Scores Escape Death in Warri Multiple Accidents

BY: FUNMI OJUROYE

It was a miracle that baffled many eyewitnesses.  Given the number of vehicles involved in the accident, many had expected a high death toll. But alas, except for the few who were injured, nobody died when at least nine cars were involved yesterday in a multiple collision on the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Expressway in Warri, Delta State.The incident occurred at about 1pm at a roadblock manned by soldiers involved in special security surveillance in the oil-city, eyewitnesses told THISDAY.Although most of the vehicles involved in the accident were badly damaged, none of the about 45 persons in the nine vehicles was killed.But some occupants of the vehicles who sustained injuries were rushed to undisclosed hospitals.Among those who escaped death were nine children that were being conveyed in a Toyota Camry car with registration number, Delta EFR 785 AM, which was one of vehicles involved in the accident.THISDAY checks showed that the accident occurred when the break of a lorry loaded with sand failed and it ran into other vehicles at the checkpoint  near the Ogunu flyover after the driver had unsuccessfully attempted to steer it to safety.The owner of the car into which the sand-laden lorry, with registration number KLK 69 XA, hit, Mr. Rowland Adejewhoro, said he lost control of his car when the lorry suddenly slammed into it, pushing it to ram into the vehicle in front of him. This, he added, set off a successive hit of other vehicles in the queue.He said: "How we escaped unhurt is a miracle. I've never seen such an accident before.   I can only thank God for saving me because we could have been crushed to death by the tipper. Imagine the children that were in my car!"However, the incident triggered a massive gridlock, especially around the Effurun Roundabout with vehicular traffic forced to file through one side of the major road while others made a detour through adjoining lanes.Although no military official could comment on the incident as the Commanding Officer, 3rd Battalion, Nigerian Army Effurun, Lt. Col. Ifeanyi Otu, was unavailable, the Transition Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area, Dr. Austine Oroye, absolved the soldiers of any blame because the roadblock was legitimate.