By Frank Kamuntu
A lecturer with Imo State University and five others died on Saturday night at the school’s junction in Owerri when an articulated truck lost control and rammed into some vehicles and passersby.
A journalist, Chidiebube Okeoma, who witnessed the incident and took the victims to the Federal Medical Centre in Owerri, the state capital, disclosed that the incident happened around 7 pm.
He narrated that the heavy-duty vehicle drove against traffic and rammed into the commuter buses going from Owerri to the Owerri – Okigwe lane of the road.
According to the eyewitness, the accident led to the death of some of the victims.
He said when passersby and other people rushed the victims to nearby hospitals, there were no doctors on duty, so they took them to the Federal Medical Centre in Owerri for proper medical attention.
One died on the spot while medical personnel confirmed five other victims dead at FMC in Owerri, he said.
One of the victims is a lecturer at IMSU who was identified as Dr. Nicholas Isinwa from the Department of Marketing. He hailed from the Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of the state.
His brother, Okpor Dominic described Isinwa’s death was tragic and unfortunate.\
Okeoma said, “We took them to FMC after the nearby hospitals couldn’t offer any help. The vehicle smashed them after it lost control at the IMSU junction. Unfortunately, six persons have been confirmed dead while others were being attended to.”
Okeoma called on the state government to permanently solve the perennial problem of auto crashes at the IMSU junction.
When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, said six persons died on the spot while others were being attended to at the FMC in Owerri.
