Tragedy struck on Wednesday morning in Osun State as a truck transporting rams and human passengers crashed along the Osogbo/Gbongan road in Gbongan, Ayedade Local Government Area. The accident, which occurred around 8:26 am, resulted in the deaths of two people and left 15 others with varying degrees of injuries.
According to Mrs. Agnes Ogungbemi, the Public Education Officer of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Osun State, the lone accident involved a truck with no registration number. Preliminary investigations revealed that the vehicle, loaded with approximately 70 animals including cows, goats, and sheep was also carrying human passengers seated atop the animals. The truck was reportedly traveling from Kebbi State to Ikire, Osun State.
Eyewitness accounts and statements from some passengers indicated that the driver had dozed off multiple times after passing Osogbo. The fatal crash occurred near the Surprise Hotel area in Gbongan when the driver allegedly fell asleep again, causing the truck to veer off the road, plunge into a ditch, and overturn. The impact violently ejected both the animals and the passengers.
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene, transporting the injured to a nearby medical centre in Gbongan, while the bodies of the two deceased victims were also recovered.
Authorities have attributed the accident to mechanical deficiency and driver fatigue, highlighting the dangers of overloading and unsafe travel practices, especially during festive seasons when livestock transport is common.