Tragedy struck in Awka, the capital of Anambra State, early on Friday morning when a road mishap claimed the lives of two individuals – a driver and a loader – working with Anambra Comfort Line. The incident occurred around 6:00 am while the victims were loading luggage into the trunk of a Sienna vehicle in preparation for a trip to Lagos.
According to an eyewitness, the fatal accident occurred when a Lexus 350 RX, driven by a young man with a young woman seated in the front passenger seat, lost control while speeding along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway. The vehicle rammed into the trunk of the parked Sienna vehicle, where the two men were standing, killing them instantly.
The eyewitness recounted, “Apart from the two corpses here, some others sustained injuries and have been taken to the hospital. Just this morning, the men were joking and chatting with us after our morning prayers. Last night, we held a candle session for one of our drivers who passed away, and now this tragedy has struck.”
The driver of the Lexus, along with his girlfriend, was unharmed in the accident. However, he claimed that the crash was caused by a brake failure, a statement that was met with skepticism by the eyewitnesses. “There was no sign that he tried to apply the brake or that he was struggling with the car,” the witness said. “We suspect that they may have been coming back from the club, and perhaps he was distracted, sleepy, or even intoxicated. These ‘Yahoo boys’ are known for reckless behavior.”
At the scene, tensions ran high as friends of the deceased became enraged by the reckless nature of the accident. In retaliation, they attempted to attack the driver and his girlfriend. However, their lives were saved by the intervention of the park owners and the police, who escorted the driver and his companion to safety, locking them in a room until law enforcement arrived to manage the situation.
The incident has drawn attention to the dangers of speeding and reckless driving, and investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the crash. Meanwhile, the victims’ families and friends mourn the loss of the two lives cut short in this senseless tragedy.