The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Oyo State, Sector Command, has said a commercial tricycle rider died in a road crash that occurred on Friday along the Oke-Ado, Molete road, Ibadan.

The state’s Deputy Corps Commander, Bayode Olugbesan, in an interview with the Peoples Gazette on Saturday, said preliminary investigation showed that the tragic accident was caused by a truck that lost its brake while attempting to avoid a Toyota Venza car.

Mr Olugbesan said the victim who was a tricycler rider died in the crash.

The commander stated that the petrol-laden truck was subsequently offloaded and been impounded at the Iyaganku Police Division.

“Two people were involved. The driver of the truck and the tricycle rider who died. The truck was taken to Iyaganku Police Station. We finished the evacuation around 9 pm. The driver of the truck is in police custody,” Mr Olugbesan said.

The FRSC official advised road users to ensure their vehicles were in good condition before putting them on the road.

“Preliminary investigation showed that the brake of the truck failed while he was trying to avoid a Venza vehicle. Our drivers should be careful when driving in populated areas, particularly during this rainy season,” he said.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA), Adesagba Adekoya, said the truck driver attributed the accident to brake failure, noting that the claim could only be confirmed after a thorough investigation.

The OYRTMA chairman said its operatives had repeatedly warned motorcyclists and tricycle riders against using the accident site as a park in order to prevent avoidable crashes.

He noted that the victim was crushed at the scene but was later confirmed dead at the hospital he was taken to.

Mr Adekoya said, “What happened was a kind of reckless driving of that petrol-laden truck belonging to a marketer in Ibadan. Although the driver claimed that it was brake failure, only due investigation can ascertain that. He jumped from his lane and crossed to where the tricycle was to load passengers.”

An unidentified eyewitness said the accident occurred at about 8:05 am and could have resulted in more casualties if the crash had happened at a time when the area was busier.

“The accident occurred at about 8:05 am. The death would have been more than if not that it occurred in the morning when most people still indoors,” he said.