tragedy; I have never seen such a gory scene since I was born. The head of the driver was ripped open and one could see the brain from up. The crowd of people who besieged the scene of the crash was large. People wept like babies. Even some doctors could not bear the sight and ran away. It was a black Sunday morning.”
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