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By Madu Obi
Motorists playing the Enugu - Onitsha expressway had a terrific experience along the Awkuzu- Umunya section of the road on Saturday following a road accident there.
No fewer than eight persons lost their lives in the accident and men of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, were still battling to clear the road as at 6pm.
Recall that vehicles have been using the completed one lane of the expressway, with its attendant risks.
Following the accident, vehicles going to Onitsha from the Awka end were diverted at Awkuzu and forced to use the abandoned lane of the expressway, while those traveling from the Onitsha end were diverted at Umunya junction to use the Airport - Nteje road to join the expressway at Awkuzu.
At press time, the two trailers, one Jetta car, a Sienna bus and a Toyota car involved in the accident were still there.
An eye attributed the accident to speeding by one of the trailers coming from the Onitsha end, which collided with another truck from the Awkuzu end and in an attempt to avoid a head -on collision, hit the other vehicles.
Some of the victims died on the spot, while others died on their way to the hospital. The injured persons are still receiving treatment in various hospitals, while the dead have been deposited in the mortuary.
The incident caused traffic gridlock on both sides of the completed lane of the expressway,
Narrating his experience, one of the drivers, Mr. Philip Odo, said he spent about two hours at Umunya before finding a way to join the abandoned lane of the expressway.
He said that what annoyed him most was that the policemen at the checkpoint along the expressway relocated to the Umunya- Airport road, thereby causing more hardship to the motorists.
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