By Kalu Blessing Miracle
Truck Crushes Three Pupils, Okada Rider to Death in oyo
Tragedy struck in Oyo State on Tuesday morning as a truck crushed three junior secondary school students and a commercial motorcyclist to death along the Abanla–Idi-Ayunre road in Oluyole Local Government Area.
The incident occurred as the schoolchildren were on their way to school. Eyewitnesses said the truck driver attempted to overtake another vehicle but lost control and rammed into the motorcycle carrying the students.
The rider and two of the students died instantly, while the third student, who was rushed to a nearby hospital, was later confirmed dead. The driver of the truck fled the scene immediately after the crash.
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Akinola Owoeye, a witness, said, “The Okada man and two of the children died on the spot. The last child gave up at the hospital.” Another resident described the incident as devastating, noting that the motorcycle was crushed beyond recognition.
The tragic event sparked outrage in the area, with students and other commercial motorcyclists taking to the streets in protest. They blocked the road and demanded swift government action to prevent further accidents on the route, which they say is often used recklessly by heavy-duty vehicles.
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Chairman of Oluyole Local Government, Akeem Olatunji, who visited the scene, confirmed the incident and expressed sorrow over the loss of young lives. He criticised the recklessness of both truck and Okada drivers, blaming the accident partly on the motorcyclist carrying more than the allowed number of passengers.
Olatunji vowed that the truck driver would be tracked down and held accountable and added that the company that owns the vehicle would be compelled to compensate the affected families.
“This is one tragedy too many. I can only imagine what the families of those children are facing. As a father, I know this is a pain that cannot be measured,” he said.
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He also ordered the immediate installation of speed bumps along the road to curb further accidents, stressing that the government would not allow impunity to continue endangering lives. As of the time of reporting, the state Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Rosemary Alo, had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.