Truck driver crushes 15 people to death hours to New Year celebrations

dimeji akinloye

December 31, 2017 6:08 PM

Police said the truck crushed a Sharon vehicle, which was overloaded with 14 passengers instead of seven.

No fewer than 15 persons died in an accident involving a Sharon bus and a truck along Gujungu-Gumel road in Kaugama Local Government Area of

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday, December 31, 2017, the spokesman of the state Police Command, SP Abdu Jinjiri said that the accident occurred on Saturday around 7:30 p.m.

Jinjiri said that the Sharon vehicle which was supposed to carry seven passengers, was overloaded with 14 people.

He said, "A seven passengers-capacity vehicle overloaded with 14 passengers rammed into a truck coming from the opposite direction on Gujungu-Gumel road.

"As a result, nine of the passengers died on the spot, while the rest were rushed to Gumel General Hospital, in Gumel local government area.

"Nine males including the driver of the Sharon bus, four females and two children died in the accident.

"It was possible the driver of the overloaded vehicle was on high speed and could not control it, anyway, only investigation will reveal the real cause of the accident."

Jinjiri said the driver of the truck aged 22, is under the police custody as investigation is ongoing.

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The police spokesman cautioned motorists against over speeding under whatever circumstances.

Unofficial sources said the overloaded bus was heading to Daura local government area in Katsina State.

On December 17, nine persons including a pregnant woman were killed in a ghastly auto crash in Jahun local government area of the state.

dimeji akinloye