A sleep-deprived driver of a luxury bus has killed his conductor in an accident on Ihiala-Owerri Road, Anambra, on Tuesday.

Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Anambra, Adeoye Irelewuyi, confirmed the incident in Awka on Tuesday.

Mr Irelewuyi said the accident which occurred at about 5.a.m. was caused by fatigue and loss of control by the driver.

“The crash involved an unidentified driver of a white luxury bus with registration number NNE423XB and another vehicle which we were not able to get the details.

“According to an eyewitness, who is a passenger in the bus, the driver was tired and slept off while driving. He lost control of the vehicle and rammed into another vehicle in his front and crashed.

“22 persons including 17 male adults and five female adults were involved in the crash. Four male adults were injured while one male adult, who was the conductor of the bus, has been confirmed dead.

“The injured victims were taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Ihiala, while the deceased was deposited at the hospital’s mortuary by the FRSC rescue team from Ihiala Unit Command,” he said.

While condoling with the family of the deceased, Mr Irelewuyi urged drivers to ensure that they observe rules and regulations guiding the road use.

“Drivers need to take a minimum of 15 minutes after every four hours of driving to relax and energise themselves, it prevents fatigue,” he said.

(NAN)