At least 19 individuals tragically lost their lives in a road accident on the Oyo-Ogbomoso Road on Sunday. The fatal crash occurred due to a driver’s reckless act of driving against traffic, resulting in a head-on collision between a Toyota Hiace Bus with registration NTT52ZY and a Toyota Corolla salon car.

According to a statement by Jonas Agwu, the Assistant Corps Marshal and Corps Public Education Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), out of the 20 individuals involved in the crash, 19 perished. In response to this devastating incident, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Ali Biu, has instructed Sector Commanders to intensify patrol operations to address the issue of route violation on the nation’s highways.

Agwu stated, “Following the regrettable fatal crash that claimed 19 lives on Sunday, April 14, 2024, along the Oyo-Ogbomoso route at 0745HRS, as a result of route violation commonly known as ‘One Way,’ a heinous traffic offense that led to a head-on collision and subsequent fire outbreak, the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dauda Ali Biu, has directed sector commanders to intensify patrol operations to combat the menace of route violation on the nation’s highways.”

The crash investigation report submitted to the Corps Marshal revealed that two vehicles were involved: the aforementioned Toyota Hiace Bus loaded from Ibadan en route Sokoto, and a Toyota Corolla salon car. The report attributed the crash to route violation and noted that all 20 individuals involved were adult males, with 19 fatalities and one survivor rescued by FRSC operatives with injuries.

The injured survivor was promptly transported by the FRSC rescue team to Opabode Hospital for urgent medical attention, while the deceased were taken to the morgue at Oyo General Hospital.

The Corps Marshal has urged the public to exercise caution and avoid actions that could lead to road traffic accidents on the nation’s roads.