Anglican Priest, 12 Others Die In Auto Crash

SAN FRANCISCO, March 11, (THEWILL) – An Anglican Priest, identified as Rev. Stanley Ejiniwe, and twelve others have lost their lives in a ghastly motor accident near Atakpo River in Ibusa along Asaba-Ogwashi Uku road in Delta State.

The vehicle, conveying the priest and others, was said to have been involved in a head-on collision with another car resulting to fatal crash, on Thursday night, which killed the 13 persons instantly.

The accident involves a Ford bus with registration number GWK 684 XA belonging to Christ Anglican Church, Ibusa; a Mitsubishi L300 commercial bus with registration number BJ 831 AKD and a Honda car with registration number BEN 413 CF.

The cleric who was traveling alone in the Ford bus belonging to the church in Ibusa, where he was recently transferred to, was descending the hills from Ibusa axis while the fully loaded commercial bus was ascending before the head on collision according to eyewitness report.

The driver of the commercial bus and his wife reportedly died in the crash while a Honda car also said to be coming from Ibusa and on high speed rammed into the vehicles.

Reports gathered by THEWILL indicates that the death of the priest has thrown the entire Asaba Diocese of the Anglican Communion into mourning.

Four survivors of the crash are receiving treatment at St. Joseph Catholic Hospital and St. Rebecca hospital both in Asaba, the state capital, while the dead made up of 11 males and two females were deposited at the General Hospital, Ibusa.

State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Rindom Kumven who confirmed the accident on Friday however blamed the crash on over speeding and poor visibility.

Story by David Oputah