By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—  Two people were confirmed dead at the weekend, while two others were badly injured in a road crash at  Umudim, Ngor Okpala, along the ever busy Owerri-Aba federal highway.

Vanguard investigations revealed that the ghastly road crash involved a Mitsubishi L300 bus with  number plate XA 835 ASB, a Man Diesel trailer, XD 324 GDD, and a bicycle.

A sympathizer, who spoke on strict grounds of anonymity, said the trailer driver had a burst tyre, lost control and crashed into the bus and the woman, who was riding on her bicycle.

 “The trailer driver had a burst tyre, lost control and crashed into the Mitsubishi bus and an innocent woman that was riding her bicycle, killing her on the spot, as well as resting on her lifeless body,” the grief stricken villager recounted.

Continuing, the villager said the trailer, which was heavily laden with goods, made a mince meat of the woman’s body, while sympathizers were simply helpless as they could not lift the trailer.

“There was not much we could do to help the woman. The trailer was resting on bits of her dismembered body. The officers and men of Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, who were on rescue mission did their best,” the villager said.

Although the identity of the deceased woman could not be ascertained as at press time, Vanguard gathered that she was on her way to a nearby market when the accident occurred.

Confirming the sad story in a telephone interview,  Imo State Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr. Angus Ibezim, blamed the crash on tyre burst and loss of control by the trailer driver.

 Ibezim said that “the dead bodies have been deposited at Hossana Mortuary, Okpala, while the injured persons were taken to a hospital in Okpala.”