FOR FIVE surviving victims of the multiple road accidents that occurred on Tuesday at Mabolufon junction, near Ijebu–Ode, Ogun State, it was like walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
They lost consciousness for 36 hours after the accident that killed more than 30 people and left scores critically injured.
The survivors spoke with The Nation from their hospital beds.
Most of the victims were mainly hawkers and commuters who were displaying their wares and waiting to board Lagos-bound vehicles.
But the ill-fated truck, which veered off its lane to ram into two fully-loaded passenger buses, ran over them at the bus stop.
Mrs. Joy David and Mr. Tawaliu Saka, who have been receiving treatment at the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, were still writhing in pains when The Nation visited the hospital.
Mrs. David, a snail seller at the Mabolufon junction and others were battling to unravel the mystery of the accident.
Mrs. David said: “I can’t remember what happened, I don’t know. I only woke up and saw myself on this bed in pains and with bandages and cotton wool on my body. I was told I had an accident.”
It was learnt that four more bodies were seen and evacuated from the heap of the flour on Tuesday. Mangled human parts were seen at the scene.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD), State Hospital, Ijebu – Ode, Dr. Wellington Ogunsanya, told The Nation that his hospital responded promptly.
Saka and others have stabilised.
Ogunsanya, however, said five of the victims who suffered from “severe fracture, head injury, lung – limb fractures were referred to bigger trauma centres at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu and the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan for special care.
The Nation gathered that the driver of one of the Lagos-bound busses involved in the accident was among those who suffered severe fracture.
His leg was chopped off from above his knee region by the truck.
The driver was reported to have taken off from Ajebandele, Ondo State.
He had stopped at the junction to drop Mrs. Adebowale, a nurse and an employee of the Ondo State government.
Though the driver and Mrs. Adebowale survived the accident, but not without severe injuries that sent them into coma for more than two days.
Mr. Ayomide, who had relocated to the hospital to take care of his wife, Sola, said the woman was waiting to collect the balance of the N1, 000 she gave to the driver, who also came to split the N1, 000 note around the Mabolufon junction.
The man added that it was while she was waiting to collect the change that the killer-truck rammed into the parked passenger bus and those standing around it.
According to him, she regained consciousness on the hospital bed.
She survived a neck injury and bruises on other parts of her body.
Mr. Tawaliu Saka, a 67-year-old taxi driver, said he never knew what happened to him until a day later when he woke up and found himself in the hospital.
He said providence saved him from being among those crushed to death.
He said: “When the bus from Ondo State pulled up, I rushed to the place ahead of my colleagues to find out if anybody was going to Ikorodu. But there was only one person and that was Mrs. Ayomide, who was waiting to collect her change from the bus driver.”
Saka said he had barely finished making inquiry when he heard a bang from behind and was quickly swept off the ground, hauled into a distance and passed out.
That was all he could remember about the accident.
The Secretary to the Ogun State Government (SSG), Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa and the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ikemefuna Okoye, visited the victims yesterday.
The CMD told The Nation that the SSG personally donated N200, 000 for the treatment of the victims.
