The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Osun State Sector Command, has blamed excessive speeding and dangerous driving for a fatal crash that occurred on Saturday along the Ife-Ilesa Expressway.
The accident happened at Tonkere town on the busy route and involved a Toyota Hiace bus and a black Volkswagen Golf car.
Osun Sector Commander, Corps Commander Sunday Adebayo, confirmed that three persons died in the collision while 20 others sustained various degrees of injuries.
According to Adebayo, the deceased included two females and one male. A total of 23 people were involved in the crash: 11 females, 9 males and 3 children, made up of two boys and one girl.
“Three people died. Altogether, we have about 20 others who were injured in the crash,” he said.
The sector commander said preliminary findings showed that over-speeding and reckless driving were responsible for the accident.
“Excessive speeding is killing. The accident happened due to over-speeding and dangerous driving,” Adebayo warned.
FRSC rescue teams from Ife and Ilesa were deployed to the scene within minutes of receiving a distress call from a member of the public.
“Our boys got to the place within five minutes. One of the members of the public alerted us, and we were already on the road by the time the incident happened,” he stated.
Adebayo noted that victims with minor injuries were treated and discharged, while those with serious injuries were taken to hospital for further medical attention.
The vehicles involved were later evacuated to a police station in Ife, after which traffic flow was restored on the affected section of the expressway.
The FRSC boss urged motorists to drive within speed limits and exercise caution, saying lower speeds reduce the chances of fatalities in the event of a crash.
“If you go at a lower speed, if you have cause to be involved in a crash, the fatality will not be as much as what we saw this morning,” he said.
He also called on road users to be more considerate of one another.
“Nigerians should respect other road users. They should have this shared responsibility that everybody has a right to use the road.”
Adebayo added that the Corps would continue its public enlightenment campaigns and enforcement operations across Osun State to curb crashes and prevent avoidable deaths.