At least six people have been confirmed dead after a speeding Toyota car ploughed into roadside traders and commercial motorcyclists at Umuikaa Junction in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State.
The tragic crash, which occurred on Tuesday along the busy Enugu–Aba–Port Harcourt Expressway, also left seven others with varying degrees of injuries, while six motorcycles were destroyed.
Eyewitnesses said the black Toyota vehicle was travelling from the Umuahia axis when the driver reportedly lost control and veered off the road, crashing into traders—many of them women—who were conducting their businesses at the busy junction.
The out-of-control vehicle also rammed into commercial motorcyclists waiting for passengers before finally crashing into a nearby building.
The six victims were pronounced dead and their bodies were evacuated to a mortuary, while the injured were rushed to hospital for urgent medical treatment.
Although the exact cause of the crash has yet to be officially determined, residents attributed the incident to excessive speeding or a possible brake failure.
Confirming the accident on Wednesday, the Abia State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), C.C. Ngozi Ezeoma, simply said:
“Yes, it happened at Umuikaa Junction.”
