Abia State Police command has confirmed that three persons, while five others were injured in a motor accident which occurred at the Umunneochi, Abia axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway on Thursday morning.
The accident was said to have occurred at a police checkpoint at Umuchieze, when an 18-seater bus was on the queue at the checkpoint waiting to be cleared by the policemen on duty.
It was gathered that while the bus was on the queue, a trailer which lost control, rammed into it, killing three of the passengers and injuring others.
The development was said to have led to protest by commuters who believed the action of the police at the checkpoint was responsible for the accident.
The protest which held traffic for hours, prevented vehicular movements within the area.
Confirming the incident in a statement, Abia command’s police public relations officer said on the day of the incident, the Isiochi police divisional headquarters received a report of a fatal motor accident along Port Harcourt-Enugu Expressway, near Lekwesi Umuchieze in Umueneochi LGA.
The statement added that Investigation into the incident revealed at about 19:45 hrs a Mac truck with registration number KGE 22, driven by Amaechi Chucks Nwankwo, a 35-year-old man from Obowo, Imo State, lost control while descending a slope at the said location.
According to the statement, the truck destroyed two military barricades which the driver wanted to use as wage to the truck. “He eventually got to the third which is the police checkpoint at that location but collided with a stationary bus, resulting in the death of two passengers, injuring five others.
“The injured victims were taken to Christ the King Hospital at Ngodo Isiochi. Sadly, one of the injured persons identity yet unknown was confirmed dead.”
Police said bodies of the dead with deposited at a morgue in the area.