Bodies were on me, crash survivor tells court

 Adebisi Onanuga

TWO survivors of road crash in Lagos, Mrs Ronke Odunuga and Mrs Adeshafe Omotola yesterday told an Ikeja Special Offences Court how a truck laden with cement ran into a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) bus killing four passengers.

The crash happened on August 27 at Majidun-Awori, Ikorodu, Lagos.

The state government filed a suit at the special offences court with the truck driver as the defendant.

Mrs Odunuga, a businesswoman, told the court that she boarded the bus at Ikorodu and was heading to Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) to keep an appointment with her business partners when the crash occurred.

Led in evidence by the lead prosecutor, Yhaqub Oshoala, before Justice Sherifat Solebo, the survivor said she was having a phone conversation when she heard a loud bang.

“I could remember that people were shouting and crying. Everything including seats and people were scattered,” she said.

“I found myself lying in the middle of the bus and lifeless bodies and wounded people were on me. Some survivors on the bus were stepping on me as they struggled to escape.

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“The people who came to rescue us were removing the bodies and wounded persons. I was the last person to be rescued and brought out of the bus.

“I found that an iron rod had entered my buttocks and came out through my thigh.

“When I was brought out, I saw other people laid on the ground. I could not talk.”

Odunuga said the injured passengers were all taken to General Hospital, Ikorodu for treatment, adding that she found it difficult to breathe properly because she was experiencing intense pain in her chest.

She said she remembered sitting beside a boy named Okiki later discovered to be the truck attendant.

Odunuga said all surviving victims of the accident were treated at the General Hospital, Ikorodu.

She said her thigh was swollen and that doctors drained the blood, gave her antibiotics and bandaged the wound.

She said a week after the accident, they were discharged without having recovered fully.

She also told the court that she was yet to recover from the injury sustained in the crash.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel, T. Hassan,  Odunuga said she and others were kept in the same ward.

Omotola said she passed out following the head-on collision of the truck and the bus.

Omotola said when she opened her eyes, she was under the seat and had to be pulled out by a rescue team.

Under cross-examination by Hassan, Omotola identified the defendant, Sheriff Adebayo as the driver of the truck.

Earlier, Edoh Jeremiah resident at First Avenue, Kosofe also identified the late driver of the BRT bus, Samuel Apochi who he described as her brother from the village.

Justice Solebo adjourned the matter until January 27, 2020 for continuation of trial.

The truck driver, Adebayo, 25, is facing a four-count charge of involuntary manslaughter contrary to Sections 224 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

The state prosecutor, Yhaqub Osoala, told the court that the offence was committed on August 27, 2019 at about 09.30 hours around Majidun, along Ikorodu Road, Lagos.

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) said that Adebayo unlawfully killed four people while dangerously and recklessly driving his truck with Reg No. KNC178XA into a BRT Bus with Reg No. LSR 228XS.