Train crushes Redeemer’s varsity’s car in Osun

A driver and a passenger inside a Toyota Corolla car belonging to the Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, escaped death when a train crushed their car at Olaiya Junction, Osogbo, on Thursday. 

Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the accident, which occurred around 1:20 pm, almost caused traffic congestion but for the timely arrival of officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, who cleared the rail line and ensured free flow of traffic. 

Another eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the train had just one coach and the driver of the train, having crushed the car, parked the engine at the terminus, which is about 200 meters away from the scene.

He was said to have come to the scene, took photographs of the crushed car, and returned to the train to continue with his journey.

An eyewitness, who identified himself as Toba, told our correspondent that the train was travelling from Ede to Ilorin. He said the Redeemer’s University’s driver followed a convoy of speeding bullion vans to the the spot, but was not aware that he had gotten to a railway crossing. 

He said, “The man was fortunate that the train just crushed the font side of the car and the impact pushed back the car. The car suffered some damage at the front but the driver and the passenger were lucky.” 

The driver, who identified himself as Owolabi, resisted the attempt of railway policemen to tow away the car. 

He pleaded that the policemen should allow officials of the university who, he said, were on their way to the scene to arrive before towing away the damaged car. 

He said, “We are on our way to send this parcel to Pastor Yemi Osinbajo (the vice president). Please, let the university officials come and see the car here before you tow it away.” 

The move to tow the car also pitched the policemen angling two officials of the FRSC who arrived at the scene.

However, the FRSC officials allowed the policemen, who were later joined by more uniformed policemen, to tow away the car.