A conductor was on Monday crushed to death by a tipper driver on the ‘Long Bridge’ axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State.
It was gathered that a truck, with number plate XQ 252 SMK, had developed a mechanical fault around 7am on the bridge and the driver and his conductor had gone under the truck to fix the fault when the granite-laden tipper rammed into them.
The conductor was said to have died on the spot, while the driver, who also sustained life-threatening injuries, was rushed to the Divine Touch Hospital, Ibafo, by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
Speaking on the incident, an eyewitness, identified as Friday, explained that immediately the accident occurred, the tipper driver abandoned his vehicle, with number plate DGB 216 XA, and reported himself at the Wawa Police Station.
He said, “It was the tipper driver who went to report himself at the Wawa Police Station. The truck was faulty and the driver and his conductor were underneath to repair it when the tipper driver rammed them from behind.
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“The conductor died on the spot, but the driver was rushed to the hospital by officials of the FRSC because he was badly injured.”
Conforming the incident, Deputy Corps Commander, FRSC, Olalekan Morakinyo, confirmed that the conductor died on the spot and the driver was rushed to the hospital, adding that the tragedy would have been averted if the truck driver and the conductor had used a caution sign to warn other motorists that their vehicle had broken down.
He said, “The accident happened around 7.20am; one person died and one was injured. The accident has been cleared and the injured victim has been taken to the Divine Touch Hospital in Ibafo.
“Their vehicle broke down and the driver and conductor were trying to fix the truck, but did not put a caution sign before the broken down truck and the tipper ran into them. The driver of the tipper said he thought the truck was moving.
“But it still speaks about lack of concentration; if the truck driver and the conductor had set up the caution sign some 100 metres before their broken down vehicle, the accident might have been averted.
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