Tragedy struck in Akwa Ibom State on Friday night as at least seven people lost their lives while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries when a Toyota Corolla car veered off the road and rammed into traders and passersby at the busy Nnung Oku Junction, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area.
Eyewitnesses told reporters that the incident occurred around the popular roundabout linking Ring Road 3 and Stadium Road, leaving chaos and sorrow in its wake.
The car, which was said to be speeding, lost control, knocked down roadside sellers and commuters waiting for commercial vehicles before somersaulting.
Among those killed was a well-known roadside bean cake seller, popularly called Mma Akara, who had served the community with her late-night akara business for years.
“The fatal car accident has claimed several lives, including a well-known roadside hawker, popularly called Mma Akara. She lost her life on Friday night when a Toyota Corolla veered off the road, crashed, and somersaulted,” an eyewitness, Imaobong Udoh, a pear seller, lamented.
Another eyewitness described the scene as horrific, saying the crash happened so suddenly that traders and pedestrians had no chance to escape.
The Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Akwa Ibom, Mr. Paul James, confirmed the incident but noted that the Command was still compiling the exact number of casualties.
