Concerns are mounting over safety on the Choba–Emohua Bridge axis of the East-West Road in Rivers State following a series of fatal accidents that claimed three lives within two days. The latest tragedy occurred yesterday morning when a police officer was reportedly knocked down and killed by a speeding vehicle on the bridge.
This incident came less than 24 hours after a fatal crash involving a trailer and a commercial motorcycle claimed the lives of a motorcycle rider and a student who was reportedly on his way to sit for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Eyewitness Accounts
An eyewitness to Wednesday’s accident, who identified himself as Kingsley, said the motorcycle was conveying students from Emohua to Choba when it collided with a trailer. “The accident involved a trailer and an okada carrying students from Emohua to Choba. The motorcycle rider and one student died,” the eyewitness said. He added that two other students sustained injuries and were admitted to the Accident and Emergency Unit of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). “Two others sustained injuries and were still on admission at the UPTH Accident and Emergency Unit as of about 8 p.m. when I left,” he disclosed. According to the witness, the bodies of the deceased were deposited at the hospital morgue.
Second Fatal Incident
Barely a day after the crash, another fatal incident occurred at the same location. Eyewitnesses alleged that the police officer was involved in an argument with a taxi driver over an alleged payment dispute when a speeding vehicle struck him. Accounts from the scene suggested that the disagreement centred on a purported monetary settlement before the officer was hit by the vehicle. The officer was said to have died instantly from injuries sustained in the incident. As of press time, the Rivers State Police Command had yet to officially confirm the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death, while his identity had not been disclosed.
