Tragedy
struck on Thursday at Ikeja Along Bus Stop on Lagos-Abeokuta
Expressway, Lagos State, after a heavily loaded 40-foot container
truck fell on a government meat van, crushed a passerby, and wounded
several others.
Eyewitnesses said the truck had swerved
off the road to avoid colliding with some policemen, who were chasing a
motorcycle rider, before the incident occurred around 9am.
The victim, identified as Samuel
Ogunnaike, was an employee of a popular phone dealer in Computer
Village, Ikeja, and was on his way to the office when he met his death.
Any hope that he could survive the
accident was dashed after he was trapped for about four hours before his
body was retrieved from the wreckage.
The van, Eko Meat Van, with number plate
XY 433 AA was levelled after one of the containers fell on it. The
driver and three passengers in the vehicle, however, escaped with
injuries.
Eyewitnesses blamed the accident on the police.
One of them, Michael Energy, said
overzealous policemen, who were chasing a motorcyclist, caused the
confusion that led to the accident.
He said, “I was coming from Agege when I
saw a commercial motorcyclist, popularly called okada, driving against
traffic. He was carrying a man and a lady as passengers.
“Some police officers who were coming from Ikeja Along tried to stop him, but he ignored them.
“They gave him a chase and brushed the okada with their vehicle, which sent the rider and his passengers sprawling on the road.
