Four killed, 11 injured as truck runs into market

Four were killed and more than 11 injured today at the Odo-Eran
Bus Stop area of LASU/Igando road, after a truck rammed into a market.
Eye witness accounts claimed that truck failed brake just as the
driver was about to negotiate a sharp bend. In an attempt to avoid
ramming into tricycle riders whom were parked by the sharp corner of
the road, the driver had drove into the market, killing four persons
instantly.
While some residents in the area said that more than 11 persons were
killed, others insisted that about 50 people were killed.
The accident occurred between 930:10am.
The truck driver had attempted to bolt, but traders chased him down
and inflicted machete wounds on him.
Another eye witness, identified as Balogun Towiwa said: “The truck
driver would have been killed, but for the timely intervention of
officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).”
The deceased were said to be two men and two women.
One of the men, described as a Good Samaritan died while attempting to
save a woman from the out of control truck.
Moments after pushing the woman out of the way, the truck into the
Good Samaritan and a rod from the truck perforated his ear, bursting
from the other end.
One of the deceased was said to have lost her head and her remains,
more like mincemeat, was taken away in a Bagco bag.
The truck, which was loaded with bags of sachet of water, belonged to
Dammy Pure Water, located at 22 Church Close, Igando Road.
A man, who refused to disclose his name, said that the driver of the
truck had been on suspension for misbehavior and drunkenness and had
just resumed duty that yesterday morning.
According to Tomiwa, the death and injury occurred because the truck
driver was inexperienced.
Towiwa explained that the truck was trying to avoid running into
tricycle riders who were parked by the sharp corner of the road and
had ended up running into traders at the market.
His words: “If not for God, more people would have died! A woman
selling pepper just left her ware to go and urinate, when that truck
ran through her ware and seat. A young man tried to save a woman, but
ended injured and likely died by now.  The young man is a Good
Samaritan. He saw the truck coming and it was heading straight to the
woman, who hadn’t seen it. The man pushed the woman out of the way,
but it ran into him. A rod from the truck perforated his ear.
“The accident was caused by lack of experience. The driver could have
diverted the truck to somewhere else, not the market. Market is where
many buy and sell. He could have killed more people.”
A meat seller in the market, Mr. Yusuf, said that only two persons were killed.
Honourable Salami Adedoyin, an APC chieftain, Idimu constituency said:
“The driver was saved by Road Safety officials. He wanted to run, but
was apprehended by traders who used machetes on him. The truck driver
was trying to avoid killing tricycle riders who were parked along the
sharp corner. About 50 people were injured.”
Some residents claimed that the Lagos State Government had repeatedly
ordered that the market should be relocated, but the order had never
been enforced.