Motorboy dies, three hurt in Ogun trailer crash

A motorboy died and three others, including a truck driver, were injured when a trailer loaded with cement crashed on Mile 6, Ajebo Road, in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State on Wednesday.

Babatunde Akinbiyi, the spokesman for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, confirmed the accident in a statement.

Akinbiyi said the crash happened around 11.30am at Agbedejobi village. The trailer had brake failure while going down a bridge.

He explained that the driver lost control while trying to avoid a car in front. The trailer then ran into a ditch, veered onto a railway track, and spilled its load into a nearby bush.

According to Akinbiyi, one motorboy died at the scene. Another motorboy broke his arm. The driver and a fourth person also had various injuries.

He said, “The unfortunate lone crash happened when the trailer, while descending a bridge along the route, experienced a mechanical fault (brake failure) and, in an attempt to avoid the car in front, rammed into a ditch, which led it to a rail track, emptying all its contents in a nearby bush.

“In view of the impact of the crash, one of the motorboys lost his life on the spot, while another had a broken arm, and the remaining two, including the driver, sustained varying degrees of injuries.”

Akinbiyi added that the dead and injured were taken to the General Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta, for medical care.

He said TRACE officials and the police helped with the rescue. Akinbiyi expressed condolences to the families of the dead and injured.

He urged drivers to keep their vehicles in good shape before traveling and to avoid overloading.

“While TRACE and the Police, who were responsible for the rescue operations, commiserate with the families of the deceased and injured, motorists are again admonished to ensure their vehicles are properly and adequately maintained before setting out on any journey, and avoid overloading such vehicles, in view of its attendant consequences,” he concluded.