Tanker Crushes Tricycle Rider to Death in Anambra

Tanker Crushes Tricycle Rider to Death in Anambra

A commercial tricycle operator lost his life on Wednesday after a fatal road crash involving a tanker at Immigration Junction, Agu Awka, along the Awka–Enugu Expressway in Anambra State.

The incident was confirmed by the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Anambra, Bridget Asekhauno, who said preliminary findings indicated brake failure as the cause of the accident.

According to the FRSC, the crash involved a Mark LPG tanker with no registration number and a tricycle bearing registration number UMZ002QJ.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that the tricycle rider was attempting to navigate a traffic diversion created due to ongoing road construction near the junction when the tanker reportedly lost its brakes and rammed into him.

Rescue operatives of the FRSC who arrived at the scene confirmed that two persons were involved in the crash. The tricycle operator was found dead on impact, while the tanker driver survived without injuries.

The victim’s remains were evacuated and deposited at the mortuary of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka.

Due to the highly inflammable nature of the tanker’s contents, personnel of the State Fire Service were deployed and placed on standby to prevent a possible fire outbreak or secondary explosion at the scene.

Asekhauno described the incident as preventable, stressing the need for strict vehicle maintenance and caution by drivers of articulated vehicles.

She warned that failure of brake systems continues to pose serious risks on Nigerian roads, especially at construction zones and busy junctions.

“This crash could have been avoided. Drivers must ensure their vehicles are in good condition and obey speed regulations, particularly around diversions and intersections where traffic is usually unpredictable,” she said.

The FRSC reiterated its commitment to road safety enforcement, emergency response, and public sensitisation aimed at reducing avoidable road crashes across the state.