Tragedy struck on Friday afternoon along Medical Stores Road in the Egor Local Government Area of Edo State, when the driver of a black Lexus SUV crashed into a commercial mini-bus, leaving at least three persons reportedly dead.
According to eyewitnesses, the commercial bus driver—identified as Osas—was trapped alongside an elderly female front-seat passenger and another occupant.
All three succumbed to their injuries at the scene.
Bystanders blamed the fatal crash on reckless speeding. Residents wailed uncontrollably, noting that the disaster could have been even more devastating had an electricity pole and a concrete fence not halted the racing vehicle’ momentum.
Witnesses reported that the teenage driver of the Lexus and an unidentified companion fled the scene immediately after the 4:30 PM crash, fearing a mob attack before police arrived.
Preliminary accounts indicate that the white mini-bus was parked on the roadside while waiting for a passenger to alight.
The Lexus, traveling from Medical Stores Road toward the New Lagos Road junction, suddenly veered off course and plowed directly into the stationary vehicle.
First responders used axes and iron bars to pry open the wreckage where the victims were pulled out and rushed to the Accident and Emergency Ward at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, and were thereafter pronounced lifeless.
Reacting to the incident on social media, a user named Orobor strongly condemned the driver’s alleged recklessness, calling on law enforcement to swiftly apprehend and prosecute those responsible.
