The Rivers State Police Command has arrested the driver of a truck involved in a fatal accident that claimed the lives of a West African Senior School Certificate Examination candidate and a commercial motorcyclist along the Choba axis of the East-West Road in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
Metro learnt on Thursday that the tragic incident occurred on Wednesday evening when the truck reportedly lost control and rammed into a motorcycle conveying the student, identified simply as Juliet, shortly after she completed her examination.
Juliet was said to have been returning home from a secondary school in the Emuoha Local Government Area, where she was sitting the ongoing WASSCE, when the accident occurred.
An eyewitness, who spoke to Metro on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the incident, said the truck was speeding before it veered off its lane and crashed into the motorcycle.
“While the motorcyclist was conveying the student, the truck, which was moving at high speed, lost control and rammed into them from the opposite side of the road,” the witness said.
He added that the heavy rainfall experienced in the area on Wednesday evening might have contributed to the crash.
“The driver may have lost control because of the downpour,” he stated.
The accident reportedly drew a large crowd of sympathisers and passers-by, many of whom were visibly distraught by the sight of the victims.
Confirming the incident on Thursday, the spokesperson for the state police command, Blessing Agabe, said the truck driver had been taken into custody while investigations were underway.
“Yes, I can confirm the incident. Two persons lost their lives in the accident. The driver has been arrested, while the truck has been handed over to the Vehicle Inspection Office for proper examination,” she said.
Agabe added that the bodies of the deceased had been deposited at the morgue of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
“The corpses have been deposited at the UPTH morgue, and an investigation into the incident is ongoing,” she stated.
The incident has sparked renewed concerns over reckless driving and road safety on the busy East-West Road, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.