A father and son going to church on Sunday morning, have been allegedly crushed to death by a police officer attached to the Ughelli ‘A’ division while four other siblings are seriously battling to save their lives at a private hospital in Warri, Delta state.
The deceased father, Mr Godstime Ovwiokpe and his children, Sandra, Ebenezer, Oghenemine, Enoch, Ephraim and Mrs Umolo were in a tricycle heading to First Baptist Church, when the accident occurred before Ughelli public field in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta state.
According to sources, the Senior Police officer identified as, ASP Edet Emmanuel, and other occupant of the Toyota Camry, Spider were coming from Oteri-Ughelli when the incident occurred at about 7:am.
“They may have sized the car from the driver and were going to where they can be settled and in that process, they rammed into the family going same direction.
Mr Godstime Ovwokpie at about 45 years, and his son 2-year died while his four other children are currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Warri.
Speaking at her hospital bed, Mrs Philomena Umolo with a broken said, “We were going church at about 7:am when the Spider driven by officer left his lane to our lane to hit and we all fell down.
“I was sitting at the front of the tricycle with their father while the other children about five of them were sitting at the back and from the way we saw him driving, we left the road and enter ground but he still to hit us.” she said.
The daughter, Sandra Avwiokpe who broke her leg disclosed that when she saw the vehicle coming, she begin to call on Jesus only to find herself at the Central Hospital.”
Another source who spoke on anonymous condition, said, “He was with four of his children inside the tricycle with his brother’s daughter and a church member, Mrs Ugolo, wife of a retired police officer that he picked up on the way.
“And on their way, they got the accident and our first point of call was at the Central Hospital Ughelli where we saw the woman, the children and the relative in a critical condition as they were not responding.
“At the hospital bed, the man told us that he saw the Red Toyota Camry Spider that was coming from police station towards post office junction on a high speed while they were going opposite direction and the driver of the vehicle was phone making call.
“As soon as he noticed the speed of the vehicle that has left his lane facing them, he left the road but the vehicle hits them against the fence of the Water Board.
“It was at that point that people ran down and driver of the vehicle was not seen again and after much inquiry we got to know that the vehicle was owned by a police man.”
The source further revealed that, “While we were at the hospital, we go the information that the police has taken the vehicle and tricycle to the police station, as we running around to know the situation of the man.
“When their father gave up at Cillian, we to concentrate on the children, we took an ambulance and rush them to another hospital in Warri.
“We noticed some persons was following the ambulance with an unregistered vehicle Camry0 and when we confronted them, they told that they are police officers.
“From our findings we are noticing that the vehicle was sized from the owner probably yahoo boy and instead of taking the vehicle to the station, he drove past the police station. It is like they have settling ground and he was going there to settle at a Hotel name withheld.
“When we confronted the police when we got back Ughelli, they told that the police driver is in a critical condition and he is on admission somewhere.
“The last son who is less than 2years Ephraim Ovweokpi did not make it, the other boy before him has broken bones on his neck, and he is currently under observation and while the eldest daughter, has a broken leg with some internal injuries.
“The first son case is critical, we were told the accident affected his brain and he needs a brain surgery as we speak.”
