?One in critical condition in hospital

Tragedy struck at Warrake Road in Owan East Local Government area of Edo State on Thursday as the campaign convoy of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the September 21, governorship election in the state, Senator Monday Okpebholo, rammed into a Toyota Camry car, crushing five of the occupants of the car to death.

It was gathered that the accident occurred on the Warrake Road around Uzebba axis in Owan West Local Government Area in Edo State on Thursday evening.

The driver of the car, Emmanuel Edionwe, and four other occupants were said to have died on the spot, while another victim was rushed to the Irrua Specialist Hospital, where he is said to be in critical condition.

A source who witnessed the accident said that the campaign convoy was on a neck-breaking speed when, while the Toyota Camry car in which the victims were travelling was attempting to negotiate a bend, when one of the vehicles in the convoy veered off and ran headlong to the car.

The deceased were said to be returning from a funeral ceremony when they met their death in the tragic accident that left the families of the deceased traumatised and devastated.

The bodies of the deceased were said to have been deposited at the Edo State University, Uzaurie Mortuary in Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.

A relative of Emmanuel Edionwe, one of the deceased, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: ?We are devastated beyond words. Emmanuel was a good, easy-going boy who should not be dead today.

?He and his friends were driving in the Silver Camry car. After the accident, we just learnt that five of them have died after the collision with Okpebholo?s convoy. Emmanuel and four of his friends are dead. There is just one of them who is in critical condition and is now being nursed to life at the hospital,? The relation explained.

The family source explained that Edionwe died at the Irrua Specialist Hospital (ISH) in Irrua, where he was later transferred to for specialist care.

?It was officials of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) that evacuated the bodies from the scene of the accident. Four of them died yesterday (Thursday). One died this morning. There is only one surviving person in critical condition,? he added.

The source disclosed that while Senator Okpebholo checked on the victims in the hospital, they had been rushed to Auchi after the accident, the APC campaign council had refused to acknowledge the incident or even commiserate with the affected families.

When contacted, Edo State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Moses Yamu, said that he would call the officers in Owan East to confirm the accident. But when he was contacted again, the PPRO said that he was in traffic and would get back. He never did as at the time of filing this report.

Also, the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Paul Okpe, did not pick his call when contacted, nor did he respond to the message sent to his number over the accident.

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