A couple and one other person were killed in a ghastly accident involving a commercial tricycle and a truck in the Okearo axis of Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Multiple eyewitnesses said the fatal accident was said to have been caused by reckless driving on the part of the driver of both the commercial tricycle and the truck.
Another source said the deceased included a husband and his wife who were passengers in the tricycle. While two of the victims died on the spot, the third victim reportedly gave up the ghost while being rushed to hospital.
At the scene of the accident, bloodstains were still visible on the road. The mangled remains of the tricycle also referred to as Keke Napep, had been cleared from the scene.
It was gathered that the driver of the truck, in a bid to evade an irate mob, fled immediately after the crash but later turned himself in at the B Division Police Station in Oke Aro.
The tragedy sparked outrage among residents, who marched to the police station, hurling stones and demanding justice for the victims.
In response, police operatives fired tear gas to disperse the protesters, a move that only heightened tensions in the already agitated community.
In the aftermath of the chaos, several commercial tricycles were said to have been impounded by security operatives.
The remains of the victims have since been deposited in the morgue, even as investigations into the accident continue.
All efforts to get comments from police personnel at the station proved abortive, as the atmosphere remained tense and volatile.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Olayinka Ayanlade said the driver of the truck has been detained by the Police while the truck has been impounded.
Ayanlade said investigation has begun into the causes of the accident
