A ghastly motor accident involving a tipper lorry and a commercial bus in the Upper Sakpoba area of Benin City, Edo State, which occurred on Tuesday morning, has left no fewer than 11 persons dead.

Shock, gloom and gridlock enveloped the neighbourhood following the accident which occurred at about 7:00 a.m. near Okha market.

An eyewitness told News Express that the tipper driver, who apparently lost control of his vehicle, rammed into a bus at the front of the market, killing among others, a pregnant woman and another with her little children.

The driver of the tipper, which was later set ablaze by an angry mob fled the scene of the accident for avoid mob attack.

Commercial bus operators boycotted the Upper Sakpoba route throughout the day as a result of gridlock and possible outbreak of violence, leaving commuters trekking long distances to and from the city centre.

It was unclear at the time of writing this report whether the fleeing driver of the tipper had been apprehended. A resident of the area suspected that the driver may have been high on drugs when he rammed into the bus.

“Many drivers of these big vehicles take drugs like Tramadol before driving and they get too high to be careful on the road. That could be what has led to this very unfortunate accident,” he said.

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