Three passengers lost their lives and driver sustained serious injury after a tricycle rammed into a Mack truck near Akon community along Calabar-Itu highway in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
It was gathered that the accident occurred on Saturday at about 19:45 hours, killing all females passengers.
The youths of the area, angered by the frequent accidents along the road, blocked the Calabar-Itu highway for several hours, causing gridlock that stretched to the neighbouring community of Odiok. Travellers were said to have been stranded as a result of the barricade.
Sources said the youths chanted songs, brandishing machetes and sticks, scaring away officers of the Road Safety Corps who came for rescue operation.
However, the Deputy Corps commander of Road Safety Corp in charge of Operations, David Ironuje said the command has been preaching to road users to always take necessary precautions while driving on highways to minimize road crashes in the state.
“Our prayer is that deaths should be removed completely from our roads, it is so unfortunate that this one happened. Our advice is that the truck driver should not think that they are the owners of the road and the Keke Napep operators on their part should not be meandering along the road; some of them will see a truck coming and will like to quickly meander their way. This is very wrong, they should keep to their lanes. The Ember months are here with us, our prayer is that we will not experience fatal road crashes,” he said.
Ironuje said it took the intervention of the Special Assistant to the Governor Udom Emmanuel on Projects for the youths to clear the blockage.
“Yesterday (Saturday) the youths did not allow our boys to conduct rescue operation, they barricaded the road chanting war songs but today the SA to the Governor on Project came and was able to pacify the youths before allowing our boys, the road is now clear,” he said.