A widow was on Wednesday crushed to death in an accident on the premises of the Aba Central Police Station, Abia State.

The woman, who was identified simply as Mrs. Peace, was well known both at the Central Police Station and the Aba Area Command as she used to hawk clothing materials in a basket.

The accident, which claimed the life of the woman said to be in her late 50s, involved a Mercedes Emel 320 (ML320), allegedly driven by the Divisional Traffic Officer 2 (DTO-2) of the Aba Central Police Station identified as SUPO Innocent.

It was learnt that Innocent was trying to reverse the vehicle probably to create space for another vehicle whose exit route was blocked before he suddenly lost control of the vehicle and pinned the widow to the wall of the station.

Witnesses, who were at the station for different purposes, said the woman died on the spot as the impact affected her stomach region, leaving serious injuries which made her to bleed profusely.

One of the witnesses said Peace went to attend to some of her customers she was supplying clothing materials to on a daily basis before she met her untimely death.

The witness said the victim died even before she was pulled out from the wall where the vehicle pinned her and subsequently taken to the police clinic at the Aba Area Command.

The witness, who said she knew the deceased very well, told New Telegraph that Peace hailed from Adah in Ebonyi State and had a daughter, Blessing, who should be about 18 years old.

She said: “It was about 1p.m. I came into the station to take something. I actually greet Mama (the deceased) when I pass where she was.

“I saw a black Jeep that someone was inside probably trying to drive out and I went on my way.

“It all happened within seconds. I heard a loud sound. On rushing out as everyone did, what I saw will probably disturb me for a long time. I saw the Mama I just greeted not up to 20 seconds ago, crushed on a wall by the Jeep.

“My whole body was shaking as I saw her practically dead with blood all over the ground.

“It was an accident that no one can explain or may find difficult to understand because that place is a small place to warrant such an impact.”

A source said the Mercedes did not belong to SUPO Innocent, but one of his friends left the car in his care.

It was discovered that Innocent was called by a superior officer to drive the vehicle away from a parking space which he was trying to do before the accident occurred.

The source explained that the officer might not be conversant with the vehicle and might have not driven it before.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the victim’s body has been taken to the mortuary inside Aba General Hospital, which is opposite the Area Command.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed the incident.

Ogbonna described it as an unfortunate accident.

He added that the body had been deposited in a mortuary while the officer was in custody. (New Telegraph)

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