A West African Senior School Certificate Examination candidate and a commercial motorcyclist have lost their lives in a fatal road accident along the Choba section of the East-West Road in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The tragedy occurred on Wednesday evening when a speeding truck reportedly lost control and crashed into a motorcycle conveying the student, identified simply as Juliet, shortly after she completed her examination.
Sources told our correspondent that the deceased student had just finished writing one of the ongoing WASSCE papers at a secondary school in Emuoha Local Government Area and was on her way home when the accident happened.
An eyewitness, who requested anonymity, said the truck was travelling at high speed before veering off its lane and colliding with the motorcycle from the opposite direction.
“The truck was moving very fast when the driver suddenly lost control and rammed into the motorcycle carrying the student. Both the rider and the girl died as a result of the impact,” the source said.
The witness further suggested that the heavy rainfall recorded in the area at the time may have contributed to the incident, noting that the wet road conditions could have affected the driver’s ability to maintain control of the vehicle.
The accident attracted scores of residents and passers-by, many of whom gathered at the scene in shock as emergency responders moved in.
Confirming the development on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the truck driver had been arrested while investigations were ongoing.
She disclosed that the vehicle involved in the crash had been handed over to the appropriate authorities for inspection.
“Two persons lost their lives in the accident. The driver has been arrested, and the truck has been taken to the Vehicle Inspection Office for examination,” the police spokesperson stated.
She added that the remains of the victims had been deposited at the morgue of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
“The corpses have been deposited at the UPTH mortuary, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident continue,” she said.
The incident has renewed concerns among residents over excessive speeding and road safety along the busy East-West Road, particularly during adverse weather conditions.