By No fewer than two persons have been confirmed dead, while six others sustained serious injuries following a fatal road traffic crash involving a heavy-duty truck along the Gombe–Yola Road in Gombe State.
Afrik Times Metro gathered on Wednesday that the incident occurred at about 10:20 p.m. on Tuesday at New Mile 3, near the entrance to the main dual carriageway on the Gombe axis.
Preliminary reports attributed the crash to the improper use of a handbrake.
The accident reportedly involved a long open-body truck laden with bags of rice, which was allegedly parked improperly at the location.
Confirming the incident, the Senior Special Assistant on Security Matters and Intergovernmental Affairs, Yusuf Danbayo, said initial findings indicated negligence on the part of the truck driver.
According to him, the injured victims were promptly rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, for emergency medical attention, while the two deceased persons were confirmed dead on arrival and deposited at the Specialist Hospital, Gombe.
Danbayo further disclosed that the truck driver had been arrested and is currently in police custody.
“The driver is being held at the Tumfure Police Division, and arrangements are underway for his transfer to the Motor Traffic Department, Gombe, for further investigation and prosecution in accordance with the law,” he said.
Meanwhile, investigations into the incident are ongoing.
The development comes barely a day after PUNCH Metro reported another fatal crash along the Benin–Asaba Highway in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, which claimed the lives of eleven passengers, while seven others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
