Checkpoint Auto Crash: Eyewitness, police, FRSC claim conflicting casualty figures

At least 25 people have reportedly died in a tragic accident at the Ugwu Onyeama area, along the Enugu-Onitsha Federal Highway in Enugu State.

The accident which involved 10 vehicles both private and commercial buses was reportedly caused by an Army checkpoint.

However, the Enugu State Police Command, in a conflicting statement said only four people died and not 25 as being reported in a video trending on social media platforms, while the Federal Road Safety Corps said that only two people died in the multiple road crash.

The Enugu State Police Command’s spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe in text message simply said: “It’s a case of multiple fatal motor accident that claimed 4 and not 25 lives, please.”

But, the state FRSC Sector Commander, Adeyemi Sokunbi, said the accident occurred around 7pm on Tuesday night.

According to him, the accident involved seven vehicles and 29 people.

Sokunbi said: “The crash occurred yesterday evening around 6:30 – 7pm. The crash involves seven vehicles.

“Although the crash investigation report is not yet out, however preliminary investigation indicate that the tank brake failed and ran into the other ones (vehicles).

“So people died at the scene of the accident. It involves 29 people, but two died on the spot and only 10 out of the 29 were rushed to the hospital. It means that the other ones, their injuries are not much.

“The ones that were rushed to the hospital are eight male adults and two female adults.

According to an eyewitness, a truck failed break and overran many vehicles that were stopped at the hilly road, killing many people.

“A trailer plying the newly constructed lane failed break and smashed more than 10 cars both private cars and commercial buses.

“The army checkpoint at that axis continues to claim lives.

“More than 25 persons lost their lives instantly and many rushed to the hospital,” one of the eyewitnesses said.

A video of the incident seen by New Telegraph however showed victims scattered on the road, who seem to be dead. Some vehicles including a petrol tanker truck were seen plunged into a nearby ditch. Some cars were seen smashed beyond recognition.