Ogun State, Nigeria — August 23, 2024 — Tragedy struck again in Ogun State as two women lost their lives in a fatal road accident in the Papalanto area, barely 24 hours after a separate accident claimed four lives in the Lafenwa area. The latest incident, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, involved an Iveco truck with number plate KJA 166 XJ and a tricycle with number plate TRE 627 VP.

Babatunde Akinbiyi, spokesperson for the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), confirmed the accident and attributed it to dangerous driving by the truck driver. According to Akinbiyi, the truck, in an attempt to overtake the tricycle on the Abeokuta-bound road, dragged the tricycle along its side before it fell in front of the truck, which then ran over the vehicle. The two female passengers, identified as a grandmother and her granddaughter, were killed instantly.

“The truck driver fled the scene immediately after the accident,” Akinbiyi stated, adding that the bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families. The tricycle driver, who survived the crash, was taken to an unknown hospital by a good Samaritan.

The tragic accident follows a similar incident just a day earlier in the Lafenwa area, where a truck rammed into a vehicle and a pedestrian, resulting in four deaths and two injuries.

Authorities have since moved the vehicles involved in the Papalanto accident to the Itori Divisional Police Command. Akinbiyi used the opportunity to caution motorists against reckless driving, highlighting the devastating consequences of such actions.

“TRACE and the Police commiserate with the families of the deceased and urge all motorists to drive with care to prevent further loss of life on our roads,” he concluded.

The back-to-back accidents have sparked concerns over road safety in Ogun State, with many calling for stricter enforcement of traffic laws to prevent further tragedies.