By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.

Four persons have died in a fatal road accident along the Ijebu-Imushin axis of the Ijebu Ode–Ore Expressway in Ogun State.

The crash, which occurred around 11:16 p.m. on Monday, involved a white Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BDJ482XC and a blue MAN Diesel truck belonging to Julius Berger, marked RSH969XC.

It was gathered that the truck was being towed when the towing chain suddenly snapped, leaving the vehicle stranded on the highway. Moments later, the speeding Toyota bus rammed into the stationary truck, leading to a devastating collision.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that the driver of the towing vehicle fled the scene immediately after the incident, abandoning the truck.

Confirming the accident, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun Sector Command, Odunsi Afolabi, attributed the crash to excessive speed on the part of the bus driver.

“Regrettably, all four occupants of the bu, two male adults and two female adults sustained fatal injuries and were confirmed dead at the scene,” Afolabi said.

He added that preliminary findings identified speed violation as the primary cause of the crash, noting that FRSC rescue operatives arrived at the scene within eight minutes of being alerted.

The corpses of the victims have been evacuated to the State Hospital Mortuary in Ijebu Ode, while the Nigerian Police Force, Imushin Division, has taken custody of the vehicles for further investigation.

Reacting, the Ogun State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Corps Commander Akinwunmi Fasakin, urged motorists to adhere strictly to speed limits, particularly at night, and to ensure that towing equipment is in proper condition to prevent avoidable tragedies.