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Man cheats death as car plunges into Asa River

 

By Daniel Ayantoye

An unidentified motorist miraculously escaped death as his Saloon Car plunged into Asa River in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, 7am on Sunday.

The car with registration No FST 703EP broke through the barricade of the bridge and subsequently plunged into the river.

According to an eyewitness, the incident was caused by over speeding as the driver and lone occupant of the vehicle lost control while trying to avoid pot holes.

The driver was said to be coming from Offa Garage when the accident occurred.

“Though we met the vehicle in the river while passing by but those that were around when the incident occurred claimed the man was heading for the Church.

“We were told the driver was on a high speed and in an attempt to avoid pot holes, the car broke through the bridge barricade before plunging into Asa river,” he said adding that the victim who sustained bruise swimmed out of the river.

When our reporter visited the scene of the incident, a Bible which may have fallen off the car was found at the river banks while the vehicle was left in deplorable condition.

It was however gathered last night that a towing van belonging to the Kwara State Road Traffic Management Authority (KWARTMA) has evacuated the wreckage of the vehicle from the river.

When contacted, the Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) DSP Ajayi Okasanmi said he is yet to be informed of such incident.

In a related development, three men along Asa Dam Road, Ilorin, on Friday sustained injuries following another accident.

The driver of the Toyota Wagon with the registration No FFA815XA was trying to avoid head on collision with a trailer and motorcyclist at Yidi Road junction when the accident occurred around 1:30pm.

The driver, Ayo Ajao  was said to have climbed the median kerb leaving his vehicle badly damaged in an attempt to avoid collision with the trailer and motorcyclist.

An eye witness, who identified himself as Akeem, said “It was just like a film, I was sitting beside the road when it happened. This trailer was parked at the junction and the vehicle and a truck was coming but suddenly I saw the vehicle climbing the median kerb at the junction. I think the trailer was trying to dodge the porthole too,” the eye witness disclosed.

An argument however ensued between the driver and an official of KWARTMA. Ajao blamed the traffic officer of bias adding that he should have detained the driver of the trailer for causing the accident.

The driver of the wagon Ayo Ajao said he was driving on the fast lane of the road towards the junction when the trailer suddenly diverted leading to the accident.

In his reaction, the KWARTMA officer simply identified as Daramola S. blamed over speeding for the accident.

“It is not until you see a signal before you should slow down when you are approaching a junction. The man was on high speed that was why the accident happened,” he said.

 

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