Tragedy struck the Choba–Emohua axis of the East-West Road in Rivers State after two separate fatal accidents within 48 hours left at least three people dead, including a police officer, a motorcycle rider, and a student.
The incidents have heightened concerns over growing safety risks on the busy bridge corridor.
The first crash occurred when a commercial motorcycle conveying passengers, including students heading toward Choba, collided with a trailer along the bridge.
The impact reportedly killed the motorcycle rider and one student on the spot, while two other students sustained injuries and were rushed to the Accident and Emergency Unit of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), where they are receiving treatment.
Eyewitnesses said the students were travelling from Emohua to Choba when the accident happened, describing the collision as severe and chaotic.
The bodies of the deceased were later deposited at the hospital morgue.
Less than a day after the crash, another fatal incident occurred at the same location involving a police officer.
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According to eyewitness accounts, the officer was reportedly involved in a dispute with a taxi driver over an alleged payment disagreement when a speeding vehicle struck him on the bridge. He was said to have died instantly from the impact.
As of the time of filing this report, the Rivers State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement confirming the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death, and his identity remains undisclosed.
The series of accidents has sparked renewed calls for urgent road safety measures along the East-West Road bridge axis, which residents describe as increasingly dangerous for commuters, motorists, and pedestrians.
Authorities are expected to launch investigations into both incidents.
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