The Dean, School of Basic Medical Sciences at the Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Prof. Robert Nneli, is dead.
He died in one of the two accidents recorded on Thursday night at the notorious 131 Junction of the Abakaliki-Enugu federal highway.
Nneli, 69, joined the University in 2012 after spending close to 20 years at the Abia State University.
He was educated at St. Patrick’s Secondary School, Emene in Enugu State and the University of Calabar.
Stella Uchendu, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Ebonyi State, confirmed the two accidents in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
Uchendu said both accidents occurred between 9pm and 11pm.
According to her, it was raining heavily when the accidents occurred and attributed them to possible reckless driving, over-speeding and poor visibility.
Uchendu said: “In the first accident, the articulated vehicle driver blinded with his headlight the driver of the white-coloured Toyota Camry vehicle, which made him lose control as he was on top speed.
“The vehicle then veered off its lane and collided with the on-coming articulated vehicle.
“The car was crushed by the truck.
“The professor died in the accident as his son and another occupant sustained serious injuries and are receiving treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.”
According to Uchendu, the second accident involved an SUV with five occupants, which also crashed into stationary articulated vehicle due to over speeding and poor visibility.
She said: “When we concluded our evacuation, the policemen on duty told us that they would tow the articulated vehicle off the road, but they never did.
“The SUV apparently crashed into the articulated vehicle as all its five occupants died and their corpses evacuated to the Federal Teaching hospital Abakaliki.”
She commended her officers for their prompt response to the crashes and urged motorists to always obey traffic regulations.
Uchendu said: “Motorists should ensure that when they are confronted with headlights from oncoming vehicles, they should reduce their speed and and keep to their right side.
“Motorists should also avoid night travels, driving under the rain and ensure they obey road regulations to save lives.”
A witness told the News Agency of Nigeria that the drivers of the Camry and the SUV were to blame for driving recklessly under the rain.
The witness said: “The FRSC should increase its enlightenment of motorists, especially on night journeys and driving under the rain in order to check the incessant loss of lives on the road.”
Jude Madu, the Ebonyi State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, absolved his men of any complicity by failing to tow the articulated vehicle.
He blamed the FRSC for failing in its duty.
Madu said: “No police officer would reject an offer of assistance to tow vehicles off the road in order to save lives as my officers stayed on the road till day break to enforce law and order.
“They even signaled to approaching cars to divert to the other lane of the road, but most drivers, including that of the SUV, failed to heed to the diversion signals.”
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