Growing outrage and grief have engulfed the Imiegba axis in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, as reports emerge that medical delays and neglect led to the death of a commercial driver following a high-impact crash involving a traditional ruler.
The deceased, identified as Hundu Momodu Imodagbe, died from extreme blood loss after royal aides and onlookers —abandoned him at the scene of a head-on collision at Igodor Village junction —a spot infamous for sharp blind curves and speeding vehicles.
The fatal crash occurred on Friday, October 23, when a Sports Utility Vehicle conveying the Atoma I of Imiegba and Ogiegha IV of Ivie, HRH Mallam Ali Suleiman, collided with Imodagbe’s pick-up van, which was carrying building materials.
The traditional ruler was reportedly traveling at high speed from Auchi to lead the weekly Friday Juma’at prayers in his community.
While both vehicles were severely damaged, the contrast in post-crash response has triggered severe public condemnation.
Witnesses revealed that royal loyalists and aides who rushed to the scene immediately evacuated the monarch to safety, leaving the critically injured driver trapped inside his wrecked vehicle.
For several agonizing minutes, Imodagbe lay bleeding at the roadside, gasping for breath without emergency first aid, ambulance service, or trained medical help.
Community sources insist his injuries, while severe, were not immediately fatal and that swift medical intervention could have saved his life.
Relief only came when a passerby stepped in as a Good Samaritan and transported the gasping victim to a hospital in Afashio, Uzairue.
However, medical personnel were unable to resuscitate him due to the massive volume of blood lost during the delay.
The late driver has been buried in accordance with Islamic rites, leaving his grieving family and the Imiegba community demanding answers over the value placed on ordinary lives during emergencies.
