The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has blamed over speeding for Sunday’s multiple auto crashes around Umuahia, the Abia capital territory, that claimed 20 lives. Sector Commander of FRSC Abia State Command, Stella Uchegbu, told News Express in her office in Umuahia on Monday that when a driver is moderate on speed, the person would be able to control the vehicle in case of any eventuality.

She said she received a distress call by 11:20 a.m. and immediately mobilised her men for the rescue operation and they hit the scene in a jiffy.

While 15 persons died in the crash involving a truck and a Hiace bus along the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway at about 11am, another crash at Ikwuano along the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road, also on Sunday morning, claimed five lives.

The accident involving the yam-ladden truck coming from Jos, Plateau State, enroute Port Harcourt and a passenger Hiace bus belonging to Peace Mass Transport Company heading for Enugu from Aba, with 15 passengers on board and the driver, was a head-on collision at Ofeme axis of the expressway.

Witnesses said the impact was so heavy that about 11 passengers died on the spot. Among the dead were a soldier, a policeman, two students and a young man preparing for the traditional marriage of his wife-to-be slated for this Saturday.

It was gathered that about three trailers were used to attempt to separate the bus from the truck to no avail until a heavily loaded Dangote truck arrived the scene and was able to detach the mangled bus.

“Three surviving passengers were gasping for breath while sympathisers were making frantic efforts to rescue them. Unfortunately, two died before the bus could be ripped open,” a witness said. It was also gathered that while three persons were being rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, one died on the way.

Stella Uchegbu said the driver of the truck disappeared after the crash while the conductor was incoherent in his response to questions.

She said of the two victims taken to Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, the woman seems to be in a stable condition more than the man whose condition is critical.

The Amawon accident, according to witnesses, involved a Hiace passenger bus belonging to Akwa Ibom Transport Company and an eight-passenger capacity Suzuki bus plying the Umuahia-Ikot Umudike route. The accident, which saw the Akwa Ibom transport bus ram into miniature bus, left two persons dead at the scene while three were said to have died at FMC, where corpses of all the victims of the accidents have been deposited.

The FRSC Abia Sector Commander said investigations into the crashes were continuing. She appealed to contractors handling road projects in the state to expedite action and finish them to provide good roads for smooth journeys while advising drivers to avoid excessive speeding.

According to her, “The best driver is the one who embarks on a trip and returns safely to the warm embrace of his family.”