Tragedy as 6 killed after truck crashes into trailer in Delta

A tragic accident on Monday afternoon claimed the lives of six people on the Udu Bridge in Delta State after a speeding truck rammed into a stationary trailer.

According to eyewitnesses, the trailer, which had broken down while conveying electric poles, was being worked on by a mechanic when the incoming truck collided with it. The impact was devastating, leaving six people dead on the spot and several others with varying degrees of injuries.

Among the fatalities was the mechanic who had been working underneath the trailer moments before the crash. Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene to evacuate the deceased and attend to the injured.

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The accident was said to have been occasioned by brake failure and the impatient of a tricycle rider.

The incident reportedly occurred as the truck, attempted to dodge a commercial tricycle (popularly called Keke), and in the process collided with the stationary trailer while the mechanic was working beneath it.

“Consequently, the impact caused the trailer to topple, killing the mechanic and crushing three moving tricycles with passengers”, one of the witnesses who sought anonymity stated.

When our correspondent visited the scene of the crash, the route was already in a total blockage with vehicular gridlock, leaving motorists and tricycle operators stranded for hours.

Workers, students, and traders commuting into Warri and surrounding areas were severely affected, with many forced to seek alternative routes on foot as emergency responders struggled to access the scene.

The Police Public Relations Officer for Delta State Command, Bright Edafe, could not be reached for confirmation of the exact death toll arising from the accident, as of the time of filing this report.

However, the Chairman of Udu Local Government Area, Vincent Oyibode, was sighted mobilising rescue workers to the scene.

Oyibode’s efforts eventually led to the towing away of the ill-fated trailer and the truck later in the evening, thus giving respite to the teeming road users.