A FAMILY’S jolly ride yesterday ended on a bloody note.
Mr. Okechukwu Odinigwe, his wife and eldest son died when a trailer rammed into their car at Esther Obiakor Junction, Agu Awka on the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway between noon and 1pm.
A six–month-old baby boy, his brother and sister, aged four and seven, were injured.
The three children, who survived the accident, are two boys and a girl. They were rushed to Regina Caeli Hospital in Awka by Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officials.
When The Nation visited the hospital yesterday, the survivors were seen at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where doctors were battling to save their lives.
Sympathisers were wailing at the scene of the crash, cursing the driver of the killer-trailer who, they alleged, was reckless.
The driver, according to eyewitnesses, disappeared after the accident, which involved the trailer marked LSR 897XQ and an ash–coloured Toyota Camry in which the family was ridding. The number plate of the mangled car was not seen.
An eyewitness, who identified himself as Chijiuoke, told The Nation that the truck driver refused to heed the warning of those who flagged him down to reduce his speed.
According to him, the car was heading towards Enugu and trying to make a detour at the junction when the trailer lost control and rammed into it.
The late Odinigwe hailed from Urunnebo in Enugwu Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State.
A team of FRSC officials and policemen were at the scene, going through the items found in the vehicles.
Police spokesman Uche Eze, confirmed the incident and another one that occurred at Okpu River in Okija in Ihilala Local Government Area where a driver of a Mitsubishi L300 died.
He said investigations had begun to unravel the cause of the accidents and for the proper identification of the victims.
Governor Willie Obiano has sympathised with the family of the victims of the accident.
Obiano said his administration would pick all medical expenses incurred by the surviving trio.
Expressing his condolences to the family, the governor assured Ndi Anambra that he would ensure the safety of lives of road users by regulating the movement of articulated vehicles.
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