Tragedy as tipper runs over 2 students in Bayelsa

A tragic road mishap has left residents in shock after a tipper driver, reportedly speeding, lost control of his vehicle.

According to Godspower Okolo, a trader who witnessed the incident, the driver was moving at an unsafe pace when disaster struck.

He said, “The Keke (tricycle) had no chance of escaping the danger because the tipper was already close to it. We’ve been complaining about reckless truck drivers on this road for years, but nothing changes.

“The dangerous impact left the tricycle damaged beyond recognition. Good Samaritans rushed to the scene, pulling survivors from the wreckage and transporting the injured to the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa. The bodies of the deceased were later evacuated to a nearby morgue.

“This incident has renewed calls for stricter traffic enforcement, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the State Police Command should intensify patrols, introduce speed breakers, and conduct regular safety checks on heavy-duty vehicles,” he said.

Another resident, Mrs. Ebike Ekain, said if the appropriate authorities did not act now, more lives would be lost to accidents in the nearest future.

Checks from Daily Trust indicates that about 15 accidents have occured in the Tombia–Amassoma in the last 18 months, most of them involving tipper trucks and commercial tricycles.

Police spokesman in Bayelsa State, DSP Musa Muhammad, confirmed the accident, adding that investigation was ongoing to unravel the cause of the auto crash.

(DailyTrust)