Exclusive: Tragedy Averted In Abeokuta As Train Driver Applies Emergency Brake To Save Lives

The train stuck in on the rail track last night 

By Jamiu Folarin 

ABEOKUTA - It was a close shave with death when a train driver applied the brake of the train to save the lives of passersby and motorists in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The incident which occured on Saturday night involved a cargo train inbound Abeokuta.

As the train was approaching the train station at Lafenwa amidst heavy traffic jam, vehicles are trapped in the rail lines.

The development resulted into pandemonium as people run helter skelter asking those in the trapped vehicles on the rail lines to alight from them.

Vehicles trapped in the traffic gridlock

According to THE ENCOUNTER NEWS eyewitness reporter, there were no officials of the railway corporation to cordoned off and control traffic as the train approaches.

The train had to apply the brake to avoid hitting and crushing the cars and passengers trapped on the rail lines.

A student of a private University in Abeokuta, AbdulRahman Alugo who was one of the lucky passengers in the vehicles trapped on the rail narrated his ordeal.

"It was around 6:50pm when I was coming back from a private radio station where I joined my lecturer to present a weekly programme.

"We were held up in the traffic for over one hour while negotiating our way from the Police station at Lafenwa to the rail lines. The movement within this two point is less than three minutes if there were no traffic.

"I was in the car with my lecturer, when we observed that people are shouting without understanding why they are running helter skelter.

"I was scared because noise was coming from different angles. My lecturer had to get down to know what was happening. 

"I tried opening the door too, but my lecturer told me to relax. Well, he came back and all he could get from the noise was train train train!!!

"I thought maybe one wild animal was the reason for their nosie. I was so scared. The front of the car had crossed the railway. He rushed to look for a way out, in order for us to be safe from the train. He looked for a way to reverse the car. We were safe.

"But the other car on the other side was trapped and the train was about crushing it with the passengers when it applied the brake bringing the train to full stop.

"Guess what,? The train stopped so that the car can be taken away from the railway. I was shocked and amazed. 

"When the vehicle was pushed away from the railway, and the train went without anyone being injured or killed. Everyone was happy and the market women clapped.

"It was an harrowing experience and close shave with death for me because I was really confused in the midst of incident.

"In fact, what I used to believe that train cannot apply break while in motion but my personal experienced today proved otherwise.