Tragedy struck at Tipper Garage Junction in Dutse, Abuja, on Tuesday morning as a young mother lost her life while trying to shield her infant during a multiple-vehicle collision triggered by a brake failure.
The crash, which occurred around 9:30am, involved a heavy-duty truck reportedly arriving from neighbouring Niger Republic.
Witnesses said the vehicle, laden with kegs of groundnut oil, plastic products and mosquito repellents, lost its brakes while descending the steep stretch from Usman Dam Road.
According to eyewitness accounts, the truck gathered speed uncontrollably and rammed into several vehicles along the slope.
It reportedly struck four vehicles before crashing into two commercial tricycles and a salon car waiting at the busy junction.
The young mother was said to have been inside one of the tricycles when the truck ploughed into it.
She died at the scene, while her infant was rescued alive from the wreckage in what onlookers described as a miraculous survival.
The salon car, conveying four passengers, was severely damaged in the collision.
Although two of the occupants reportedly managed to escape with injuries, others sustained varying degrees of harm.
In all, no fewer than 11 persons were said to have been affected by the accident.
Good Samaritans battled through pools of spilled oil and scattered debris to pull victims from the crushed vehicles before the arrival of emergency officials.
Rescue teams from the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps later arrived at the scene to manage the situation and evacuate the injured.
The deceased mother’s remains were covered at the scene before being conveyed, alongside the injured victims, to Kubwa General Hospital for further attention.
Residents of the area have repeatedly raised concerns over the dangerous slope leading to the junction, calling for the installation of visible warning signs and speed-calming measures to prevent recurring tragedies.