A tragic series of road crashes at the Ogwashi-Uku Junction in Delta State has claimed nine lives, leaving the community in grief and raising renewed concerns about road safety and traffic management in the state.
Eyewitnesses said the first incident occurred when a vehicle accident claimed the lives of two persons.
However, the situation turned even more devastating when a Toyota Sienna, reportedly speeding, rammed into onlookers and sympathizers gathered at the scene, killing an additional seven people.
The double tragedy brought the total death toll to nine, with several others sustaining varying degrees of injuries.
The victims included passersby and concerned residents who had rushed to assist those involved in the initial crash.
Residents of Ogwashi-Uku expressed outrage, describing the incident as both avoidable and a reflection of recurring lapses in traffic control, road safety enforcement, and emergency response.
“If there were proper traffic management and timely intervention, this wouldn’t have escalated into such a calamity,” one visibly shaken witness said.
Multiple eyewitnesses, including a clergyman identified as Rev. Kingsley, confirmed the accident.
According to him, he encountered the scene at about 9:30 p.m. while returning to Ogwashi-Uku from Asaba, the state capital, where he had gone to minister.
He described the crash as gruesome, stating that blood from the victims’ bodies stained the ground.
Community leaders and motorists have since called on the Delta State Government, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and other relevant agencies to urgently implement stricter traffic regulations, provide adequate signage at busy junctions, and ensure rapid response units are stationed in accident-prone areas to prevent further tragedies.
As families mourn their loved ones, the Ogwashi-Uku crash stands as a painful reminder of the consequences of reckless driving and weak safety enforcement.
But when contacted earlier, the Delta State Sector Public Enlightenment Officer, Superintendent Route Commander (SRC) Patrick Obiagbo, “The accident we know of happened between Ogwashi-Uku and Issele-Azagba involving a truck and G.O. Motors”.
Obiagbo, emphasized that, unless there was a separate, unreported crash elsewhere, the FRSC had no record of any deaths in the Ogwashi-Uku accident.
