Man cheats death in Abia as moving train rams into car

From Okey Sampson, Umuahia

A man, whose name could not be immediately ascertained, missed death by the whiskers, yesterday, when a moving train reportedly rammed into his Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), in Aba, Abia State, and he escaped unhurt.

Reports have it that the train was moving from Port Harcourt to Aba, yesterday, and on getting to the Factory Road rail crossing, a few metres to its terminal, a man said to be driving out from a mechanic workshop in his Toyota Sienna vehicle, attempted to cross the road.

In the process, the train, which was said to be in slow motion as it was approaching the station, hit the vehicle and dragged it along the rail line until it hit a nearby wooden object which freed it from the train.

The driver of the sienna vehicle, who was said to have miraculously survived the accident, immediately ran away to avoid being arrested, and was forced to pay charges by the officers of the railway police.

Some residents, who spoke on the incident, called on the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to build crossing gates at points where there are road/rail interjections as was the case in the late 70’s and early 80’s, to avoid such accidents.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Aba Train Station, Mr Israel Uwalekwu, told newsmen that the incident was avoidable if only the driver exercised a little patience.

Uwalekwu, who said he was yet to hear from the train driver on what actually happened at the scene, further stressed that similar situations had been averted in the past with a little bit of luck.

The PRO called on commercial transport operators in Aba to add more value to their lives and that of their passengers by being patient while approaching railway crossings.