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From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
The deplorable state of the Calabar-Itu Federal Highway claimed the life of a truck driver on Monday morning.
The tragic incident occurred when two trucks collided head-on, resulting in the death of the unnamed driver.
Eyewitnesses said deep gullies and uneven surfaces made it difficult for the drivers to maintain control of their vehicles.
An eyewitness named Samuel said: “One of the long trucks was conveying stones while the other was loaded with jerry cans of palm oil.
“The truck carrying stones swerved due to the bad portions of the road and rammed into the oncoming palm oil truck, crushing its front and killing the driver instantly,” he said.
The impact left the front section of the palm oil-laden truck severely damaged, causing traffic disruption along the busy route.
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Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Cross River State, Innocent Etuk, confirmed the incident.
Etuk said he had directed officers in the area to immediately evacuate the victim’s body and clear the obstruction to restore the free flow of traffic.
“I deeply sympathise with the loss of life and have instructed my men to move to the scene without delay to evacuate the body and ensure the highway is cleared for motorists,” the Sector Commander said.
The Calabar-Itu Highway has been under repairs for the last decade with no end in sight for its completion, despite endless assurances.
The over 100 km highway connects Cross River and Akwa Ibom states and has been notorious in recent times due to its poor condition, which has caused commuters countless challenges, delays and, in some cases, loss of lives.
A major construction company which was awarded a contract to reconstruct sections of the road pulled out of the project, while the Federal Government recently terminated a contract awarded to another company handling the road.
