By Chizoba Ogbeche with agencies
Abuja
Tragedy struck yesterday as a truck crushed a couple and passersby to death while on their way to Church in Makurdi, Benue state.
The incident, according to an eyewitness, said occurred around 10.45am at Modern Market Junction, Makurdi.
The third person was said to be coming out of the Church when he met untimely death.
The couple, according to the witness, were riding on their personal motorcycle to the Church when the truck crushed them, including the passersby.
Report gathered that the driver of the truck with registration number, XB 969 GBK, was heading to an undisclosed destination when he lost control at the Modern Market junction in attempt to escape hitting a car.
The truck, equally hit another unidentified lady who just closed from Church service, the eyewitness said, adding that the driver of the truck escaped immediately the accident occurred.
“Actually, the driver didn’t intentionally crushed the victims to death, but the whole thing happened when he tried not to hit the driver with the smaller car, who happened to be a learner, but with five were persons inside the car, then, unfortunately, the truck driver lost control and ran into the couple and the passerby which resulted to their untimely death.”
“However, nothing happened to the driver, but the motorbike carrying the couple was grounded to pieces together with the death bodies,” he said.
The remains of the victims were evacuated by the Nigeria police and taken to morgue at Federal Medical Centre Makurdi.
When our correspondent visited the FMC mortuary, a man who identified himself as Edem Obaah and senior brother to the late retired police officer identified the couple.
According to him, “the deceased is my younger brother. He is Patrick Obaah and his late wife Janet Obaah, while am Edem Obaah. In fact, Patrick just retired from active service last month. I’m also a police officer still serving.
“I was inside Church when his first daughter called and I quickly ran out to answer the call, only for her to inform me that her father and mother were involved in accident. On reaching there, I saw their bodies and I called the police. When the police came, I was able to identify the bodies of my brother and his wife but we are yet to trace the owner of the Truck.”
The Police Public Relation Officer, Benue state Command, ASP Moses Yamu, confirmed the accident.
Yamu said ‘there was an accident involving a motorbike and a truck where husband and wife died on a spot.”
Their remains have been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre morgue in Makurdi.
