November 13, 2018
By Ijendu Iheaka
A pregnant women returning from the market in
a tricycle was feared dead Tuesday afternoon following an auto accident that occurred
by the abattoir on East road in Aba, Abia State.
Three other passengers
of the tricycle who eye-witnesses said were also in critical condition were
taken to New Era Hospital on Azikiwe road.
A meat seller at the abattoir market who pleaded
anonymity told our reporter that the tricycle driver packed by the road side to
give a passenger change when the incident happened.
“Touts are not
supposed to be allowed on the roads in Abia. Government should remove them from
the roads. It is touts that caused this accident.
“They were struggling
to take control of the steering wheel of this Van from the driver who was
moving when they stopped him.
“When the Van driver
disagreed with the touts on their demand for money from him, they began to drag
the steering wheel with him.
“The Van driver’s
attempt to running away from the touts to stop them from taking over his van, but
eventually the van veered off the road and crushed the tricycle.
“A pregnant woman who
was in the tricycle died on the spot while the driver has two of his legs
crushed. No one knows if he would live.
“Two other passengers
including the driver have been taken to a nearby hospital. This happened before
me. No one told me. I saw it with my eyes.
“The pregnant woman
was coming back from the market with food items he bought for preparing food
for her family but on reaching here she met her end.
“You can see her bag
and things she bought in the tricycle. This is very painful. Touts should leave
people alone”, he said.
Another eye witness
who gave his name as Emeka Ogbonna speaking to our reporter said if the touts
had not struggled with the driver, the accident would not have happened.
He said that Aba
people became enraged with the three touts and pursued them and caught one of
the touts who was lying critically injured and bleeding on the road.
He also called on the
state government to remove those touts from Abia roads adding that an accident
that claimed three lives last week at Osisioma roundabout was also caused by
touts.
One of the touts who
allegedly caused the accident was beaten to a state of unconsciousness when our
Correspondent got to the scene.
When contacted the
Abia State Police PRO, DSP Geoffrey Ogbonna said he was unaware of the accident and
surrounding incidences.
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