At least five people died in a tragic road accident that happened on Saturday, December 2, 2023, in Akwa Ibom.

We learnt that eleven other people sustained degrees of injuries from the motor accident that happened along the Calabar-Itu highway around 3:30 pm.

The accident involved a Nissan Caravan with registration number GWB532XY and a Mack Truck without a registration number.

Confirming the incident through a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, the State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Matthew Olonisaye, blamed the accident on over-speeding, noting that the accident could have been avoided if the motorists had adhered to safety regulations.

“Eleven males and five females were involved, and three out of the five females and two out of the 11 males involved were confirmed dead, while the remaining 11 males and females sustained injuries of various degrees.

“When the report of the incident was received, the FRSC operatives mobilised and moved over to attend to the situation. Upon arrival at the crash scene, the injured were moved to nearby hospitals for prompt medical attention, while the bodies of the deceased were deposited at the morgue.

“When an inquiry was made as to the cause of the crash, it was gathered that the causal factor to the crash was Speed related according to eyewitnesses. After the evacuation of the victims, the road was cleared of the wreckage to enable free of traffic,” the statement released through the Public Enlightenment Officer of the command, Paul James, reads.