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| Crushed Car |
A man, Mr Sola Ibitoye, narrowly escaped death on Saturday at Sango Railway Crossing in Ibadan, Oyo State, when his Renault car with registration number GF 821 KJA was crushed by a moving train at about 4.42p.m.
The passenger train, which a source at the scene of incident said was Ilorin-bound, dragged the car a few metres from the railway to the side of the rail line, rendering it a total write-off.
The driver and owner of the vehicle told Sunday Tribune that he wanted to make a u-turn at the rail line when the engine of his car went off.
He added that he tried to jumpstart the car but the railway was slippery so his attempts were unsuccessful.
Saying that he did not know that the train was close by until someone notified him, Mr Ibitoye stated that he tried to get passersby to help him push the car off the rail line but none of them was willing to help, except one person, whose efforts joined to his own could not take the car off the way.
Confirming the story, the District Public Relations Officer, Francis Unyimadu told Sunday Tribune that the usual thing was for railway officials to stop vehicles five minutes to the arrival of the train, which was done by the official stationed at the Sango railway crossing.
He added that the driver of the affected vehicle tried to make a u-turn but stopped on the rail track in the process, while efforts to help him push the vehicle off proved abortive.
He stated further that the damage to the passenger train was not yet known as the train could not stop, adding that the Corporation’s engineer would assess the damage later.
He further warned motorists to obey instructions when asked to stop at the approach of train, saying that the train, because of its nature, has the right of way wherever there is a railway crossing.
The Divisional Crime Officer of Bodija Railway Police Station was at the scene of the accident, while it was noted that hoodlums, in the guise of sympathising with the car owner, had stolen the car battery as it could not be seen.
Source: Sunday Tribune
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