Wednesday, November 13, 2024 - A flour-loaded truck
that was allegedly being pursued by some soldiers has killed three persons
including a lawyer, in Utu Etim Ekpo, the headquarters of Etim Ekpo Local
Government Area (LGA), Akwa Ibom State.
Eyewitnesses say the tragedy occurred around 8 p.m. on Monday when a
military patrol team began pursuing the truck after its driver failed to stop
at a checkpoint near Nkwot Ikot Ebo on the Iwukem-Etim Ekpo-Abak
Roadhouse
“The truck, loaded with flour, was coming from the Iwukem direction
toward Abak and was flagged down at the soldiers’ checkpoint at Nkwot Ikot Ebo.
The driver refused to stop.
The soldiers overtook the truck, but the driver still wouldn’t
stop, speeding towards them. The soldiers scrambled for safety as the truck
sped down a slope toward the roundabout. It was impossible to navigate safely
at that speed.
The driver lost control, veering off the road and crashing into a row of
makeshift shops by the motor park, killing the unsuspecting victims instantly,
including the lawyer, whose name has yet to be released.”Eno Umanah, a
motorcyclist and eyewitness told Vanguard
A female survivor, whose legs were mangled in the crash, was initially
turned away by nearby Divine Love Hospital in Utu Ikot Imonte and later by the
Utu Etim Ekpo Government Hospital. She was eventually rushed to the University
of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), about a 45-minute drive from the accident
site.
The state police command nor the military is yet to comment on the
incident.
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