The Federal Road Safety Corps has confirmed that 16 people lost their lives in the accident which occurred at the Ibaka area of Akungba Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State on Saturday evening.
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FRSC Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, who confirmed the death toll in a statement on Sunday by the Public Education Officer of the corps, Bisi Kazeem, called on local governments in the country to relocate markets from highways.
The statement in part read, “In a sustained efforts towards making the highways safer and eradicating all incidences of road traffic crashes and its attendant fatalities, Oyeyemi has urged Administrators of Local Governments in the country to relocate markets from the highways.
“This will help the existing operational efforts of the FRSC towards enhancing the safety of the entire motoring population.”
Lamenting the huge loss of lives and damage to properties, occasioned by the accident, Oyeyemi said: “The fatal crash involved a total of 23 people comprising of 11 male adults, three male children, seven female adults and two female children.
“Out of the 23 people involved, a total of seven people comprising of three male adults, three female adult and one male child were rescued with different degrees of injuries and taking to the hospital.
The Corps Marshal stressed that it was urgent to relocate markets from highways adding that “the Corps is concerned with the rising statistics of innocent citizens who have lost their lives as a result of building markets close to the highways and has since initiated impact oriented operational strategies to curb the menace.
While commiserating with the families of the victims, the Oyeyemi urged road users to be more disciplined, maintain their vehicles regularly and maintain prescribed speed limits at all times especially crowded places like markets.
