Tragedy: Container Falls on Govt. Meat Van.. Crushes Man to Death

 

A 40-foot container truck yesterday fell on a government meat van yesterday morning at Ikeja Along Bus Stop crushing a passer-by and wounding several others.

Eyewitnesses say the victim, identified as Samuel Ogunnaike was an employee with a phone dealer operating in Computer Village, Ikeja. He was said to be on his way to work when the unfortunate incident happened.

The truck was reported to have swerved off the road in a bid to avoid some policemen who were chasing a motorcycle rider before the accident occured.

Read the Punch Newspaper's report below:

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.

“Another police van came, and seeing the scene, decided to wait. At this point, the two police vehicles blocked the road.

“The Eko meat van was coming on the same road, and since the police had blocked the major road, he had no option, but to stop.

“The trailer, carrying two containers, was on top speed. I think his brake failed because he was unable to control the speed.

 “The driver of the trailer, while trying to avoid colliding with the police officers, swerved and ended up ramming into the van and killing the man who was passing by.”

Energy claimed that immediately the accident occurred, the police vehicles disappeared from the accident scene.

A member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, who would not want to be named said, the corps treated two of the casualties at the accident scene, before they were taken to the state’s hospital.

He said two other people that were badly injured had also been taken to an undisclosed hospital before the NSCDC officials arrived.

Mukaila Rauf, a 24-year-old meat seller, who escaped unhurt in the meat van, said he sat at the back of the van.

Rauf said, “I saw the police pursuing three bikes. Suddenly, we heard the trailer hooting. He tried avoiding us, but its tail hit the van and one of the containers fell on us. Our driver was badly injured.”

The atmosphere quickly turned to that of hostility as the crowd jeered and booed the policemen who later cordoned off the area.

This began a long line of traffic, just as passengers of vehicles began to disembark and started trekking to their destinations.