No fewer than five persons have died in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, in a ghastly motor accident along the Tombia-Amassoma Road area of the state.
The accident, which caused traffic congestion along the road leading to the state-owned Niger Delta University, NDU, and the Bayelsa International Airport, left three female and two male victims dead.
The accident which happened on Thursday evening, August 19, was said to have involved a Venza car and two tricycles heading towards Amassoma community.
According to an eyewitness, Mr Stephen Jones, the driver of the Venza lost the control as a result of the downpour and rammed into two oncoming tricycles, leading to the death of five passengers with others injured.
The spokesman for the Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, who confirmed the development on Friday, said the fatal motor accident occurred on Thursday around 4.40pm and involved a Toyota Venza with Reg. N0. KMK 617 BY and two tricycles with Reg. No. NSK 073 QH and LND 223 QH.
He said, “Five corpses were evacuated from the scene and three of them have been identified as, Okon Daniel ‘m’ 47 years old, Oweinkuro Profit ‘m’ 52 years old and Mrs. Domoye Ikpaipai, 73 years old.
“The others were middle-aged male and female victims.”
One of the victims has also been identified as a student of the State-owned Niger Delta University, Amassoma.
However, Butswat said the police are on the trail of one Augusta Nyoun, who drove the Toyota Venza that allegedly caused the accident, before fleeing the scene.
He said the police have launched a manhunt for the accused female suspect who drove the vehicle for possible culpable homicide.
“The sketch marks of the scene of the accident have been taken and investigation is ongoing,” he added.