By Izunna Okafor, Awka
A traffic official attached to the Anambra Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA) has reportedly died after a trailer ran over an enforcement vehicle during a road traffic operation.
The incident, which happened along the Nteje–Awka Road, near Igbariam Junction, on Wednesday, was confirmed in a statement issued by the Sector Public Education Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Anambra State, Margaret Onabe, who described the crash as a fatal one involving four male occupants.
According to the statement, the FRSC Nteje Unit Command received a distress call at about 2:45 p.m. and deployed a rescue team that arrived at the scene within five minutes. The crash, it was gathered, involved a red Sino trailer belonging to Coca-Cola and an ash Daihatsu Hijet bus used by ARTMA officials.
The trailer, however, reportedly lost control while attempting to manoeuvre the road, struck the enforcement vehicle and dragged it into a roadside gutter, trapping the officers inside.
Eyewitness accounts cited in the FRSC statement indicated that the ARTMA officials had stopped to arrest owner of a vehicle that appeared improperly parked but later discovered that it had tyre problems. However, one of the officers went to get a vulcanizer, shortly after which a trailer rammed into the bus while trying to maneuver.
“The cause of the fatal crash was attributed to a loss of control of the trailer.
“According to eyewitnesses, the ARTMA bus stopped to arrest a vehicle that was parking on the road. Upon getting close, they discovered it was having tyre issues, so one of them left to get a vulcanizer for it.
“The Sino truck was attempting to maneuver when one of its tyres caught up with the bus and dragged it into the gutter, trapping the bus under the trailer,” the statement partly read.
Confirming the incident in an interview with this reporter, the MD/CEO of ARTMA, Engr. Emeka Okonkwo (Konti Komplete), said his officers we are on routine patrol when they saw a vehicle that got parked at a very dangerous place. He said when they got near, they discovered that the vehicle had tire problem. This he said made at my personnel to go as far as far Odumodu Junction to get a vulcanizer to fix the tyre.
It was, however, gathered that the ARTMA officials were assisting and patiently waiting as the tyre was being fixed, when a speeding truck lost control and stuck the ARTMA vehicle where some of the officers were waiting, and pulled it into the roadside gutter, resulting in the death of one of the officers and the injury of the other.
The ARTMA Boss hinted that the vulcanizer believably saw the truck earlier as it was approaching with speed and quickly jumped over to the other side of the gutter.
Engr. Konti, who was also present at the scene, further clarified that the ARTMA personnel were on ground there at the scene all through and also helped in the rescue mission, as well as to clear the blockages and ensure free flow of traffic in the area.
Of the four men involved in the crash, one ARTMA personnel sustained injuries and received immediate first aid before being taken to the hospital, while another enforcement officer was confirmed dead. The remaining two individuals were reportedly rescued unharmed.
According to the statement, the victims were extricated by the team, who evacuated the injured person to Chira Hospital in Awkuzu for emergency care, and deposited the deceased at Jerusalem Hospital, Nteje. A crane was later deployed to lift the truck and clear the obstruction, restoring normal traffic flow along the expressway.
The statement also indicated that the Sector Commander, Corps Commander Bridget Asekhauno, visited the scene in company of the Corridor 5 Commander and the Nteje Unit Commander. She expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and wished the injured officer a speedy recovery, noting that the tragedy reinforces the need for drivers to maintain full control of their vehicles, avoid dangerous manoeuvres, and keep to prescribed speed limits.
She added that the Command remains committed to saving lives, enforcing traffic laws, and intensifying public education to prevent similar occurrences on Anambra roads.
