Imo State; Truck Crushes A Bottled Water Seller To Death

A bottled water seller in Owerri, the Imo state capital, identified as Chibueze Uguru, was yesterday crushed to death by a heavy duty truck that lost control.

The truck with the registration number, Lagos XY - 844 - EKS, according to an witness account lost control at the holy ghost secondary school - Assumpta road and hit a non moving pay loader before ramming on the young man who was hawking on the road side which led to his instant death .

The eyewitness  said that the truck which was conveying sharp sand stocked in cement bags, was coming into town from the Onitsha road before officials of Imo Environmental Transformation Commission who were on duty to stop heavy duty vehicles from accessing the state capital in the day time allegedly went after it.

He said that, the driver of the truck  noticing that the ENTRACO officials were after him, paddled off, but unfortunately he lost control and started horning and shouting for people to desert the road, but that was to late, as Uguru, was smashed to death by the speeding truck.

Briefing newsmen at the scene of the incident, Lambert Ofordire, who identified himself as the chairman of Imo state Hawkers Association, said that the deceased was a 30 year old man who hailed from Izinye in Ezi Local Government Area of Ebonyi state.

Ofordire, who said that Uguru died on the spot, blamed it  on the ENTRACO officials whom he accused of always treating them with hostilities, like chasing after them and seizing their goods in the process.

He called on the state Government to help them by instructing the ENTRACO officials to allow them do their businesses, as their hawking was not constituting public nuisance nor a security threat to the state.

Ofordire, who confirmed the death of Uguru, disclosed that his remains have been deposited at the mortuary, as they were making efforts to convey the bad news to his family in Ebonyi state.

CHIDIEBUBE OKEOMA, OWERRI