Multiple deaths, as road crashes, violence mar Xmas celebration

Akwa Ibom State recorded harvests of deaths from accidents last month, The investigation has revealed these. This is coming when the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has stated that 46 lives were lost from 98 accidents between January and November last year in the state.
For December, the state recorded many accidents, as residents and road users passing through Ituk Mbang community, along Airport Road, Uyo, were subjected to gory sights.
In one of the accidents, the driver of a Volkswagen Golf, LSD 631 BH, killed four persons riding in a tricycle.
The driver was said to be running away from policemen. In an attempt to escape arrest, he ran over the tricycle, thereby killing the occupants.
When Daily Sun arrived at the scene, three corpses were said to have been taken to the mortuary.
Our correspondent only met the corpse of Mr. David Etim, said to come from Nung Ikono Obio, in Uruan Local Government Area, about to be conveyed by his relatives, in a tricycle to the mortuary. The police were there to supervise. But the offending car was not removed.
No fewer than 30 lives were lost between December 24 and 31 from road mishaps and communal violence.
On December 25, four persons were allegedly killed while celebrating Okon Day in Eket Local Government Area. The police only admitted two deaths.
Also on December 25, a motorcyclist, in Ikot Akpafuk, Ndiya community, in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, killed one Samuel Sunday.
On December 27, a driver conveying passengers from Port Harcourt to Akwa Ibom knocked down a motorcyclist and a passenger in Abak.
Also on December 29, three women, Agnes Ntinya, Magdalene Benson and Idong Stephen, were crushed by a reckless driver while trying to cross the road, in Ikot Antot, in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.
Meanwhile, the FRSC has said the state recorded 46 deaths in 98 accidents in 11 months.
According to FRSC report, fatality figure was higher than that of 2012, as, though 127 accidents were recorded, only 39 lives were officially reported to have been lost.
The sector Commander, Mr. Isaac Ameh, said while 482 people were involved in road mishaps, with 216 injured and 177 rescued in 2012, 322 people were involved in 2013, with 209 injured, while 167 were rescued.
He attributed the increasing fatalities in most of the road mishaps to speed limit violation and dangerous driving.
Ameh, however, said that the figure might not be perfect, had not finished the compilation of December 2013 statistics.