By our reporter
A father and his daughter are among three persons that died after the saloon car they were riding in slammed into a parked garbage truck at the Obiri-Kwerre flyover in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on 2026 crossover night.
The victims were returning from the New Year watchnight service when they slammed into the garbage truck that was parked on the road without any warning sign.
According to Ajiboye Amaho whose brother died in the crash, the garbage truck was parked indiscriminately and there were no warning signs and no streetlights.
“It is so unfortunate that a waste collector truck stationed on Obiri-Kwerre flyover caused an accident. The truck was just stationed without any sign of caution, and my brother, Ahmed, rammed into it when they were coming back from the crossover night,” Amaho told the Punch.
“The incident took three lives, including Ahmed, Aziz and Sheilla. Other people in the vehicle are still unconscious in the hospital. So, I’m calling on the government to look into this matter (indiscriminate parking), as this kind of act has claimed many lives in Rivers State.
“Let the government do a proper investigation and look critically into this matter. I’m also calling on the waste management agencies to monitor their contractors and call them to order to avoid the loss of innocent lives.”
Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, saying an investigation was ongoing to ascertain the cause of the crash.
Iringe-Koko, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said, “Yes, I can confirm the incident. Their vehicle rammed into a stationary truck.
“Our hearts go out to the victims. However, an investigation is ongoing to ascertain the details of what happened.”